As the beginning of the new decade approached, a spark for change was brewing. However, unbeknownst to American society, this flicker would emerge into an immense flame that ignited passion, controversy, and most of all, change. These three words could be described as the ultimate mantra for the decade of the nineteen sixties. From nineteen sixty to the end of the decade, America witnessed tremendous economic, social, and political development. The conflicts in this turbulent stage included ones between races, sexes, social classes, and generations. Six decades later, America still feels the shock waves from the nineteen sixties. We see legacies of the sixties play out in the struggle for civil rights, government issues, the Vietnam war, and the …show more content…
At the end of it all, some people speculate that America has entered into a new Golden Age, while others fear the new America, and even more so, fear what is to come. This leaves the question of was the era of the nineteen sixties constructive or deconstructive. It is no question that the most prominent movement of the 1960’s, that changed the fate of the United States, was the Civil Rights Movement. The civil rights movement was one of the most effective protests that pushed for the elimination of inequalities in America. Although there are many controversies on whether this hindered or helped America, it is reasonable to conclude that this movement in fact, helped construct our society. The antagonists of the movement felt that giving power to the blacks would hinder the progress that America was making with a new “golden-boy” president. Plus, Americans that believed in traditional values felt attacked and feared the changing of American society. However, the impact of the movement proved them wrong. Not only did this movement greatly impact our society
Comparing the Books, Destructive Generation: Second Thoughts About the Sixties and The Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage
The Sixties, by Terry H. Anderson, takes the reader on a journey through one of the most turbulent decades in American life. Beginning with the crew-cut conformity of 1950s Cold War culture and ending with the transition into the uneasy '70s, Anderson notes the rise of an idealistic generation of baby boomers, widespread social activism, and revolutionary counterculture. Anderson explores the rapidly shifting mood of the country with the optimism during the Kennedy years, the liberal advances of Johnson's "Great Society," and the growing conflict over Vietnam that nearly tore America apart. The book also navigates through different themes regarding the decade's different currents of social change; including the anti-war movement, the civil rights struggle, and the liberation movements. From the lunch counter sit-in of Greensboro, N.C. in 1960 and the rise of Martin Luther King, Jr. to the Black Power movement at the decade's end, Anderson illustrates the brutality involved in the reaction against civil rights, the radicalization of some of the movement's youth, and the eventual triumphs that would change America forever. He also discusses women's liberation and the feminist movement, as well as the students' rights, gay rights, and environmental movements.
The sixties was a decade filled with major political debates that affected the entire country. By the time the sixties came around we were in the most turbulent part of the Cold War, an era of military and political tension between the United States and the Soviet Union. As Dwight Eisenhower brought the fifties to a close it was time for a new president to take hold of the reigns. As the country closed in on one of the closest elections in history it was up to Democratic candidate, John F. Kennedy to compete agains...
In the duration of one year, 1968, the American national mood shifted from general confidence and optimism to chaotic confusion. Certainly the most turbulent twelve months of the post-WWII period and arguably one of the most disturbing episodes the country has endured since the Civil War, 1968 offers the world a glimpse into the tumultuous workings of a revolution. Although the entire epoch of the 1960's remains significant in US history, 1968 stands alone as the pivotal year of the decade; it was the moment when all of the nation's urges toward violence, sublimity, diversity, and disorder peaked to produce a transformation great enough to blanket an entire society. While some may superficially disagree, the evidence found in the Tet Offensive, race relations, and the counterculture's music of the period undeniably affirm 1968 as a turning point in American history.
The 1960s was a period well remembered for all the civil rights movements that occurred during that time frame and the impact these movements had on the social and political dynamics of the United States. The three largest movements that were striving in the 1960s were the African American civil rights movement, the New Left movement and the feminist movement. These three movements were in a lot of ways influenced by each other and were very similar in terms of their goals and strategies. However, within each of these movements there were divisions in the way they tried to approach the issues they were fighting against. Looking at each of these movements individually will reveal the relationship they all share as well as the changes that were brought forth as a result of each groups actions.
