The World was Rocking Part 1

By Melissa

Mark Kurlansky took a closer look at the impact of the events of 1968 on the social history in his book 1968: The Year That Rocked The World. The year 1968 was the year of rebellion, the American people were not happy as a whole for many different reason. People were united not by their causes but rather just by the need to rebel again the authorities, which they believed were abusing their power. These rebellions were sparked by four major factors: the civil rights movement, a war that was hated universally around the world, the television uncensored by the government, and a generation that that felt rejected by the authorities. The generation born after WWII could never connect with the WWII generation, there was always a struggle to find common ground because they were so fundamentally different.

The legalities of our country during this time were atrocious. The youth of America could not vote if they were under twenty-one but they could be drafted into an unsupported war at age eighteen. The war heros came back and were treated as if they were the enemy. They were called baby killers and monsters. This was the first time soldiers were treated so poorly by the country which made them soldiers in the first place. Fight for our own freedoms at your own freedoms' cost. It was disgraceful.

The higher education system at the time turned into a product of the machine, taking the best and brightest of our nation and turning them into reflections of racism and militarism which was so present within out societies authority. So the youth in the general population turned to drugs. These drugs gave everything a hidden meaning. They began to question the authority. The musicians at this time were products of their generation and sang songs encouraging this drug induced way of thinking. America was divided into those who embraced the new way and those who struggled to understand it.