History Of The Sixties

ByKyleMurphy
TableofContents:
Section1:CivilRightsMovement
Section2:Presidents
Section3:MusicandCulture
Section4:CountercultureandProtest
Section5:Vietnam
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WhenwethinkofCivilrightswethinkofAfricanAmericansrightsandthenwe
immediatelythinkofDr.MartinLutherKingJr.MLKwasveryagainstthewarHe
said,‘thewarwasdoingfarmorethandevastatingthehopesofthepoorat
home…Weweretakingtheblackyoungmenwhohadbeencrippledbyoursociety
andsendingthemeightthousandmilesawaytoguaranteelibertiesinSoutheast
AsiawhichtheyhadnotfoundinsouthwestGeorgiaandEastHarlem.'”Hegavethat
speechayearbeforehedied.Atthisspeech,infrontof3,000peopleatRiverside
ChurchinNewYorkCity,hesaidthattheUnitedStatesshouldstopallbombingof
NorthandSouthVietnam.KinggaveaspeechattheMasonTempleChurchin
Memphisaboutsegregationandhowblacksarestillbeingdiscriminateddespitethe
passingoftheCivilRightsActof1964andBrownvs.BoardofEd‘ending”racial
discriminationinpublicschools.Hesaid:“I’veseenthepromisedland.Imaynotget
therewithyou.ButIwantyoutoknowtonight,thatwe,asapeople,willgettothe
promisedland.AndI’mhappytonight.I’mnotworriedaboutanything.I’mnot
fearinganyman.MineeyeshaveseenthegloryofthecomingoftheLord.”OnApril
4th,1968,Dr.Kingwasstandingonthesecond-floorbalconyoftheLorraineMotel
inMemphis,TN.Heandassociatesstayedthere,hewasshotandkilledfroma
sniper.Thebulletstruckhiminthe neck. Hewasimmediatelyrushedtoahospital,
wherehewaspronounceddeadaboutanhourafterhewasshot,Hewasonly39
yearsold.
AnotherfigurewethinkofisRosaParks,onewhohadthecouragetositinawhite
sectionofabus,whereshewasnotallowedtosit.Shewaseventuallyarrested.
Duringthistimeofsit-insandothercasesinwhichAfricanAmericanstriedtostand
upforthemselves.AfterwatchingMississippiburning,Iamdisgustedtoseehow
AfricanAmericansweretreatedduringthistime.
Anothersignificantfiguretoourhistorywhoaffectedthecivilrightsmovementwas
MalcolmX.AftertheKKKmadethreatsagainsthisfatherandhishousewasburned
down,MalcolmXcontinuedtourgeblackstotakecontroloftheirlives.Hegave
blacksasenseofstrengthandpreachedtotheminhopestogivethemmotivationto
standupforthemselvesagainstthehatredanddisrespectcomingfromwhite
peopleduringthistime.ThisishowheaffectedtheCivilRightsMovementusinghis
personalexperiences.IthinkheisanimportantmaninHistoryalmostasimportant
toMartinLutherKingJr.becausenowthatblacksandwhitesweredesegregated,he
helpedAfrican-Americansgainconfidenceinthemselvesandhopeiftheystillfelt
uncomfortableintheirownsociety.
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JohnF.Kennedy’sportrait.
