Question

In a paragraph of at least one hundred words, summarize the economic, cultural, social, and political conditions that affected Americans during the 1960s.

Answer 1

Economic, cultural, social, and political conditions all had effects on America during the 1960s. Economically, the country was doing well. There was a large middle class, but many still lived in poverty. In terms of culture, there was a resurgence in church attendance. Ironically enough, a godless Communism and television programs brought the people back to religion. Faith was shared all across the nation. As a result, many Americans had some belief in a higher being by the end of the decade. Not only religion but music saw changes as well. Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, and many others came about during this decade. In addition, there were technological innovations, and counterculture, creating bands such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Socially, there was a rise in university attendance. This was mainly because of affluence and opportunity. The Boomers would also start many of their movements, wanting to bring change to the world around them. There was a civil rights movement that fought for equality for everybody. The struggle for women's rights soon followed suit. Segregation became less and less, and equality slowly became available for all. And lastly, politically, the nation dealt with the Vietnam and Cold War. The United Nations saw at least seventy countries join. A non-proliferation treaty and test-ban treaty were also signed. Half a million Americans were fighting in the Vietnam War, and people could see the action from their tv screens. The Tet Offensive came about during the end of the decade, signaling that the war was going nowhere.

Answer 2

During the 1960s, students across America rose up to demand reform. On campuses from Berkeley to New York, they demanded desegregation, unrestricted free speech, and withdrawal from the war in Vietnam. Highly idealistic and inspired by periodic successes, the students believed they were creating a new America.During the 1960s, young Americans on and off campuses challenged conventional lifestyles and institutions. They protested the materialism, consumerism, and mania for success that drove American society. They urged people to explore alternative patterns of work and domesticity. They challenged traditions surrounding sex and marriage. And they argued that all paths to deeper fulfillment, even those involving illicit drugs, could be justified. They believed they were creating a new America.The 1960s with the student movements and the counterculture that offered the most dramatic challenges to American policies and conventions. But the truth is, idealism crossed generations and permeated almost all levels of public life. Perhaps no period in American history has been filled with such an expansive and ambitious sense of possibilities—such a grand, inspiring sense of what Americans could achieve.And not every reform or vision advanced during the 1960s survived into the 1970s. American capitalism did not collapse under the pressure of student revolutionaries. Consumerism remained an essential element of American society. And many of the conventional institutions and practices of both Wall Street and Main Street persisted.The 1960s did create a new America. The question is, was “new” better?
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