Peace and War All in One: The Analysis of the mid 1960’s

War, peace, happiness, anger all occurred in one period of time. The time period was known as the mid 1960’s. In an article regarding the 1960's, according to Mintz, “the 1960s was a decade when hundreds of thousands of ordinary Americans gave new life to the nation’s democratic ideals” (Mintz 1). This era changed America forever and gave it new life. Most people overlook this era and don’t fully understand its importance today. Two major events occurred during this time period, them being the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. Both were considered highly controversial and had the country divided. Most people at the time agreed that "the bombs in Vietnam explode at home—they destroy the hopes and possibilities for a decent America” (Litwack 13). The war had the country seeking a source of peace and that’s where the famous event known as Woodstock came in. The 1960’s era was definitely an up and down period in history that gave society plenty to talk about today. I interviewed my mother, Linda Domenici to help me understand the time period given she lived during this era. Many Americans don’t fully understand that the 1960’s weren’t just drugs, hippies and peace but it included a country divided on several matters, influential music and a era that some consider one of the most influential.

My mother at a local restaurant in 1965. Source: Domenici, Linda

I interviewed my mother, Linda Domenici through the phone to get a first hand account of the mid 1960’s time period. Her knowledge ranged from having a brother enrolled in the Vietnam War to being a student in school when the Civil Rights Movement was taking place. When asked about her impression of the time period she explained that it was very crazy, very tense because the country was divided, there was all kinds of drugs and no one wanted to back the war (Domenici). This was the atmosphere for the most part during this time and with the United States involved in a war that not many supported, there was plenty of opinions to be heard on the matter. Although, the mid 1960’s wasn’t just war because out of the darkness came light and the motto of peace became a nationwide goal to obtain.

The Life

During the mid 1960’s my mother was a student in Somerville high school. She was heavily aware of what was happening around her. The economy, style of clothing and the type of music was a major part of the lifestyle of the mid 1960’s. The style of clothing during this time was you were either a hippie or conservative. According to Ms. Domenici there were many “long-hair guys, short skirts and flower power” (Domenici). This was the ordinary style for an everyday man or woman during this time. There was also plenty of rebellion during this time, marijuana was a popular drug and hippies had a message to spread: peace. My mother was never a hippie type and never involved herself with the activities that came with that lifestyle. The music world was changed forever when the Beatles came to America. The Beatles were a worldwide phenomenon when they came over to the states and their music forever changed the music world. My mother remembers the Beatles being very big once they were heard. They became instant icons and are considered one of the most musically talented groups to ever pick up a microphone. They influenced music forever and were considered one of the most popular groups in the history of music.

The economy and education style had a very different look to it than today, “there wasn’t much pressure for college, people got out of school and got jobs right away. People got married younger, woman didn’t have careers like they do today instead they stayed home and had kids” (Domenici). This is a drastic change to what our system looks like today. In an article relating to the economy in the mid 1960's it is said, “to combat poverty, the federal government raised the minimum wage and enacted a battery of programs to train poorer Americans for better jobs” (Mintz 1). The poverty levels were lowered during this era and jobs were not difficult to come by. Today jobs are very hard to come by and our economy is currently in a recession. According to Ms. Domenici, jobs were very easy to come by and she didn’t receive motivation from her parents to attend college and aim for a higher education. Instead teens just graduating high school worked as soon as possible. Marriage occurred much earlier than present day. My mother was married at the age of twenty-one which is extremely compared to today. Woman having careers was not common during this time and instead they stayed home and tended to the children. This is a drastic change to today because woman holding careers is almost necessary to have a family survive in this economy. Clearly times have changed and my mother got to see America from multiple perspectives.

A Country and a Family Divided

In an article regarding the Vietnam War, Mintz conveys that “the Vietnam War cost the United States 58,000 lives and 350,000 casualties” (Mintz 1). The war was never well received by the American public and was a highly controversial topic of the mid 1960’s. It also was known as “the longest war in American history and the most unpopular American war of the twentieth century” (Mintz 1). There was no doubt that the American public didn’t back the war and disagreed with the war as a whole. The war literally divided the country and had American citizens scratching their heads and asking if the war was truly necessary. My mother witnessed first hand America’s reaction to the war and how the country was affected.