“Asknotwhatyoucando
foryourcountry,butwhatyour
countrycandoforyou.”-JFK
JohnFKennedy,arguablyoneofourmostbelovedpresidents.JFKwasbornonMay
29,1917,inBrookline,Massachusetts.Hewasthesecondofninechildren.His
parents,JosephPatrickKennedyandRoseFitzgeraldKennedy,weremembersof
twoofBeantown’smostwellknownpoliticalfamilies.Asayoungadult,JFKwent
throughseveralcontinuoushealthproblemsthroughouthischildhoodandteenage
years.TheKennedyboysweretypicallyknowntoberecklessbuttheywere
perceivedtoberespectfulgentlemen.GrowinguptheKennedychildrenhad
everythingtheywanted.Theywereaverylarge,verywealthyIrishCatholicfamily
whospentalotoftheirfreetimeattheirbeachhomeinHyannisPort,
Massachusetts.AftergraduatingfromChoate,whichdidnothavethereputationit
histoday,andthengraduatingfromHarvardJackwentintotheNavyjustlikehis
olderbrotherJoe,whopassedawayatayoungage.JosephKennedyoriginally
wantedJoetobecomethePresidentoftheUnitedStates,butwhenhewasKIAin
1944whileservingasaland-basedpatrolbomberpilotinWorldWarII.Hewas
awardedtheNavyCross.AndJackwasawarded,withthehelpofhisfather,achance
atbecomingafuturePresidentoftheUnitedStates.Hebecamesenatorof
Massachusettswiththehelpfromhispowerfulfatherwhousedhispowertoadd
anotherRussoontheballot,whichallowedfortheamountofvotestothe“real”
Russotodecrease,increasingJack’schancesatbecomingthenextSenator.
Ultimately,hewaselectedsenatorin1952andsoonafterbeingelectedsenator,
JohnF.Kennedy,36yearsofageatthetime,married24year-oldJacquelineBouvier,
awriterwiththeWashingtonTimes-Herald.Soonaftertheirmarriage,Jack’ssevere
backpainshehadasakidstartedtoreturn.JohnF.Kennedywasbecomingapopular
politician.In1956hewasalmostpickedtorunforvicepresident.Afterrealizingthe
amountofpopularityhehadgainedforhimself,JFKdecidedthathewouldrunfor
presidentinthenextelection.OnJuly13,1960theDemocraticpartychosehimas
itscandidateforpresident.KennedyaskedLyndonB.Johnson,Texansenator,torun
withhimasV.P.InthegeneralelectiononNovember8,1960,Kennedydefeatedthe
RepublicanVicePresidentRichardM.Nixoninaverycloserace.Jack,now43,was
theyoungestelectedpresidentandthefirstCatholic.Duringhistimeinoffice,JFK
wasinvolvedinmanysignificantforeignanddomesticpolicies,rangingfromThe
ColdwarandtheBayofPigstotheCivilRightsMovementandthespaceraceagainst
theSoviets.AfteralmostafullterminOffice,JFKtraveledviaAirForceOnetoTexas
togiveseveralpoliticalspeeches.Thenextday,ashiscardrovethroughMainStreet
indowntownDallas,andshotsrangout.Kennedywasseriouslywoundedanddieda
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shorttimelater.Withinjusthoursoftheshooting,policearrestedLeeHarvey
Oswaldandchargedhimwiththemurder.Lessthan48hourslater,JackRuby,a
localnightclubowner,shotandkilledOswald.Therearemanyconspiracytheories
aboutthisassassinationanditremainsamysterybutonethingisforcertain,Ruby
wantedtokeptOswaldquiet,theonlypersonwhocouldhaveofferedmore
informationaboutthisassassination.TheWarrenCommissionwassetupinorder
toinvestigatetheevidenceoftheassassinationandwasanattempttosolvethe
mystery.LaterthatdayLBJ,JFK’sVicePresidentwasswornintoofficenexttoJackie
Kennedy,whowasstillwearingherblood-stainedpinksuit,onAirForceonebya
fellowTexanmemberofthehouseofreps,SarahT.Hughes.LyndonBainesJohnson
hadsomeunfinishedbusinesstotendto.
