1969 in American History

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There are many things that define the eventful, complex year of 1969, but the spirit of the time is depicted through contrast. President Richard Nixon struggled with balancing peace and American power. The spirit of the year is remembered by the struggle for peace and the conflict it created.
As it is often portrayed as a peaceful year, 1969 had its fair share of events that negatively impacted society. Differences in ideas, race, and culture caused a general upheaval among the people of the time. With so many different, extremely opposite beliefs, conflict was inevitable. In particular, minorities attracted disagreements sometimes resulting in violence. A prime example is the Stonewall riots. With New York law prohibiting homosexuality in public, the gay community grew angry especially because gay establishments were often being shut down and raided. A group of gay customers at the Stonewall Inn took a stand, causing the outbreak of a riot. This riot speaks to how drastic the different viewpoints of the year were and how people would resort to violence to be heard. Another example of violence due to differences in beliefs is the attack on the Black Panther party in Chicago. The party was an icon for the anti-war movement; they protested racism and African Americans being drafted. During this raid in Chicago, Sgt. Daniel Groth arrived, gun in hand, at a flat on Monroe St. that was a stronghold of the Black Panther Party. Seven minutes of gunfire resulted in the death of two Black Panther Party leaders, Fred Hampton and Mark Clark. These two iconic leaders made an impact in African American society and their death disrupted the movement for African American peace and equality. This murder displays the intense hostility in ’69 and ...

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...iews in society. These opposite viewpoints such as supporting peace and supporting war often ended in conflict and even violence. So did peace or violence determine the spirit of the time? There cannot be one without the other and with that said, the impact they had on each other is the best way to describe the spirit of ’69. The Vietnam War and riots are remembered right alongside the peaceful rallies and the hippie culture. Along with Nixon, American citizens struggled with the balance between peace and American power, even the “silent majority” (those who remained neutral). Everyone wanted freedom, but some expressed it through violence, some through peace, and some by doing nothing at all. 1969 will always be remembered as an interesting year and people will continue to incorporate the year’s positive aspects (peace, fashion, music, etc.) into today’s society.

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