The Most Turbulent Period in Modern America History - Research Paper Example

?The Most Turbulent Period in Modern America History The United s of America is a relatively young country at the ripe old age of 235. Even though this country cannot boast as rich of a history as England or Greece, its citizens have experienced a great deal of important events and changes within a relatively short time period. Perhaps one of the most significant and turbulent time periods in American history was the 1960’s. The 1960’s marked a drastic change in how America dealt with race, culture, and foreign policy. In terms of racial inequality, no other time period has come to match the 1960’s in terms of turbulence and instability. This decade saw the uprising of African Americans who were fighting back against the widespread racism and inequality. These series of protestations came to be known as The Civil Rights Movement(Brunner, 2007). Although it began in prior decades, the movement grew in terms of size and effectiveness during this particular time period. Segregation was one of the forefront issues for those seeking equality. Segregation was the separation of African American and Caucasian peoples. This meant that the two races had separate schools, separate restaurants and bathrooms, even separate water fountains. The 1960’s featured the African Americans fighting back and demanding for segregation to be outlawed. Martin Luther King became an important figure and leader throughout this tumultuous time period and often spoke of the importance of peace in regard to the multitude of riots which occurred as a result of these protests. The American government was compelled to react to the racial inequality as the voices of the African American people—and those who stood with them—grew louder. One such change took place in 1964 when the 24th Amendment was created which abolished the poll tax(Brunner, 2007). The poll tax was originally created in the mid to late 1800’s with the end of the Civil War and the beginning of Reconstruction. The poll tax made it so that people had to pay a specific tax in order to vote. This Jim Crow law made it virtually impossible for African Americans in the south to be able to vote as they often did not have the funds necessary to pay the tax. By abolishing the tax in 1964, one particular road block was removed for the African Americans who had been deterred from exercising their right to vote prior to this(Brunner, 2007). Another important change in terms of how America dealt with race relations also occurred in 1964 when President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (Trueman, 2010) This important piece of legislature became one of the most significant events in American social policy. The basic premise of the Civil Rights Act prohibited discriminating against anyone based on race, color, religion, or creed(Brunner, 2007). Perhaps President Johnson was convinced to sign the legislature due to the fact that around the same time, the Freedom Summer occurred where both African Americans and Caucasians traveled down to the south in order to convince other African Americans to register for voting(Trueman, 2010). A great deal of violence, threats, and even murder occurred during this short time period which could have been a deciding factor for Johnson since the Civil Rights Act originally was conceived of four years earlier. It also made it possible for the government to end segregation(Brunner,2007). Schools slowly had to integrate African Americans into the student population and often times these instances were met with a great deal of protest from racist Caucasians and media attention. Not only did America experience many important changes in racial equality, the country also began to experience an important shift in its culture. The cultural changes occurred because of the American youth in the 1960’s. Literature, music, and education were particularly impacted during this time period and reflected the evolving mindset of the decade. Some of the more influential books that were published included “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Catch 22,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” and “The Feminine Mystique”(Goodwin, 2010) Generally, the popularity of these books was indicative of a certain attitude of disillusionment with the traditional values. Racial equality, drugs, anti-government, and feminism became the new order of the day. This created a lot of tension between the new generation and those that came before. Music changed a lot as well during the 1960’s. Artists such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, and Bob Dylan created a counterculture for the young teens and adults. These groups were seen as promoting free love and drug abuse. This perception was not helped by the historical Woodstock event which was a music festival that attracted 400,000 people in 1969 and is said to be the apex of the hippie movement that valued love and spirituality(Goodwin, 2010). Pictures from the event divided those that valued tradition and the hippies even further as the two struggled to understand each other. This phenomenon was generally known as the generation gap. The culture within America education also experienced a significant shift during this time period. Perhaps the most notable change was the fact that college campuses became the heartbeat of Vietnam war protests which many young adults found to be unnecessary and immoral(Goodwin, 2010). Additionally, women’s liberation took off for many female college students and thrived alongside the popularity of such books as “The Feminine Mystique.” This occurred in conjunction with the continued effort to integrate schools which was aided by a man named James Coleman who published the study entitled “Equality of Educational Opportunity” in 1966(Goodwin, 2010). This particular study is said to have aided in forcing schools to comply with integration. America experienced a lot of growing pains within its borders, but there were many issues which occurred abroad that would forever change the landscape of this country. The biggest issue that faced the United States during the 1960’s was the Vietnam War which was fought primarily during this particular decade. Although the reasons behind America’s involvement in this war are somewhat muddled, the basic consensus is that the main goal was to keep Communism from spreading. Vietnam and other areas within these region were deemed to be at risk for a communist takeover and the United States—who had long held an anti-Communism stance—was certain that holding back this dangerous tide was part of America’s duty(“Vietnam War Revision Guide”). The involvement of the United States in this war was preceded by such embarrassing events as the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis which only further cemented the desire to end Communist leaders such as Fidel Castro, among others. The Vietnam War was so controversial because it was one of the most unpopular wars in the history of the United States. The youthful counterculture were especially opposed to it and demonstrated against it in a series of protests which could turn violent on occasion. Many people did not understand the government’s reasons for entering the war and felt strongly that men were being sent off to die for no reason(Goodwin, 2010). Eventually, most of the American troops were called back home and overall the Vietnam War was viewed as a disaster. Soldiers experienced a lot of trauma from the entire affair with many experiencing mental health issues such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Additionally, many reported that citizens did not treat them very well upon returning home and this created a general resentment among those that served in this particular war. The entire fiasco that was the Vietnam War divided families and weakened the United States fight in some regards against Communism. Some people say that the modern world is even more turbulent than the historical 1960’s. This argument does hold some merit; however, over fifty years have elapsed since 1960 which affords Americans the ability to observe the past at a comfortable distance where hindsight is 20/20. In another 50 years, it is quite possible that the early 21st century will be placed above the 1960’s in terms of how much it impacted the United States and its people. Even so, it is virtually impossible to deny that the 1960’s changed American in such a profound and dramatic way, that its citizens could never go back and will forever be impacted by the events of this decade. References Brunner, Borgna. "Civil Right Timeline ." Infoplease . N.p., 2007. Web. 26 May 2011. . Goodwin, Susan. "American Cultural History 1960-1969." Lone Star College. N.p., 2010. Web. 26 May 2011. . Trueman, Chris. "1964 Civil Rights Act ." History Learning Site. N.p., 2011. Web. 26 May 2011. . "Vietnam War Revision Guide." Learn History. N.p., 2010. Web. 26 May 2011. . Read More