Counterculture of mid sixties shaped a youth movement in United States of America that is popularly known as hippie movement. Hippie movement reached into several other countries of the world just after its emergence in United States of America. Hippies fashioned their own separate world by creating their communities where they used to listen rock music. Hippies had their own reasons for using marijuana that was one of important things of their life along with sex. This paper intends to discuss Hippies and examines how hippie movement influenced the time period of sixties.
It is inevitable to see towards the history in order to know emergence and influence of hippy movement. After the world war second, everything was looking fine for Americans ad especially middle class. Victory in the war gave them a reason to feel enthusiastic and American President Roosevelt’s economic policy of new deal gave American traders an opportunity of trade inside and outside the America. Economic growth was doing more than fine and American economy was in almost perfect state (Issit).
With such state of economy, growing prosperity among Americans, and with decreasing unemployment rate, people were leading a happy life. American population grew with very high rate because people were in condition to produce children without any worry about their feedings. America witnessed exceptional growth in its population and due to this reason the phase from 1945 to 1960 is famous as ‘Baby boomers’. Americans were enjoying everything that they dreamt to have in this time period (Miller).
After the word war Russia also emerged as world power along with America and very soon a competition for the dominance in these two powers started which was converted in cold war in coming years. The reason, of this acrimonious relationship between these two superpowers of the world along with their effort to dominate the world, was the difference in their ideology. United States of America was a believer of capitalism while Soviet Union was the flag bearer of communism.
This also affected the American society as communists of America were in overshadow of communism and used to consider Russia as their rile mode. American politicians considered as a threat and started their suppressing them this way or that way. This created a strain in America society and emergence of radicalism was sensed in the contemporary American society. There were some more factors behind the strain that American society witnessed and this was demand of civil rights by the African Americans.
Among growing tensions, a new class emerged that believed in enjoying life. This class was named as beatniks and the same trend was carried out by hippies in coming years. Beatniks expressed their views on different issues through literature and poems. They used to write extensively on every issue that was important for America. Their views were not confined to the issues of America only but they also expressed their views on several issues that were important for other parts of the world (Hippy Timeline).
Allen Ginsberg along with several others participated in several anti war demonstrations and also made using of marijuana and other sedatives popular. This group attracted attention of Americans added a huge number of people with them. This trend continued and mid of seventy beatniks were known as hippies. Hippies were in glare of publicity due to their dressings, sedatives and sexual openness. A number of people adopted this lifestyle and this movement continued.
Merry pranksters, a group of hippies became known for their awareness programs on several issues. People like Paul foster and others accompanied them and this movement grew further. They used to travel extensively and gather people’s support. Hippies used to demonstrate their views through public meetings and also through writings. LSD was one of common things that hippies used to take and this group was no exception (Lewis). Their dressing was a subject of curiousness among American and also they used to drive the vehicles that were weirdly painted and decorated.
Hippies used to gather at different places in order to share ideas and for Psychedelic experiences. Red dog salon was one of such venues, it was a bar and a meeting point for hippies. Hippies were fond of music and they did several experiments in music. They mixed native and traditional music of different kinds and made some special songs. Music was an important part of hippie’s life and they used music for their own satisfaction and in order to express themselves. Music was also a tool for hippies to attract people and convey their messages.
Hippies created some cheerful music in seventies and music became their distinctiveness. Musical performances by hippies were very famous in those days and people from several parts of America used to gather in these appearances. People also paid their attentions towards hippies due to their openness and views. Hippies used to perform and organize protest marches on sensitive issues that were significant for the larger and needy sections of the contemporary American society.
Hippies were against the wars and they always demonstrated against wars. In years 1964-65 their demonstration against Vietnam War became famous all over America. They strongly demonstrated against American government’s decision to send troops in Vietnam to fight a war. Government tried to suppress their protest and several hippies were injured in this course. A number of hippies were sent behind the bars by the America government on the pretext to maintain law and order situation in the society (Gregory).
