Sometime in the mid-1960s, a few students at the University of California Berkeley began to protest for social change. They became known as “hippies.” The hippies protested for many different reasons. Some were against U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Others wanted more rights for women, minorities, and other groups that they felt were being discriminated against. Hippies were also protesting for more rights to use drugs, specifically marijuana and LSD. The hippie movement was started by relatively young people who felt that the older generation had become corrupt and cold-hearted towards them.
And how did these “hippies” get their name? They got it from hipsters, which were sort of the “anti-establishment” types before them.
One hippie would even be quoted saying, “Once you went to a few (psychedelic) rock concerts and had a few (psychedelic) experiences yourself, it was something that just drew you in.” It sort of became a way of life for many.
The hippies lasted almost ten years, yet little is known about the past 1967, but they still had a strong effect on society at the time. The band Jefferson Airplane would even be quoted saying that “We were the original hippies”. They used their music to spread their views to people across America and eventually influenced artists like John Lennon. Many other famous musicians, such as Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin, used drugs along with the hippies. It became sort of an image to show how cool you were through your music by using drugs in your songs.
The counter-culture viewed these artists as rebels against the authority figures of society because they showed their disapproval of the government and other political figures. Not only did the music reflect the hippies’ culture, so did their styles. The long hair, casual clothes, bright colors, and even pot leaves were all noticeable symbols to others that someone was a hippie.
The 1970s would mark an end for this movement. However, Vietnam ended in 1975 after the United States pulled out of it, which meant that there was no place for protests or mass gatherings anymore. Also, during this time, Nancy Reagan began her “Just Say No” campaign against drug use that discouraged everyone from giving in to peer pressure when it came to drugs themselves.
In conclusion, the hippies were a strong group during the 1960s that protested for social change and lived by the motto of “turn on, tune in, drop out.” They made their mark on society through music and fashion. The hippie movement was eventually rejected by most as they became known for drug use, but they would continue to leave their mark on future generations with their musical styles that are still reflected today.
The Hippie Counterculture Start
Hippies were also protesting for more rights to use drugs, specifically marijuana and LSD. The hippie movement was started by relatively young people who felt that the older generation had become corrupt and cold-hearted towards them.
One hippie would even be quoted saying, “Once you went to a few rock concerts and had a few experiences yourself, it was something that just drew you in.” It sort of became a way of life for many.
The counter-culture viewed these artists as rebels against the authority figures of society because they showed their disapproval of the government and other political figures. Not only did the music reflect the hippies’ culture, so did their styles. The long hair, casual clothes, bright colors, and even pot leaves were all noticeable symbols to others that someone was a hippie.
How the Vietnam War Empowered the Hippie Movement
Another major reason the hippie movement became so popular was the Vietnam War. The United States was involved in a war with North and South Vietnam that proved to be very unsuccessful for them. They soon found themselves trying to expand into Laos and Cambodia in order to destroy communist strongholds, but this only caused more problems for them. Throughout the war, protests broke out all over America against the government and their involvement, but they would continue anyway.
In response to the war, many hippies began protesting in large groups. Their peaceful protests were marketed as a new way of bringing about change that could help end this horrible war. Many famous marches such as those at the Pentagon and the Democratic National Convention in Chicago would even occur.
The Hippie Movement in Movies
The hippie movement even made its way into the movies. The film “Easy Rider” was released at this time and proved to be a huge success. Although not all of the movie had to do with the subject, it still brought it up in many parts of the movie. This would end up being one of many movies that were based around the hippies and their protests.
Other movies such as “The Strawberry Statement” and “Alice’s Restaurant” also portrayed the life of a hippie. If you were not familiar with what hippies represented, you could easily find out by watching these types of films. It was even said that the immense popularity of this new type of film helped lead to more interest in the hippies.
The Beat Generation
The influence of the Beats would leave its mark on the hippie movement. During the 1940s in America, a group of writers known as “Beatniks” were changing the way people wrote and read in many ways. They began to write in free-flowing styles so they could better convey their emotions when writing. This often resulted in lengthy poems and even novels. A famous example of this is Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road,” which was written in 1951.
They also wrote about things that people did not normally write about, such as sex and drug use. This would influence future generations, most notably the hippies, with their fondness for sex, drugs, and music. The style of writing would affect not only the beat generation but also musicians such as Bob Dylan, who began singing in a more informal way.
