Lessons Learned From The 1960's

During the 1960s our nation was going through many important and crucial events. From the Vietnam War to national politics, and even civil rights, our country was changing a lot. In particular, the year 1968, was when our country went through a major turning point, especially when you take in consideration the major events that involved the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement such as the “Tet Offense”, violent protests, and the Civil Rights Act being passed.

Within such a short time period you see so much anger, violence, triumphs, heartbreak, and social change. The author explicit states each of his central concepts such as the Vietnam War, Civil Rights, and student action making it easier for the reader to follow along and understand the importance these movements had in motivating and changing America. He divulges great evidence to support his central topics with sit-ins that occurred during the south, recollection of horror stories told by soldiers coming back from the war, and the amount of college protests that lit up America from California to Chicago. The evidence given it not only adequate but helpful in adding to the readers understanding about what the sixties truly

Ever get that feeling, you’re going through problems, or some type of adversity but everything turns out fine? It’s an awesome and free feeling, and this was the feeling the American people experienced during the 1960s. The people went through the great stress of beating their rivals, the Russians, in the great space race with the Apollo Program during that commotion, engineers around the country were working double time trying to find ways to create and improve the blueprints for the laser. This wasn’t even the most problematic as the American people had to cope with one of America’s greatest movement, the civil rights movements and one of its fearless leaders Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr became an icon during the 1960s due to

The sixties were a time of questioning and rebellion. The baby boomer generation was born into the most powerful, affluent, and influential nation in the history of mankind. Despite this, baby boomers were asked to fight in a foreign war, conform to societal norms, and accept institutional change in their lives. John Ketwig, Bill Ayers, and Robert Coles all showed in their own way the crumbling of American institutions in the sixties due to the belief that the US government was not working for its people. No other time in American history saw so much activity in terms of political and social movements and it brought the country into the age of questioning and rebellion which remains today.

The 1960’s transformed American life in ways unimaginable when the decade began. It produced new rights and new understandings of freedom. It made possible the entrance of numerous members of racial minorities into the mainstream of American life, while leaving unsolved the problem of urban poverty. It set in motion a transformation of the status of women. It changed what American expected from government, from clean air and water to medical coverage in old age. At the same time, it undermined public confidence in national leaders.

The 1960’s marked a period of tragic events in the United States. It was a period of sorrow and grief due to the awful things that were happening. It left a questioning of America over its youths and the hatred between each other. For instance, Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated in 1968, Malcolm X in 1965 and the president John F Kennedy in 1963 among others (Felber, 2015). The most tragic event that had a huge impact was the assassination of the president. It happened on November 23rd in 1963 sometime in the afternoon when a bullet lodged in his head and neck. Around an hour later, he was pronounced dead at the hospital (Nicks, 2013).

In my opinion, one of the most revolutionary characteristics of the 1960s was the movement for the civil rights. The citizens of the United States finally managed to organize in a single community fighting for their own rights. One of the characteristics of the movements that were started at that time was the organization of the students who actually became the driving force of the revolutionary events and the leading power of the social change.

The 1960’s era was known as being called the “Golden Age”. The 1960’s were a time for change, counter culture, and political movements. One of the most important events that occurred during the 1960’s was the presidential election between Richard Nixon and John F Kennedy. During this election, the Cold War between the Soviet Union and United States was the main focus. Also at this time there was a rise in the civil rights movement. The election of 1960 was a changing point in American history.

The 1960’s was a very influential time in the United States of America. The United States began to explore a new culture of people known as hippies. The USA endured a great scare of nuclear war from the Cuban Missile Crisis. This country lost two famous leaders from that era; John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., who were assassinated. The United States also began the move towards equality by passing the Civil Rights Act. The final major accomplishment from 1960’s was when Neil Armstrong was the first astronaut to land on the moon.

When most people think of the 1950’s or 1960’s, they think of Elvis, Greasers, jukeboxes, Woodstock, and rainbow peace signs and hippie love. Although these symbols are somewhat accurate (and very popular), not many people think about the changes society and culture went through. The 1950’s and 60’s were a time of great change and freedom for many Americans. Everything from World War II, to the gay liberation movement, to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 helped to change society. Many of the views American’s had on topics such as war, gender roles and sexual preference were changed greatly after these events and have led to our culture being what it is today. The 1950’s and 1960’s were a time where great changes took place that helped to

The Sixties were an exciting revolutionary period with great cultural change. Some people called it the “decade of discontent” (Britannica) due to the race riots in Detroit and La, and the demonstrations against the Vietnam War. Other people called it the decade of “peace, love, and harmony” (Woodstock 69). This decade was identified as such as a result of the peace movement and the emergence of the flower children. (Britannica) The sixties were about assassination, unforgettable fashion, new styles of music, civil rights, gay and women’s liberation, Vietnam, Neil Armstrong landing on the moon, peace marches, sexual freedom, drug experimentation, and Woodstock. All of these components caused a revolutionary change in the

The 1960s brought about changes economically and socially. The Civil Rights Movement was alive and moving. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s goal was to hopefully put an end to racial discrimination and to restore voting rights in the South. Clearly the 60s was not the beginning of the fight for civil rights in America. The 18th century in the United State was plagued by hatred, racism and slavery. Slavery affected the entire nation. Slavery destroyed families by taking members of one’s captive to work as slaves. Abolitionists of all races began protesting against slavery. As slaves grew tired of intense abuse, slaves planned escape routes, signals and even songs. By 1843, slaves were escaping

The 1960s was crammed full of many impacting events and important figures. From Hitchcock releasing one of the greatest thrillers of all time, Psycho, to Marilyn Monroe’s untimely death, to the infamous Woodstock festival. This era changed history completely and made the United States think twice about its youth. Events of the 1960s are still impacting our country as we know it today. The sudden pull from the conservative ‘50s changed America’s views on all aspects of life, including fashion, entertainment, and lifestyles.

The sixties was an era of radical change. With the Civil Rights movement, Vietnam War, the assassinations of President Kennedy and Martin Luther King, plus the success of the moon landing, people all around the world and especially in the United States were beginning to see a change in the world itself and the minds of the people in it. The sudden ability to receive messages from across oceans and the ability to travel internationally much safer and quicker also changed the way people looked at themselves and their fellow neighbors. The Norton Anthology of World Literature Vol. F explains this:

The 1960s generation were more vocal, liberal, and more politically aware. There was a growing awareness around this time of social exclusion, especially when it comes to people from poorer economic backgrounds, rural areas, and women. Together, these factors combined to change the way people were thinking about education, and ultimately, helped to change the way the state thought about education. People were now beginning to see that the longer a person could stay in education, and the more qualified they could become, the better chance they had in life of getting a more desirable job and salary.