Question

Some historians have defined the historical period of the 1960s and 1970s as a watershed moment in US history because it represents critical change. The emergence of movements for equality, a well-organized political activist youth culture, and a counterculture that rebelled against established norms in society are all factors that highlight this change. Is there a single person or event you think exemplifies the changing US society of the 1960s and 1970s? Explain your choice and why you chose it. Or, explain why you think no single person or event exemplifies this period. Then, name an event that you think illustrates the changing perceptions of authority within the United States in the 1960s and 1970s and explain your reasoning.

Answer 1

One person that was important for this period was Martin Luther King.

He exemplifies the changes in the American society because of his leadership over the civil rights movement and his fight for equality. He wanted for African-American people to have civil rights which were denied to them and he organized many calm and peaceful protests and gained support from the entire country.

An event can be the Watergate incident.

This was an event in 1972 when it was discovered that Richard Nixon, the president at the time, was spying on his political opponents using the government in order to get the upper hand in elections. This got people questioning their government more than ever and increased the feeling of paranoia, leading to the overall spirit of the age that was marked in fear of the government spying on people.