“Thenoblestsearchisthesearchforexcellence.”-LBJ
WhilearrivinginWashingtonthepresidentsaid,"Iwilldomybest.ThatisallIcan
do."LBJwastheoldestoffivechildren;hewasbornonaTexanfarmin1908witha
poorbackground,obviouslynightanddaytoKennedy’sbackground.Manypeople
donotbelievehe“didhisbest.”Manypeopledidnotlikehimbecausehecamefrom
amoreaggressivemilitarybackgroundthanKennedyandfurthermoreheignited
thesparktostartthewarinVietnam.Howeverhewasveryinvolvedindomestic
policiesinordertobetterourcountry.Forexample,heputinplacewhathecalled
”TheGreatSociety.”Thisplanaddressedwhathewilldointermsofhelping
America.HewantedtostopthegrowthofpovertyinAmerica,aswellasmakingit
easierformoreteenstobeexposedtojobopportunity.Anotherplanheputinplace
wascalled“ProjectHeadStart”whichhelpedassuremorekidscouldreceivea
bettereducation,whichwassimilartoapreschoolwayoflearningforyounger
children.HealsostartedMedicaidandMedicare,federalfundingforeducation,and
increasedvotingrights,allofwhicharestillinplacetoday.Unfortunatelyhedidnot
helpfamilieswithyoungchildren,whichonlyhadamotherinthepicture.Healso
wasunsuccessfulinhelpingthosewhostruggledinpoverty.Hedidhoweverhelp
withcivilrights,andhemetwithMartinLutherKingJr.abouthowtheycouldboth
worktogetherandhelptheircountrywhichwassomewhatfallingapart.LBJurged
Americansto“rejecttheblindviolence”thathadkilledKing,whomhecalledthe
“apostleofnonviolence.”HealsourgedCongresstopassthecivilrightslegislation
thenenteringtheHouseofRepresentativesfordebate,callingitalegacytoKingand
hiscontributionstosociety.Inthemiddleof1968,JohnsonsignedtheCivilRights
Actof1968,alsoknownastheFairHousingActwhichprotectedthebuyerorrenter
ofhomefromdiscriminationoftheirrace,color,nationalorigin,religion,sex,
disabilityandthepresenceofchildren.TheCivilrightsactof1964prohibitedpublic
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segregationaswellasdiscriminationamongpeopleofvaryingrace,sex,color,
originalorigin,andreligion.Thiswasaimportanttimeinourhistoryduetothefact
ofwhichslaveryhadjustbeenabolishedandalthoughblackswereallowedtovoteit
wasmuchharderforthemtodoso;withthecivilrightsactof1964inplaceit
ensuredequalityforeveryone.PresidentJohnsontookupformerpresident
Kennedy’smotivationforthecivilrightsactimmediatelyaftersteppingintooffice
andhisinauguration,whichtookplaceonAirForceOne.Thisactlargelyimpacted
thelivesofourparentsbecauseitplacedallpersonsonalevelplayingfield.This
meantthatnoblacksorotherminoritiescouldbedeniedaservice,theycouldnot
putupwithanybrutality,norcouldpeopleberefusedemployment.Forthosewho
wereblackorapartoftheminoritywouldbeabletosupportafamilyandnothave
toworryabouttheinterferencewithotherraces.HewaswelllikedbyAfrican
Americans,similartoJFKandRFKandtheiractionsintryingtohelpAfrican
Americanswhoclearlyplayedahugeroleinourhistoryandourculture,manyof
whichplayedthisrolethroughtheirmusicaltalents.
TheseAfricanAmericans,whomanyofustreatedsobadly,wereveryimportantto
ourcultureandtheyhavealastedimpactonourculturestilltoday.Ithinkthe
Motownartistsweusedtohearandstillheartodayhavethegreatestimpacton
currentUSmusic.MotownartistslikeStevieWonder,MarvinGaye,TheSupremes,
etc,allhaveinfluencedourmusicwelistentotodayinmanyways.Forexample,
withoutMotownwewouldn’thavegenreslikeJazz,Hip-Hop,RapandPopmusic.
