1960s Impact

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” –Martin Luther King Jr. Just as Martin Luther King Jr. had dreamed, events that happened in the 1960s still greatly impact the way Americans live today. The politics of the 1960s, the civil rights movement, and the counterculture of 1960’s youth all still affect America today. The decade of the 1960s has a great impact on the United States.
In the election of 1960, the candidates used television to their advantage for the first time. Presidential debates were televised, and an estimated 75 million people sat in front of their television sets to watch the presidents. The

In 1961 Soviet Astronaut, Yuri Gagarin, was the first human to orbit the Earth. President Kennedy worried that the Soviets leading in the space race might influence the world into believing that communism was a better option than capitalism, and that would hurt America in the Cold War. Kennedy went before congress less than two months later and declared: “I believed this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon” (Appleby 604). One year later, America matched the Soviets with U.S. astronaut John Glenn orbiting the Earth. On July 16, 1969, Saturn V, the most powerful rocket ever built, lifted off carrying Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins. Four days later, Aldrin and Armstrong boarded Eagle and began the trip to the moon. Armstrong became the first human to step foot on the moon and said, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind” (Appleby 604). Landing a man on the moon caused America to win the space race proving our technology to be superior over the Soviets. The competition between the Soviets and the United States caused technological advances within the

Beards, mustaches, and long hair on men was a sign of rebellion because of the popular buzz cut in the 1950s. However, what was once a symbol of rebellion became mainstream, and long hair on men became very popular. Music also experienced a change within the 1960s. Musicians used folk and rock-n-roll music to create new rhythms with heartfelt lyrics that showed their hopes for the new generation. Bob Dylan was a huge folk singer who became a big part of the movement. Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and The Who all became popular rock musicians and used amplified instruments that changed the sound of rock forever (Flower 1). The counterculture of the 1960s still affect music and fashion trends