Transcript The United States in 1960s

The United States in 1960s
Reading US Culture
Kevin Chen
Reading US Culture _ Kevin Chen
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Introduction

The sixties were a time of change, and the sixties were
the age of youth.

In the 1960s, 70 million children from the post-war baby
boom became teenagers and young adults.Young people
wanted change and they believed that they could make
America a better place. The 1960s was a busy decade.
This busy decade was probably one of the funniest
decades you’ll ever learn about in the history of United
States. There were several important events and issues
in 1960s, including the political and the cultural ones:
Vietnam War, Cuban Missile Crisis, Civil Rights
Movements, The Beatles, Hippie Culture, Woodstock
Festival and several assassinations.
Reading US Culture _ Kevin Chen
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JFK

The sixties began with the election of America’s
youngest president, John F. Kennedy. During his
period in the White House, people stepped out
and said how they felt. They thought that, with
Kennedy leading America, anything was possible.
But President John F. Kennedy was assassinated
in November 1963. The assassination shocked
the country.
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Cuban Missile Crisis

The 60s was in the Cold War Era. The president of
Cuba, Castro declared that he was a communist
and thus broke off diplomatic relations with the
United States. Cuba is just 90 miles from the tip of
Florida; the land of the United States could easily
become the reachable target of missiles. In 1962,
an American spy plane identified long range of
Soviet missiles in Cuba. President Kennedy readied
troops to invade Cuba, and the Soviet Union also
prepared to fire at US cities if the American army
made a move.
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Vietnam War(1965-1975)

To prevent communist North Vietnam from
overtaking South Vietnam, the United States
secretly sent the army to Vietnam in 1963. In 1965,
President Johnson ordered bombing raids on North
Vietnam and the war was known by people.
Americans began protesting the war. People were
horrified at what they saw in the News and
increasingly grew opposed to the war in Vietnam.
Protests of the Vietnam War occurred all over the
country.
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Hippies

As the 1960s progressed, many young people turned
from mainstream Protestant religions to mystic
eastern religions. Young people respected less for
authority, and crime rates increased to nine times
the rate of the 1950s. The use of Marijuana and LSD
became popular. The hippie movement went along
with drugs, rock music, mystic religions and sexual
freedom. The Woodstock Festival could represent
the peak of hippie culture. In 1969, 400,000 young
people gathered in Woodstock. Many top rock
musicians were there. The Festival lasted three days,
a weekend of music, love and peace. In a spirit of
love and sharing, The Woodstock Festival
represented the climax of the hippie movement.
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The Beatles

Since 1964, The Beatles became VERY popular. They
are a British rock and roll band from Liverpool.
The four members of the Beatles were John
Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and
Ringo Starr. They played on radio stations all over
the world in the 1960s. Their performed concerts
were quickly sold out. All the frenzy over the
group became known as “Beatlemania.” If we look
at their popularity today, the Beatles in the 1960s
was only the beginning, and their music greatly
influences the development of popular music for
generations.
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American Civil Rights Movement (1)

The Civil Rights Movement made great changes
in the society of the 1960s. Some people, like
the liberals, believe that the ever-expanding social
movements of the 1960s as positive, but some,
like the conservatives, see that these movements
may pose a threat to social order.
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American Civil Rights Movement (2)

The most renowned leader of Civil Rights
Movement was Martin Luther King, Jr. He inspired
people and made them believe that they could make
a difference. King believed in nonviolent protest
against segregation and racial discrimination. Many
people, blacks and whites alike, joined his March on
Washington in 1963. In August 28th, he delivered his
famous “I Have A Dream” speech in National Mall,
Washington DC. This speech became one of the
most inspiring speech of history. In1968 Martin
Luther King was assassinated.
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American Civil Rights Movement (3)

Besides JFK and Martin Luther King, there were
other shocking assassinations in the 1960s.
Black Nationalist Malcolm X was assassinated in
1965 and John F. Kennedy’s brother, Robert
Kennedy was assassinated in 1968.
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Landing the Moon

Space became another battle field in the Cold War
Era. The Space Race was begun by the Soviets since
1957. Man orbited the earth for the first time in
Apollo 8 in 1968. On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11
landed on the Moon; Neil Armstrong walked on the
moon for the first time of human history.
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Other Interesting Popular Cultures:

There were some other interesting cultures in the
1960s. Mini Skirts became popular. Bob Dylan was
the icon of blues and popular music. Brigitte
Bardot and Marilyn Monroe were the most popular
movie stars. Rock and Roll music flourished. Elvis
Presley was the popular idol in the United States.
The Americans liked watching the violent actions
and western films; Clint Eastwood played the main
roles in many popular films.
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