The 1960s Rebellions Began In The 1950s. Making Sense Of The 1960s Show #1.
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- čas přidán 31. 08. 2023
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• The 1960s Rebellions B...
So many of my subscribers have asked for this so here is the complete first show from my prime time television series produced in 1990 titled Making Sense Of The Sixties. I decided that, to tell a story correctly so that those of younger generations could understand what provoked so many baby boomers to become members (self-defined) of the 60s generation, I had to begin by looking at the 1950s which is what is presented during this video.
Although I have mentioned this before, it needs to be said that the series was focused largely on the experiences had by suburban middle-class "American dream" kids and on the kids who grew up in the South during the era of Jim Crow - segregation.
There were several signs in the late 1950s that hinted at the major shifts that would occur in the 1960s. These precursors spanned various aspects of society, from culture and music to political activism and scientific advancements.
The Beat Generation, or "Beatniks," began to emerge in the late 1950s as a countercultural literary movement. Figures like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg rejected mainstream societal norms and values, promoting non-conformity, spiritual questing, and sexual liberation. This laid the groundwork for the countercultural movements of the 1960s.
The emergence of rock 'n' roll music and artists like Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry began to push the boundaries of what was socially acceptable, sparking controversy but also gaining a massive following among young people. This new music genre broke down barriers and foreshadowed the even more boundary-pushing music of the 1960s.
The Civil Rights Movement began in earnest in the mid-1950s, with major events like the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955-1956, sparked by Rosa Parks' arrest, and the desegregation of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. These events signaled a growing determination among African Americans and their allies to challenge and overturn racial segregation and discrimination.
The launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik in 1957 marked the beginning of the Space Age and the space race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. This intensified focus on scientific and technological advancement continued into the 1960s.
The post-World War II baby boom had led to a significant increase in the youth population. This demographic shift, coupled with increased economic prosperity, led to the emergence of a distinct youth culture, which would become a major cultural force in the 1960s.
The proliferation of television sets in American homes brought national and world events into living rooms, making the exchange of information and ideas faster. This trend continued into the 1960s, allowing events like the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement to be broadcasted and experienced in real-time.
The early 1960s did share similarities with the 1950s in terms of societal norms, political tension, and cultural outlook. However, several significant events and movements began to emerge during this period that led to drastic changes later in the decade.
The shift from the 1950s to the 1960s was not sudden but rather a gradual evolution marked by an increasingly vocal dissatisfaction with societal inequalities and the emergence of various political and social movements.
The election of John F. Kennedy in 1960 symbolized a generational shift in American politics. Kennedy was the youngest person ever elected president and brought a sense of youthful energy and optimism that contrasted with the more conservative and traditional 1950s.
The publication of "The Feminine Mystique" by Betty Friedan in 1963 is often credited with sparking the second wave of feminism. The book criticized the societal expectation that women could find fulfillment only through housework, marriage, sexual passivity, and motherhood.
The increasing accessibility of television and other media began to expose more people to different ideas and perspectives, contributing to societal change.
The competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union to achieve firsts in spaceflight capability was a significant part of the 1960s, reaching its peak with the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969. This achievement boosted national pride but also highlighted the significant financial and technological resources spent on the race to space.
By the mid-1960s, these factors coalesced, leading to more pronounced social, cultural, and political shifts that characterized the era as a time of significant change and upheaval. The conservative order of the 1950s was increasingly challenged as more and more people began to question and push back against longstanding societal norms and expectations.
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Instead of just running through the chronology of the events that happened this documentary actually tries to make sense of it all. Much appreciated.
The 50s was the only time in history you could own a home while working retail. How far this country has fallen, working 2 and 3 jobs in 2024
The significance of this film is even greater today than when it was made. For many, the sacrifices and errors of the Sixties would be all for nothing had we not had this excellent tour guide to help us understand what had happened, even for some of us just barely old enough to remember a little of it. The privilege of getting to personally thank the film maker all these years later is kind of mind blowing.
We were raised to be consumers above all else.
The 1960s was not a crisis. The 1930s and 1940s were.
I don’t think you can underestimate the impact rock n roll had on 1950s and 1960s society. Rockers like Chuck Berry, Elvis, Carl Perkins, and Little Richard greatly influenced the burgeoning English rock scene which gave birth to bands like the Beatles and the Stones. These bands then popularized radical ideas like growing one’s hair longer and casual drug use, etc. a few short years later and that progressed to hippies and acid. The change in popular culture that took place between 1964 and 1967 was so dramatic that it became unrecognizable almost overnight. From clean cut crooners like Rick Nelson to psychedelic artists with tie-dye clothes and hair down to their shoulders.
That is directly because they took God's word out of the schools in 1963.
Dude- aside from all the controversy and chaos the 60s WERE wonderful. The music, creativity, openness, explosion of ideas, intellectualism, introspection, colorful beauty and transformative exploration.
Nothing has changed! Today it is simply "conforming to nonconformity".
Well they were correct about communism
I was born in 1955. I remember all of this. I remember growing up in NYC during the Cuban Missile Crisis. We had weekly fire drills and Bomb drills! I grew up to be a Hippie. Peace, Love , Equality 💕
David, I was born 1959. Raised in the San Fernando Valley.
Who else noticed, that it was Dick York from "Bewitched" television show!?
The man at
David, I remember watching this show in its entirety some 25+ years ago in Finland. The Finnish public broadcaster YLE used to air it on Friday evenings and I made sure to always be by the TV early to avoid having to fight for the remote.
It is folly to judge the past on the context of what we know now. My mother lived in a railroad car during the depression she was thrilled to have a new 3 bedroom 2 bath home in suburbia in Phx Az as a stay at home mom with her own car. It's all relative
Y'all have really done a very good job of presenting this in the way in which you did it. I was born in 1951. For the very first time, I've seen a complete explanation for all of the events discussed & presented here. This answered many personal thoughts and feelings I've had since early childhood and later concerning the circumstance in which I grew up under, and how it affected me.
I am old and I lived through the 60's in the deep south , other than civil rights, most of what happened in the country during that time my parents and their friends were more or less anxious observers . Drugs, the vietnam war , the hippie culture , really didn't have much impact on me and my friends , those concerns and indulgences really didn't start until the 70's
Hi Mr. Hoffman. We've chatted in the comments a few years ago about this amazing documentary series. I taped all 5 episodes back in the 80's when I was in my late teens and obsessed with the 60's. I hope you upload the other four episodes. This film is too good not to! Thank you!
Born in 1958, this is a thoughtful, well produced production. Excellent. Nothing has changed much really, only the players.