Without Federal support, African Americans would have never been able to achieve what they have. Little Rock and the civil rights movement dramatically changed the face of the nation and gave a sense of dignity and power to black Americans. Most of all, the millions of Americans who participated in the movement brought about changes that reinforced our nation’s basic constitutional rights for all Americans- black and white, men and women, young and old. Bibliography Chalmers, David. And the Crooked Places Made Straight: The Struggle for Social Change in the 1960s.
The 1960’s and early 1970’s were a time that eternally changed the culture and humanity of America. It was a time widely known for peace and love when in reality; many minorities were struggling to gain a modicum of equality and freedom. It was a time, in which a younger generation rebelled against the conventional norms, questioning power and government, and insisting on more freedoms for minorities. In addition, an enormous movement began rising in opposition to the Vietnam War. It was a time of brutal altercations, with the civil rights movement and the youth culture demanding equality and the war in Vietnam put public loyalty to the test. Countless African-Americans, Native-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, women, and college students became frustrated, angry, and disillusioned by the turmoil around them.
The Fifties by David Halberstam is a phenomenal account of one of the most influential decades in the history of the United States of America. From the war in Korea to the opening of E.J. Korvette, it seems as though Halberstam scrutinizes the nineteen fifties with the utmost care and respect. In doing so, he also creates a vivid portrait of American life in the decade. However, Halberstam's writing style is not always straightforward and at times can be confusing, especially to readers without some prior knowledge of the events that took place during the fifties. Though the book may be confusing at times, it is still a marvelous collection of the events that defined the fifties and the decades that followed.
One believes that the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s made America safer for all races, but in fact, racism and discrimination are still big factors that continue to plague films, music, and even video games. I the article Race the Power of an Illusion, Dalton Conley says, “the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s really marks both an opportunity and a new danger in terms of racial relations in America. On the one hand, the Civil Rights era officially ended inequality of opportunity. It officially ended de jure legal inequality, so it was no longer legal for employers, for landlords, or for any public institution or accommodations to discriminate based on race. At the same time, those civil rights triumphs did nothing to address the underlying economic and so...
Although the sixties were a decade in which the United States became a more open, more tolerant, and a freer country, in some ways it became less of these things. During the sixties, America intervened in other nations and efforts were made to stop the progress of the civil rights movement. Because of America’s foreign policy and Americans fight against the civil rights movement, it is clear that the sixties in America were not purely a decade of openness, tolerance, and freedom in the United States.
If there were one word that could be used to describe the decade known as the sixties it would be change. The civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and Woodstock and contributed to make the sixties one of the United States’ most fabulous decades. The development of the youth as part of American society was also a major event. "Teenagers have been very busy sending out messages about the differences between the generations. By their own key words, by their symbols, by their clothes and hairstyles, by the sound of their music, by the sent of their cigarettes, teenagers are setting themselves apart from the world so familiar to their parents."
We shall start with 1960. No... we are not talking solely about the year of 1960, but rather the decade and how it changed, warped and manipulated the future. The 1960’s began as any other decade, so we thought. But our generations will never know how it was, because we never lived it. Our past generations can only share it, and sharing the past will most definitely make a path for the future. Now I, Johnny Walker am no lecturer, but when it comes to this particular decade of our past, I will share it to the fullest extent with heart-pounding, gut wrenching details to get the point across that the decade of 1960 was not just another decade, but a decade that every single American and human on this God-given Earth will remember.
The Nineteen Sixties are arguably the most turbulent decade in United States History. We were a nation faced with extreme political and cultural upheaval, in both foreign and domestic affairs. For instance, while thousands of young American men were sent to die in the Vietnam war, at home many Americans were fighting their own war, with the civil rights movement.
The 1960’s was a decade to remember. Hippies, The Draft, Civil Rights, and the Vietnam War were all events that took place in this youthful generation. Drugs claimed numerous lives furthermore the birth rate for young adolescents reached sky high. There was a major turning point on the idealistic life in the sixties its effect tarnished many families. ¶
Throughout what may perhaps have been the most historically-active decade, the 1960s stirred significant social transformation in the United States and abroad. Among infinite socia...