Unlike most people alive during the mid 1960’s, my mother had a brother enrolled in the US Army during the Vietnam War. It was evident that most of the American citizens disagreed with the war and my mother was one of them but she disagreed with the treatment of the soldiers upon their return. My mother noticed that “the country didn’t support the troops the way they should have and in a way they blamed the soldiers for the war” (Domenici). The American attitude toward the war was being taken out on the returning soldiers. My mother was disgusted that her brother wasn’t being honored or being acknowledged in a positive way for his duty for the country. Protests were popular during this time and used often. In regard to protests, "the Vietnam War sparked many protests and anti-war demonstrations that for the most part had large turnouts" (Schreiber 225). When asked if she partook in any of the protests my mother stated she did not because she “had many friends and a brother in the war and it wasn’t her place to protest against the war but support her friends and brother” (Domenici). The environment was tense and people were not afraid to express their displeasure with the war. While the country itself was divided, my mother was as well. She disagreed with the war as a whole but still supported the fine Americans who were fighting for the country.

Footage of the Vietnam War. Source: MadMax2k2

When describing having a brother in the army, Ms. Domenici said “you lived in a haze; all day long that’s what you thought about. You wouldn’t hear from him for two or three weeks. You would constantly watch the news and wait” (Domenici). Most people were feeling the same anxiety and fear that my mother was during this time. Upon her brother's return, my mother noticed a difference in him, recalling “he was very depressed and he couldn’t adjust to being back home and he missed all of his friends in the service and he was very angry. He was upset at the country for not supporting the troops” (Domenici). This is common behavior for returning soldiers, especially for that time period. This time period became even more memorable to Ms. Domenici because instead of just having an opinion on the war, she had a brother to worry about.

For What it's Worth, a protest song against the Vietnam War. Source: Lelansklar

The Civil Rights Movement

The civil rights movement is considered one of the most influential movements America has ever seen. The protests, rallies and speeches were heard around the world and the simple phrase “I have a dream” echoed through the country’s ears. Martin Luther King put an entire race on his back and led them to freedom. My mother was a senior at Somerville high school when the movement had reached desegregating the schools. When asked about her opinion on the movement, she stated “I didn’t agree with everything the blacks did due to their violence but agreed with the right to go to school and colleges with whites and getting a chance for an education” (Domenici). African Americans at times were using violence to spread their message, which no one can agree with. They used multiple methods to get their message across. Different cultures had different techniques; “African Americans used sit-ins, freedom rides, and protest marches to fight segregation, poverty, and unemployment” (Mintz 1). The movement once again divided the country. Opinions were somewhat split according to Ms. Domenici, “it was basically 50/50 against and for. Not all white population was happy but others were okay with it” (Domenici). In one article, Litwack supports my mother's claims by expressing that “many Americans, as a matter of high principle, rejected racism; they were repelled by the scenes of violence in the South over integrating a public bus, a toilet, a drinking fountain, or a lunch counter” (Litwack 8). These people made the movement much harder to achieve. Everyone had an opinion on the matter but the desegregation of schools; although slow at the beginning was necessary for the movement and its purpose. Ms. Domenici recalls “I graduated in 1965, 750 kids graduated, 2 were blacks” (Domenici). This number is staggering and I can see now why the schools needed to be desegregated. Although the desegregation of schools was not met with open arms, especially for parents who had children in the schools. When asked if she feared the desegregation of schools Ms. Domenici proclaims “I wasn’t afraid for myself but I understood why some people were fearful because blacks didn’t like whites and their children were being sent to their schools” (Domenici). Years after my mother graduated, the schools were for the most part completely desegregated and this marked a win for the movement.