MotowninfluencedmanytypesofmusicandinspiredmanyAfricanAmericanswho
said,“IftheycanbefamousAfricanAmericanartists,Icanbetoo.”Itwasdefinitelya
breakthroughofstrugglingAfricanAmericansduringthistimewhocontinuedto
sufferfromracialdiscriminationandpovertyandwantedtosharehowtheyfelt
throughmusic.WithoutthoseMotownArtistswemightnowhavetheDestiny’s
childs,theNe-Yos,andChrisBrownswehavetodayandplayahugepartour
musicalculture,societyandeconomy.
TheTemptationsonStage
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Temptations_1968.JPG
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“HereComestheSun”
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles#/media/File:The_Fabs.JPG
Duringthemid60s,Britishrockbandsandpopartistsfoundsuccessinthe
UnitedStates.ManyofthesebandsfirststartedbydoingtheirversionsofAmerican
songsandshowcasinganAmericanRock'n'RollandR&Binfluenceintheirsounds.
TheywereinvitedonmanyradioshowssuchastheEdSullivanShow.Themost
famousBritishbandsincluded,TheBeatlesandTheRollingStones.Thistimeofthe
decadewasknownasthe“The“BritishInvasion.”Personally,IthinktheStonesare
moreinfluentialthantheBeatles.OnethingthatMickJaggerandKeithRichards
coulddothatJohnLennonandPaulMcCartneycannotiscombiningalloftheir
talentsandintereststoadddifferentperspectivesontheirmusic,thusinfluencing
manyoftoday’smusicians.UnliketheBeatles,theStonesbroughtreggae,discoand
punkintotheirsongs.‘StartMeUp’and‘MissYou’weretwoexamplesofthis.
AnotherthingthattheStoneswereabletoaccomplishbuttheBeatleswerenotable
toaccomplishwasperformingwellonstagewhenitmattered.Personallyevery
crazyliveperformanceIhaveseenoftheStonesonvideoseemstobemorelively
andmoreenergeticthantheBeatleswhichdefinitelycouldinfluencethosewho
havemuchmoreeye-openingperformancestodaywithmoremovement.
Afemaledemonstratoroffersaflowertomilitarypoliceon
guardatthePentagonduringananti-Vietnamdemonstration.Arlington,Virginia,USA
Thosewhotookpartinthecounterculturemovementreferredtothemselvesas
Hippies.TheymainlyprotestaboutVietnamandtheywantedtostopfightingin
Vietnamandtheythemselveswereprovingtheywerenotwillingtobedraftedand
wereoneswhoburnedtheirdraftsheets.Theylistenedtomusicsuchasthe
Gratefuldead,JimiHendrix,andJanisJoplin.Theyallattendedahugeoutdoor
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concertcalledWoodstock,inBethel,NewYork.RichieHavensactuallyopenedthe
show,eventhoughhewasnotsettoperformuntiltheevening.Thefilmwonan
Oscarawardin1970.SomeofthosewhopreformedwereSantana,JoeCocker,Hot
Tuna(JeffersonAirplane),Starship(JeffersonAirplane),JoanBaez,CountryJoe
McDonald,RichieHavens,Melanie,CrosbyStillsNash&Young,LevonHelm(The
Band),ArloGuthrie,JohnSebastian,LeslieWest(Mountain),TheFamilyStone,and
Furthur,PhilLesh&Friends,andRatdog(allGratefulDeadspinoffs).Manyofthese
performershaveenjoyedthemuseumandwalkedthehistoricsiteatBethelWoods.
Asidefromallthemusic,someotherthingswhichinterestedtheHippiesandhelped
increasetheirpopulationwithyoungerteenswassexanddrugsandtherolethey
playedduringthistime.Manyyoungteensexperimentedwithdrugs.Marijuanaand
LSDweresomeofthemostcommondrugsthatwereused.Whileonthesedrugs,
theseHippiescametheriskofdiseases,badtrips,anddrugaddictions.Womenalso
protestedbecausetheydidnotwanttheirhusbandsandboyfriendstogoto
Vietnam.Alsoatschoolspeopleweremadaboutthewarandwantedeveryoneto
comehome.WeknowabouttheColumbiaUniversityriotsinvolvingstudentswho
protestedthattheyweren’tdoinganythingtohelpwiththewarandwouldnotdo
anyresearchonit.Allofthesealongwiththerewholemovementwasbasicallyan
alternativetofightinginVietnam.
