Historical Background

In the 1950s, the culture reflected on TV, taught in school, and promoted by political and religious leaders prescribed an ideal for American life. This American way of life was the means to achieve and sustain political freedom and middle-class comfort. In the Cold War with the Soviet Union, Americans could protect their freedoms and prosperity by fulfilling set roles and respecting authority. For a generation that had struggled through the Great Depression and fought World War II, conformity was a small price to pay for stability and prosperity.

Yet some who grew up in this postwar world felt its expectations were restricting and its rewards unsatisfying. Security and conformity seemed less important than self-expression. Material success and prestige did not seem as desirable as meaningful human relationships. As they gradually became aware of poverty and racial injustice in America, some young people questioned the accepted view of the United States as an ideal and fully free society.