Martin Luther King Jr. Source: Puente, Teresa

The civil rights movement can’t be discussed without discussing the iconic Martin Luther King Jr. With his famous “I have a dream” speech and March on Washington in 1963, King accomplished milestones in his life. His reputation spoke for himself and his peers and followers loved him. He was known to be a phenomenal speaker and a man who pushed for non-violence protests similar to Gandhi’s methods. My mother also praised King for his speaking talents and for what he stood for by recalling “I liked him very much, he was very intelligent, a wonderful speaker and an iconic figure who did so much for the black community and stood up for them” (Domenici). Even the white population accepted King for the man he was, “the tragedy for King and his movement was that most white Americans were not ready to embrace his goals, although they were quite willing, especially after his death, to honor the eloquence with which he presented them” (Kazin 988). Martin Luther King Jr. was the heart and soul to the civil rights movement and his legacy will forever be remembered through American history.

Differences and Misconceptions

When we think about a specific time era we often only think of certain aspects of that time period. For instance if you were to ask someone what they think the mid 1960’s was like, the response would most likely be drugs, hippies and war. This is a misconception because you can’t just put years of occurrences in three basic categories. My mother’s life was forever altered because of the Vietnam War and having a brother and loved ones enrolled in the war. She never was a hippie and never experimented with the popular drug marijuana so to put an era in these categories would be a misconception on what the average American would be going through on an everyday basis. The correct definition of the mid 1960’s would be it was a time of change and an influential time period that divided and brought the country together.

When comparing the lifestyle of the mid 1960’s to the year 2011, you have drastic differences. As stated before, the women were for the most part stay home mothers and didn’t hold careers. Ms. Domenici remembers that “probably about 75% of woman didn’t work and the divorce rate was unusual and very small” (Domenici). Today, women have careers and most likely work with their husbands to pay the bills. The reason for this was the economy was at a very different stage in the 1960’s compared to today. When asked the question regarding the economy, Ms. Domenici recalls that “there was plenty of jobs and the economy was much better than today. Average jobs were not very hard to get. You didn’t need a college degree for that” (Domenici). This brings up the fact that college wasn’t a main priority in order to receive a decent paying job in the 1960’s. Today it is almost a necessity for a teenager to attend a college in order to earn a decent paying job in the struggling economy. Overall, times have clearly changed and in my opinion for the worst. Divorce rates are up, we have a struggling economy and it’s much harder to receive a decent paying job.

Conclusion

After interviewing my mother and analyzing the 1960’s, I can safely say that this time period is one of the most influential in American history. Through my mother’s eyes I learned that this time period was one of change. Many historical events occurred and memories were made. The country was divided and many opinions were heard around the world. My mother witnessed peace and war all in one time period and that is something to be proud of.

Works Cited

Domenici, Linda. Personal interview. 1 May. 2011.

Kazin, Michael. "Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Meanings of the 1960s." American historical review. 980-989. University of Chicago Press, 2009. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 14 May 2011.

Lelansklar, dir. “Buffalo Springfield-For What It’s Worth”. Youtube. 24 December 2009. Web. 5 May 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnWDVPINu60

Litwack, Leon F. "Fight the Power!" the Legacy of the Civil Rights Movement." Journal of Southern History 75.1 (2009): 3-28.

Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 3 May 2011. MadMax2k2, dir. “Vietnam War-Hue City 1968”. Youtube. 23 November 2007. Web. 5 May 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDy0Z3HSkTE

Mintz, Steven. “Learn About the Tumultous 1960’s.” digitalhistory.edu. n.d. Web. 14 May 2011. http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/modules/1960s/index.cfm

Mintz, Steven. “Learn About the Vietnam War.” digital history.edu. n.d. Web. 14 May 2011. http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/modules/vietnam/index.cfm

Puente, Teresa. Would Martin Luther King Jr. support the DREAM Act. 2011. Chicagonow.com. Web. 5 May 2011. http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicanisima/2011/01/would-martin-luther-king-jr-support-the-dream-act.html

Schreiber, E. M. "Anti--war demonstrations and American public opinion on the war in Vietnam." British Journal of Sociology 27.2 (1976): 225-236. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 3 May 2011.