Thisisascreencapturetakenfromthepublicdomainnewsreelfootageof
UniversalNews,givenintopublicdomainbyMCAin1976andhostedbyInternet
ArchiveatThefootageshowsananti-warprotestinNewYorkCityin1967,
includingagroupofyoungmenburningtheirdraftcards.Theprotestwasheldin
SheepMeadowinCentralPark.
ManyyoungmenwhojustgraduatedhighschoolweredraftedtogotoVietnamand
fightfortheircountry.Theywereillpreparedandeventhoughtheyweretrainedto
fight,theywerenottrainedfortheconditiontheyweregoingtoface.Manyofthem
diedfromthestartjustbecauseoftheconditionstheywerenotusedto.Duringthis
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timewhentheywerenotfightingtheywerepassingtimebydiggingfoxholes,
drinkingorsmoking.Marlborogavethetroopsallfreecigarettessowhentheycame
homeaftertheweartheywouldalreadybeaddictedtonicotineandbuymore
cigarettes.Thiswasthefirstwarthatwasonthenewsandbroadcastedon
television.ManyofthemsufferedfromPTSDbecausetheyhadtodigtunnelsand
crawlthroughthem.IfeellikeVietnamwasthebasisofwarintelligencethatwe
havetodayinourmoderndaymilitary.Wehavesomuchadvancedtechnologyand
differenttacticsthatwouldhavebeensohelpfultousinVietnam,IthinkVietnam
wasaneye-openerandmadeusrealizeweneedtomakeourmilitarystrongerand
moreimportantlyabletoadapttodifferentconditionsandimprovetobeuptodate
withthetechnologicaladvancementswehavetoday.OnethingabouttheVietnam
WarIfoundinterestingwasthatifyouwereinjuredyouautomaticallywere
awardedaPurpleheart,whichisaveryhighhonorjusttogetinjured.However,I
understandwhythatwasthecaseduetotheroughconditionsandeverythingeach
soldierhadtogothrough.Alsoifyouwerewoundedtwiceyouautomaticallywent
homeIthinkthatisdefinitelyagoodreasontogohomeandbringthewarcloserto
itsendpoint.
RecentlyreleasedUnitedStatesPOWsfromNorthVietnameseprisoncampsbeing
flownon-boardthe"HanoiTaxi"(C-141A66-0177)fromHanoi,NorthVietnamto
ClarkAirBase,Philippinestowardtheendofthewar
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TheEndofThe60s:
TheEndofthe60swasnotDecember31st,1969believeitornot.Itwasactually
almost6yearslateronApril30,1975.ThatiswhenVietnamizationhadfinallypaid
off.TheVietnamwarwasfinallyoverandtheycouldallgohomeandbuymorecigarettes.
Sources:
Classnotes
http://www.history.com
http://malcolmx.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/25/woodstock-trivia_n_4334870.html
PicturesSources:
http://photolab.lbjlib.utexas.edu/detail.asp?id=9853
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Hippies#/media/File:Vietnamdem.
jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Hippies#/media/File:Peace_symbo
l.jpg
http://www.c141heaven.com/66/pic_66_0177.html
http://www.archive.org/details/CEP531
http://news.discovery.com/history/us-history/vietnam-war-paris-accordsanniversary-20130127.htm
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset+Tree/Asset+Viewers/Image+Asset+Viewer.htm?g
uid={959B8D46-B5E7-40E8-A0BD-60E09229B8C3}&type=Image
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