Kincaid's Interview With My Father

1960s America went through a period of great change. With the Vietnam War raging across the ocean, and the civil rights movement taking shape, American people are stepping outside

The 1960’s was a time when the world was facing the Cold War and America was facing the Civil Rights Movement. On January 20, 1961, at the age of 43, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was sworn into office as the 35th President of the United States. As the youngest president of the United States, Kennedy needed to prove to the American citizens that he was a great leader and that they did the right thing to elect him. (History.com) The night before JFK’s inaugural it snowed so hard that many people found it difficult to attend the inauguration, however more than twenty thousand people were in attendance. (Baergen) During the Inauguration, President Kennedy gave his most famous speech, The Inaugural Address, which evoked a sense of unity into the American citizens and gave them a sense of confidence in their young leader, which was gravely needed at that moment. Kennedy’s prerogative was to be an outstanding leader; and so he was, by addressing social inequality and poverty, stating the need to end the threat of nuclear destruction, and yearning for peace, whilst having a brave and powerful demeanor.

The sixties were considered a decade of revolutionary social norms, irresponsible excess, political tension, popular culture and Prices. "Getting the country moving again" was the promise of the 1960 Kennedy for President campaign, whether they voted for Kennedy or not, most Americans were ready for a change in 1960. From politics to the entertainment industry, the country's leaders and followers sought new directions, heroes, and missions. The post-war era had to end sometime, and the 1960s represented that transition to greatness. Kennedy served as the first recognized leader of this unexplored path to the "New Frontier," and for a while it seemed as if anything was possible. From the end of racism and poverty to an American on the moon,

King wasn’t the only person to become an icon during the 1960s as the United states of America's youngest president John F. Kennedy makes his debut in this decade. With all these events it supports the American personality of being determined to overcome any adversity displays in the science and domestic politics are of 1960.

The 1950s was the most influential decade in American history for many reasons including: the beginning of the civil rights act, the new and trendy style, and much more advances in technology and entertainment. Families were together and the young honored elders, teenagers respected themselves as well as others, and the cheerful music played all throughout the 50s is what mostly made this decade unforgettable. Not only that, but the lifestyles was much more functional than any other decade in America because people were peaceful. In the 1950s, Americans valued true fellowship with their friends and family.

The 1960’s marked a period of tragic events in the United States. It was a period of sorrow and grief due to the awful things that were happening. It left a questioning of America over its youths and the hatred between each other. For instance, Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated in 1968, Malcolm X in 1965 and the president John F Kennedy in 1963 among others (Felber, 2015). The most tragic event that had a huge impact was the assassination of the president. It happened on November 23rd in 1963 sometime in the afternoon when a bullet lodged in his head and neck. Around an hour later, he was pronounced dead at the hospital (Nicks, 2013).

In the early 1960’s there were many changes and challenges for America. This time period was led by two completely different types of men. President Kennedy was a younger man from Massachusetts and was more about solving America’s problems foreignly. This was made clear in his New Frontier policy. Lyndon Johnson came from humble beings and was more of an in your face kind of president. Johnson focused on the war on poverty and did everything he could to limit that gap between the rich and poor. Johnson was also led America into a war in Vietnam and Vietnam was the major conflict of the early 1960’s.

The cultural shift that occurred between the 1950s and the 1960s is perhaps one of the most contrasting transformations America has seen between decades. While the 1950s are painted as a time of prosperity, patriotism, and tradition, the 1960s is described as a decade of activism, rebellion, and turmoil. As the baby boomer generation transitioned into adulthood, they became loud advocates for their beliefs and notions of freedom. As with any powerful push for change, the backlash was intense. In the case of the 1960s, “the flower children” were forced to witness the deaths of four great leaders of the decade: John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Junior.

The 1960’s was a focal point in American history, for several obvious reasons and more than a few elusive ones. The United States up to this point was the ultimate hero version of itself, and people felt differently about their government. There was also a sense that if they decided to do it nothing was beyond their reach. The United States of the 21st century is far from that, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, the War on Drugs, and even on Poverty have shattered the notion that we are infallible. The origins of some of these failings can be traced to the 1960’s. The generation which rewarded these battles is now aging and slowly fading from a much objective view is now possible. There were two major revolutions that took the center stage in this

The 1960s itself is a decade that is almost incomparable to any other. None of us since have seen a war that can compare to the likes of the Vietnam War and I pray that we never have to. There was a fear of Cold war. The civil rights movement and segregation is something we can only try to fathom. While it hurts to see that racism is still and issue today, I can only realize its severity back then by what I see in movies and read of it in books. While it was a time of free love and peace for some, it was also a time of great loss and turmoil for others. For those of us who did not live it, we can only look in awe at what the decade

The early 1960’s was a time for great change for the United States as John F. Kennedy was Assassinated America was in despair. Lyndon B. Johnsons Great Society programs alleviated many Americans in the from despair and poverty ranks, with the programs such as federal aid to college students, social security payments to older Americans, Civil Rights Act of 1965, and improving the quality of life.

The 1960’s era was known as being called the “Golden Age”. The 1960’s were a time for change, counter culture, and political movements. One of the most important events that occurred during the 1960’s was the presidential election between Richard Nixon and John F Kennedy. During this election, the Cold War between the Soviet Union and United States was the main focus. Also at this time there was a rise in the civil rights movement. The election of 1960 was a changing point in American history.

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.

Throughout the sixties many things were going on. In 1960, John F. Kennedy was elected and the first weather satellite was introduced. In 1941, the Bay of Pigs invasion was committed and the Peace Corps was created that fell into the sixties. The following year The Beatles released their first single, “Love Me Do”, along with the first Wal-Mart being opened. John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, along with ‘Doctor Whos’ first showing on Television. In 64’, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law creating equality. Voting rights were given and signed in 65’, and the escalation of the Vietnam War, and the design of the infamous ‘mini

The 1960s was crammed full of many impacting events and important figures. From Hitchcock releasing one of the greatest thrillers of all time, Psycho, to Marilyn Monroe’s untimely death, to the infamous Woodstock festival. This era changed history completely and made the United States think twice about its youth. Events of the 1960s are still impacting our country as we know it today. The sudden pull from the conservative ‘50s changed America’s views on all aspects of life, including fashion, entertainment, and lifestyles.