Hippies used to run their underground press which was used to print handbills and papers that they used to distribute in order to create awareness on several issues. Hippies operated dozens of presses in different cities of America. LA free press, the fifth estate were some very famous among several others. Hippies were advocates of liberty and always stood for the causes that were appropriate in their eyes.
San Francisco was a stronghold of hippies. They used to operate all their major activities. Hippies were all around the San Francisco. All the coffee houses, libraries, and parks were full of hippies. Hippies also used to entertain people of San Francisco with their musical performances on a regular basis. Areas like sunset strip and Santa Monica were centre places where they hippie bands like ‘The doors’ used to perform (Issit).
In January of 1967, summer of love was organized in San Francisco where more than 25000 people were gathered to participate in the program. Several Bands including big brother performed and people were rocked. This time the city of San Francisco hosted more than one hundred thousand people who were hippies. This event became popular across America and Europe and people from all over were becoming curious about hippies, their lifestyle and their ideology.
Once this event was over, hippies returned to their places, farms and fields. Hippies used to propagate innovative ideas to encourage industriousness in different sectors. Some of them were farmers who introduced some new techniques in farming and inspired others to improve their farming by adopting new ideas. Hippies also promoted innovation in other manufacturing sectors and inspired others to promote each other’s business and trade in order to make them economically well.
Events like Woodstock, people’s park and Altamont of 1969 were brilliantly organized and succeeded in pulling large crowds from all over. These events also suggested their popularity and support among people of America. These musical performances were not merely for the entertainment but hippies used to spread and exchange their ideas on several issues through these events. These events also helped them in earning popularity inside and outside the United States of America.
Hippies succeeded in attracting large crowds in their functions. People used to participate in their protests on several issues. When they used to organize protest marches again wars, thousands of people participated I these marches to lodge their protest against the government of America. Their musical performances attracted thousands of people which show their popularity among Americans. Hippies raised very relevant issues and advocated to change the system but their working style and lack of experience prevented them from causing any major change in the American history.
Hippies were suppressed by government as well as by goons and anti social elements at different occasions. Government was never happy with hippies and did not like their frankness or protests against the policies of government. Goons also hated hippies and attacked at several occasions for the same reasons. They never tolerated any wrongs and did always support those who were not in condition to raise their voices for themselves in case of any suppression by goons or anybody else.
Hippies influenced American society in very significant manner. They affected almost every aspect of American society and gave them some unforgettable things. Their music, dressings, ingenuousness and demonstrations influenced Americans became a part of American lifestyle in coming years. Hippies never afraid while expressing their views on some very significant issues. They always demonstrated and protested against wrong policies of governments without caring about any fear or suppressions by the government of United States of America.
Hippies were not confined to America only but they were popular across the world. Hippies were emerging and their ideas were becoming popular gradually. The trend that hippies started in the America also spread in the United Kingdom and reached into eastern parts of the world. Asian countries also sensed their presence and influence in a substantial manner and this increased in coming years.
After having observed a succinct view on the hippies and their movements of sixties, it can be concluded that hippies influenced American society in a number of ways. Their influence on American society is still visible in the form of dressings and frankness. Hippie movements in sixties brought several changes in the contemporary American society. Hippies openly shared their views on some very important issues like war, communism, capitalism, love, relations, fashion, art, music, and humanity.
Works Cited
Gregory, Richard. "A Brief History of the Hippie Trail." 27 November 2013 <http://www.richardgregory.org.uk/history/hippie-trail.htm>.
"Hippy Timeline." hippy. 27 November 2013 <http://www.hippy.com/timeline.htm>.
Issit, Micah. Hippies: A Guide to an American Subculture. USA: ABC-CLIO, 2009.
Lewis, George H. "The Structure of Support in Social Movements: An Analysis of Organization and Resource Mobilization in the Youth Contra-Culture." The British Journal of Sociology (1976): 184-196.
Miller, Timothy. The 60s Communes: Hippies and Beyond. USA: Syracuse University Press., 1999.
