Social Movements That Were Prevalent During the 1960s in America

The time: the 1960s. The place: United States of America. Who? The youth. Doing what? Using drugs. Why? Many reasons. The 1960s proved to be a very turbulent time in the history of American youth growing up. There were many different activist movements all over the country. The primary drug user was the male college student involved in politics. He used mostly marijuana, some cocaine or LSD and of course alcohol. The sixites culminated with perhaps the biggest public scene of drug use ever: Woodstock. American youth in the sixties turned to drugs for a variety of reasons including the Vietnam War, the feeling of rebellion, activist movements, and the general pleasure-oriented society.

The decade of the 1960s can be said to be a subversion of the United States. From the civil rights movements, anti-Vietnam war demonstration, Kennedy’s presidency, to the assassination of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King, the impact of the surging social movements and political turmoils to the American society is extremely far-reaching. There has been a lot of researches on the various social movements in this period. However, people 's attention seems to be limited to another important cultural phenomenon of this period, that is the prosperity of rock & roll. This paper is intended to analyze the

The Sixties were an exciting revolutionary period of time with great social and technological change. Some people called it the “decade of discontent” because of 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”. It was called this because 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 world of popular Music.

The early 1960s was a time of extreme social issues such as the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement; everyone was looking for their own voice in this time of adversity. A young Bob Dylan arises to the spotlight and sings songs speaking of protest and originality, expressing societal dissatisfaction felt by not only himself but by his entire generation. In the 1960s Dylan wrote many protest songs that people of his generation found themselves connecting to, leading way to a counterculture aside from popular music which also paved a way for introspective song writing.

Psychedelics, and drugs in general became such an important part of life during the 60’s that it’s influence was inescapable. Nowhere can this fact be seen more clearly than in the music of the time. The most obvious influence drugs had on music can bee seen in the lyrics. Drug references abound, be it Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” of marijuana smoke, or the Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, obviously referring to LSD. Even the names of the bands were drug inspired, as Garofalo points out in reference to the Doors: “The group took it’s name from Aldous Huxley’s The Doors of Perception, a book about the liberating aspects of drug use.” Even the music itself was influenced by drugs. Take for example much of the music by the Doors. Their song “the End” is a psychedelic journey in to the world of LSD. The slow beat and “trippy” music in the song was probably created with the use of drugs and hence is better appreciated when heard while on drugs. This is also true of the music of the Grateful Dead, although this can be much more clearly seen in their live performances as opposed to their studio work. Much of their music is geared specifically toward those in the audience who are on drugs. Hearing one of their 30 minute jams is a much different experience on drugs, and that is the experience that they intended the audience to have. While drugs were very much connected to the music of the sixties,

As America was fighting a war for freedom in another country, unruly teens were fighting their own at home. Cultural change, the explosion of free love, youthful rebellion, and a new liberal mindset all seemed to have one underlying device in common; drug use. The late 1960’s into the early and mid-70’s found the perfect environment for recreational drug use. Music and arts celebrated this lifestyle, as well as free thinkers and their idiotic philosophies about spiritual elation through mind altering narcotics. Lack of family structure with so many homes transformed by the Vietnam War also left young teens without guidance, and an economy with little to offer to the up and coming generation. As the next few years passed and the free love generation began to grasp the concept of working for a living, showering on a regular basis, love with commitment (or antibiotics), and cultural change through policy, they brought to the workforce a new dynamic not previously prevalent. Recreational drug use had become part of society. Vietnam War veterans also brought their own demons home with their return, opiate addictions were a common occurrence (Carson 2012).

