The Counterculture

The counterculture that developed during the 1960s was an alternative lifestyle chosen by individuals who would eventually become known as hippies, freaks or long hairs. Members of the counterculture held convictions similar to that of the New Left movement in that they wanted to overhaul domestic policy within the United States. Hippies were generally dissatisfied with the consensus culture that had developed after the Second World War and wanted to distance themselves from American society (hence the term counterculture). As a result, members of the counterculture attempted to establish their own towns, economy, political institutions and societal values. Let's take a closer look at the counterculture of the 1960s.

From Beats to Hippies...So, how did the counterculture begin? Unlike the New Left, the origins of the counterculture had deeper roots in American society. The movement that was recognized in the 1960s as the counterculture was known a decade earlier as the Beat Generation or Beats.

Dissatisfied with American society, the Beats alienated themselves into a small underground movement. These individuals rejected American standards, introduced new concepts of societal norms, shunned materialism and spawned a new drug culture. Prominent leaders included Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and Lucien Carr. The Beats generally maintained a low-profile and attempted to stay away from the burgeoning political issues of the decade.

Yet, as mentioned above, the Beat Generation would ultimately transform into the counterculture. The Beats struggled to maintain their inconspicuousness, especially when more and more members of the Beat Generation began to tackle political issues. By 1960, the transformation was complete. In the place of the Beat Generation arose a counterculture that held the same ideals but promoted vibrant colored clothing, long hair, folk music and the participation in politics - all while being known as hippies.

Lifestyle Within the Counterculture...Long hair, vibrant colors and peace signs are typically the most associated characteristics of the hippies and counterculture. However, the lifestyle was dramatically more interesting. Hippies tended to set up living quarters or communes within bigger cities. These areas were known as hippie villages or districts. Locations such as Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco, Greenwich Village in New York City and Old Town in Chicago became prime locations for hippie living. All of these locations witnessed the erection of gardens, head shops, restaurants and music venues that provided cheap and alternative ways of living.

Hippies encouraged the experimental use of psychedelic drugs, such as peyote and LSD (acid) to alter the mind. Individuals, such as Ken Kesey and Timothy Leary, promoted acid tests, which allowed individuals to consume acid in a peaceful environment surrounded by friends, music and good vibes. Leary campaigned for experimental drug use through his 'turn on, tune in and drop out' advertisements.

One of the largest events for promoting drug use, music and alternative ways of thinking occurred in 1967 at the Human Be-In at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. In addition to drugs, the hippies also enjoyed music, especially the folksy, psychedelic riffs of Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead. Hippies enjoyed music so much that they assisted in the planning, organization and promoting of the infamous Woodstock music festival in 1969.

Members of the counterculture also believed in the notion of 'free love' and the sexual revolution. 'If it feels good, do it' became a popular slogan amongst hippies during the 1960s. Hippies welcomed all versions of sexual preference and encouraged individuals to experiment with concepts such as group sex and all nude communes.

Hippies promoted free love as the ability to be with whomever you wish, whenever you wish. Love was a way to combat the societal ills of gender inequality, racial discrimination and war. The largest display of free love came in 1967 during the hippie orchestrated Summer of Love. Thousands of individuals traveled to San Francisco in order to experiment with drugs, establish new communities and spread love with one another. Additionally, with the sexual revolution came a decline in Christianity in favor of more experimental religions, such as Buddhism, Confucianism and Western spiritualism, also known as the New Age or Age of Aquarius.

Politics of the Counterculture...The very basic political positions of those involved in the counterculture should be obvious. Hippies supported the free use of prolific drugs, sexual experimentation, gender and racial equality and a freedom from the United States federal government. However, the most important political issue of the period was the war in Vietnam. The counterculture rejected the war on two fronts. First, the hippies supported the idea of peace and harmony throughout mankind. Second, since many hippies were young adults, the males rejected the idea of registering for the draft and being sent to war.

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