The 1960s in the United States was known for being a period of change. These changes were social, political, and environmental and left long lasting results on the country. People were challenging tradition and breaking free from their conservative pasts in the year’s prior in order to bring about reform to their country. The 1960s was a time where war was very prevalent and this resulted in changes of daily life. Art was transformed as a result and different artists brought new techniques and inspirations that would influence present day art. With the introduction of styles never used before in art, various art movements swept through this iconic decade. John F. Kennedy was elected as president in 1960 and made efforts to expand capitalism across the globe. He believed that the United States’ successful system could serve as a leading model to developing countries and wanted to “help” them. He also wanted to do this because he and other officials feared that such nations with contrasting socioeconomic beliefs could create threats against the United States. His first act as president to move the capitalistic system across the globe was during the Cold War, a period of tension between superpowers after World War II, and it was against Communist Cuba. (“American Histories”) On April 17, 1961, the United States led trained men by boat into the Bay of Pigs on the southwest coast of Cuba. However, they were defeated by Fidel Castro, the dictator of Cuba, and his troops and
When most people think of the 1950’s or 1960’s, they think of Elvis, Greasers, jukeboxes, Woodstock, and rainbow peace signs and hippie love. Although these symbols are somewhat accurate (and very popular), not many people think about the changes society and culture went through. The 1950’s and 60’s were a time of great change and freedom for many Americans. Everything from World War II, to the gay liberation movement, to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 helped to change society. Many of the views American’s had on topics such as war, gender roles and sexual preference were changed greatly after these events and have led to our culture being what it is today. The 1950’s and 1960’s were a time where great changes took place that helped to
The 1950s and the 1960s had many similarities, though they had many differences as well. Their similarities and differences include: the politics, the economy, the society, and the culture of both decades. In the 1950s, North Korea moved into South Korea and began a civil war between the two parallel countries. The reason for this dispute was the border lines as well as guerrilla fighting in the South, which created a greater tension on the issue. The reason why the U.S entered the Korean War was so that the Soviet Union would not gain another nation and, in turn, more power. Like the 50s, our country was also at war with another country in the 60s. This time, the U.S was at war with Vietnam. The U.S entered the war because the
Many people inaccurately assess the 1950s and 1960s. Historians, in particular, tend to describe the 1950s as a decade of prosperity and the 1960s as one of turbulence. According to most, peace and harmony defined the 50s while violence and protest conjured the 60s. This isn't true because controversy existed in the fifties, many achievements occurred in the sixties, and both decades had its political ups and downs. With all the criticism surrounding it, the 1960s remains one of the most controversial decades in American history.
The 1960s was, undoubtedly, a very eventful period which saw dramatically changed social norms over the decade and, ultimately, attitudes were very different by 1969 then they were in 1961. The year 1960 saw the decolonisation of Africa when British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan announced his “Winds of Change Speech” to the parliament of South Africa. The post war government also believed that they had eradicated poverty with their welfare system, and though this was true for some families across the country, who were able to buy the first car, fridges and washing machines, this was not the case for everyone. Wages were still very low and gaps between social classes began to broaden, increasing tension and bring about extreme socialism and
With the overwhelming amount of Levittown houses, the obsession to obtain the perfect American “ideal family” as seen on TV and the unspoken agreement to fear any and all foreign ideas and values, the 1950s were revealed to be a decade of prosperity, conformity and consensus. Just ten years later the atmosphere in America was shockingly different; the 1960s were a decade of turbulence, protest and disillusionment due to the ongoing struggle for civil rights, arising feminism, and the Vietnam War.
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
The 1950s, especially in the United States of America and the United Kingdom, is often described as a time of complacency as it was after the Second World War and people were sure there could be noting worse that could happen and they were slowly adjusting to post-war life. In contrast, the 1960s were a time of great change and activity. These changes include cultural, social, political and economic changes. These changes started in Britain and the United, and they then spread to the rest of the world after some time. Urban planning as a profession has also been affected by the cultural, social, political and economic changes that affected the world in the 1960s and as such it responded in a particular way to these changes.
The 1960’s was a decade of political, economic, and social development that influenced who we are today, and identified Canada as a nation. It was a long road to becoming who we are today, and Canada is still developing as a country, but the 1960’s were one of the most defining decades in Canadian history. Canadian culture was created and recognized socially, Canada’s relationship with the United States strengthened politically, and Canada became more economically successful through trade, all pointing at a transformed, successful nation. While Canada developed as a country so did Canada’s culture, uniting citizens together to take part in events and other social aspects. For instance, in 1967 it was Canada’s 100th anniversary, and to unite
The 1960s is reported as a "time of tremendous variety, creativity, and aesthetic rebellion in visual art." (Rielly, 2003, p. 231) Norman Rockwell, Frank Stella, and Georgia O'Keefe were three notable visual artists of the 1960s decade.
Recreation, reinventing, and reimagining the world that surrounds us: the 1960s was just that recreating the social and political views in the United States. In 1955, America got involved in the Vietnam War and nothing become of it in the American society. However, in the late 1960s, around 1967 to be exact, the people of America opinions on the war split into two, either being for the war (Hawks) or against it (Doves). The Hawks were the ones that wanted to stay in the war and believed that they shouldn’t back down from the fight and that leaving the fight was a sign of weakness. While the Doves wanted the United States to pull out of the war because it wasn’t our war to fight to begin with. Whichever the side the people were on, it was creating
Historically speaking every empire collapses. Detroit, an empire in its own sense, now has to figure out how to reclaim its strength after the city faced its own collapse, and return to the powerhouse metropolis it once was. What caused this great city to collapse? And what are the issues that the city faced and still face to this day? This paper will cover several of the issues that as a combination led to the financial collapse of the 1960’s wealthiest city per capita in the United States (Mathews, 2013).
In 1961 international affairs and politics were dominated by consequences of the cold war in years past as Kennedy addressed in his State of the Union, “Our greatest challenge is still the world that lies beyond the Cold war… To meet this array of challenges… we must reexamine and revise our whole arsenal of tools: military, economic and political… We intend to give equal attention to both.” (Gardner 24) The West was not holding any chance of winning; as stated in the Rockefeller Report in 1958 “Unless present trends are reversed, the world balance of power will shift in favor of the Soviet bloc.” (Rockefeller Annual Report 127) The Congo was being threatened by the Soviet Union, Laos was being threatened by Communist forces, and the Cuban revolution was gaining ground further and further left. This threat of a Communist state being so close to U.S. shores caused many Americans to believe the revolution was a threat to the
The 1960’s was a very influential time in the United States of America. The United States began to explore a new culture of people known as hippies. The USA endured a great scare of nuclear war from the Cuban Missile Crisis. This country lost two famous leaders from that era; John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., who were assassinated. The United States also began the move towards equality by passing the Civil Rights Act. The final major accomplishment from 1960’s was when Neil Armstrong was the first astronaut to land on the moon.
The 1960’s was a decade that forever changed the culture and society of America. The
On April 17, 1961, a force of 1,300 Cuban exiles, supported by the CIA, made an unsuccessful attempt to invade Cuba at a southern coastal area called the Bay of Pigs. The assumption was that the invasion would inspire the Cuban population to rise up and overthrow Castro. It was a U.S. miscalculation;