The Nineteen Sixties were a time of grand turmoil in the United States. The nation almost came apart at the seams many times throughout the decade. The government was involved in a plethora of things at the time that the general population did not agree with. The most important was the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was the most publicly protested war in the history of the country. There were many new forms of protesting used at this time. The most mainstream and effective way of protest was through song. The lyrics of the songs of the sixties were laced with anti-government and anti-war messages that were sometimes hidden and sometimes direct. The generation responsible for the new music was the Baby Boomers. These were the

For thousands of years people have spoke of all types of visions. Whether the visions were from religious groups, Indian tribes, or self proclaimed prophets; all types of people have seen things. This was more than likely occurring with the help of different types of hallucinogens. Hallucinogens have been around since the beginning of time. Some mushrooms, cactus flowers, and even different types of mold are all able to produce hallucinogenic effects. However, it was only within the last century that man actually started to produce his own. LSD, or lysergic acid diethylamide-25, is a relatively new substance in society. All known effects show LSD, or acid, as the harmful drug most people know it as. There are people who believe

The “hippies” of the 1960s had many effects on the American society. The visual appearance and lifestyle of the hippies were in sharp contrast to the conservative nature of the older generation, which defined them as a counterculture. The hippie lifestyle was based on free love, rock music, shared property, and drug experimentation. They introduced a new perspective on drugs, freedom of expression, appearance, music, attitudes toward work, and held a much more liberal political view than mainstream society.

While these trends are not harmful, others are; such as the extended use of marijuana, and the hallucinogen, LSD, which are still popular with the youth today. Marijuana captivated the counterculture. Timothy Leary, psychologist writes, "The

The era of the 60’s was an embryonic, prominent, and distinctive era by planting the seed of idealistic values to future generations ahead. When we think of the era of the 60’s we imagine hippies uprising the conventional values of American culture, ingestion of hallucinatory drugs, massive music festivals, and creative bohemian fashion. A massively important factor to the embodiment of the 60’s social movement was the creation of the Psychedelic movement. Through the accidental discovery of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) in 1938 by Albert Hoffman, a Sandoz Pharmaceutical chemist, began the wave of a societal movement of Psychedelic exploration. (Grof 17). This powerful substance was distributed to psychiatrists by the United States Government

What comes to mind when you think of a protest? Maybe your mind conjures up images of the Scottish people protesting in the streets for their independence just this year. Is the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s when African Americans took to lunch counters and Mississippi streets? Perhaps it drifts all the way back to 1773 when Colonist protested 13 years of increasing British taxation. The ability to protest is an act that has historically has been allowed; or disallowed; by the people in power at the time.

The emotions from an “LSD trip” can change from extreme joy, to detachment, to a state of excessive awareness (Degracia, 1993). LSD, like any other drug, can alter one’s perception and mood, or magnify your emotions, dependent upon if the drug is considered a stimulant or a depressant. The hallucination experience usually begins with simple hallucinations, such shapes and spirals (Ebbitt, 1998). The next stage consists of more meaningful images; some may being seeing things related to a personal experience or mood. When the hallucination experience peaks, people have what is called an “out-of-body experience” and begin to imagine dreamlike scenes as though they were real. These images and experiences become so realistic that some drug users result to panic and extreme anxiety, but nevertheless, are mesmerized by the incredible images presented to them (Myers, 2002).

There was a high consumption of drugs during this period, almost every hippie went on some kind of drug. The most common drugs where LSD and marijuana. They also wanted to reduce the meat production, so they replaced it with food and drugs from the nature, they became vegetarians. In those days it was normal to be handed a random pill, and you took it. You wanted to get high and have a new experience, but their surroundings didn’t like it. Nowadays the most people think the same thing about drugs. Drugs today are something bad. The hippies used them because they wanted to experiment with themselves and have a great time. The people that use drugs today can be people that are depressed, that have landed in that position where they think it’s the only alternative. It can be people that are addictive, and want to stop, even if they can’t. It can be younger people that want to fit in, because they think it’s cool, but our society tells us the opposite. It’s bad to be on drugs, you’re careless and you’re stupid, that’s what our society tells us, and that’s what they told the hippies too.

The 1960s are a decade that have become known as a time of “peace and music”; a time when