The roots of the 1960s youth movement stretched back to the 1950s. In the decade after World War II, the counntry had enjoyed a time of peaceand prosperity. Prosperity did not extend to all, however, and some, especially the artists and writers of the beat movement, had openly criticized American society.
At the same time, the turmoil of the civil rights movement had raised serious questions about racism in American society, and the nuclear arms race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union made many of the nation's youth uneasy about the future. for many young people, the events of the 1950s had called into question the wisdom of their parents and their political leaders.
The youth movement originated with the baby boomers, the huge generation born after WWII. The economic boom of the 1950s meant more families could send their kids to college, and many did. College life gave young people a sense of freedom and independence. It also allowed them to meet and bond with others who shared their feelings about society and fears about the future. It was on college campuses across the nation that youth protest moevments began and reached their peak.
While many young Americans in the 1960s sought to reform the sytem, others rejected it entirely and tried to create a new lifestyle based on flamboynat dress, rock music, drug use, and communal living. They created what became known as the counterculture and were commonly called "hippies." A famous movement that capture the nation's attention in the 1960s was the Free Speech Movement, led by Mario Savio and others at the University of California at Berkeley.
On another note, counterculture musicians made use of folk music and rhythms of rock'n'roll and wrote heartfelt lyrics that expressed the hopes and fears of their generation. At festivals such as Woodstock, held in upstate New York in august 1969, and in Altamont, California, later that year, hundreds of thousands of people gathered to listen to the new music. Major folk singers include Bob Dylan, who became an important voice of the movement, as did singers Joan Baez and Pete Seeger. rock musicians popular with the counterculture included Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and The Who. these musicians dramaticallychanged the sound of rock, and their innovations continue to influence music today.
Janis Joplin
After a few years, the counterculture movement began to decline. Some urban hippie communities became dangerous places where muggings and other criminal activity took place. the glamour of drug use waned as moreand more young people became addicted or died from overdoses. In addition, many people in the movement had gotten older and moved on. Although the counterculture declined without acheiving its utopian ideals. it did change some aspects of American culture.
The Counterculture Movement
The roots of the 1960s youth movement stretched back to the 1950s. In the decade after World War II, the counntry had enjoyed a time of peaceand prosperity. Prosperity did not extend to all, however, and some, especially the artists and writers of the beat movement, had openly criticized American society.At the same time, the turmoil of the civil rights movement had raised serious questions about racism in American society, and the nuclear arms race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union made many of the nation's youth uneasy about the future. for many young people, the events of the 1950s had called into question the wisdom of their parents and their political leaders.
The youth movement originated with the baby boomers, the huge generation born after WWII. The economic boom of the 1950s meant more families could send their kids to college, and many did. College life gave young people a sense of freedom and independence. It also allowed them to meet and bond with others who shared their feelings about society and fears about the future. It was on college campuses across the nation that youth protest moevments began and reached their peak.
While many young Americans in the 1960s sought to reform the sytem, others rejected it entirely and tried to create a new lifestyle based on flamboynat dress, rock music, drug use, and communal living. They created what became known as the counterculture and were commonly called "hippies." A famous movement that capture the nation's attention in the 1960s was the Free Speech Movement, led by Mario Savio and others at the University of California at Berkeley.
On another note, counterculture musicians made use of folk music and rhythms of rock'n'roll and wrote heartfelt lyrics that expressed the hopes and fears of their generation. At festivals such as Woodstock, held in upstate New York in august 1969, and in Altamont, California, later that year, hundreds of thousands of people gathered to listen to the new music. Major folk singers include Bob Dylan, who became an important voice of the movement, as did singers Joan Baez and Pete Seeger. rock musicians popular with the counterculture included Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and The Who. these musicians dramaticallychanged the sound of rock, and their innovations continue to influence music today.
After a few years, the counterculture movement began to decline. Some urban hippie communities became dangerous places where muggings and other criminal activity took place. the glamour of drug use waned as moreand more young people became addicted or died from overdoses. In addition, many people in the movement had gotten older and moved on. Although the counterculture declined without acheiving its utopian ideals. it did change some aspects of American culture.
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