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Monterey Pop (Unfinished)

The 1960's was a time of revolution, love, and war. It was a time when anti-war protests were more common that picnics, and the reigning heroes were some kids named Jimi, Janis, Jim and Bob. It was a time when it seemed like love could fix everything. It was the loudest generation America has seen since the revolutionary days, and it is a concern of many that the children of the baby-boomer generation is too quiet. The sixties counterculture was something to learn from.

The counterculture began with protests to the Vietnam war in 1964. The U.S. began bombing North Vietnam in February of 1965. The draft laws had been enforced, and men were being sent overseas to die for their country without their own consent. It became a main concern of young men not interested in going to war, how to get out of being sent. Many faked medical conditions. Many also resorted to underground railroads and fled to Canada, or overseas. Churches also provided sanctuary for those that didn't agree with the draft.

Acclaimed universities began to ecome active in the anti-war movement. Beginning with the University of Michigan, faculty members began holding "teach-ins." These teach-ins began from the ideals from the Civil Rights movement. The purpose of the teach-ins was to educate a large portion of the student population about political and moral issues. The largest anti-war protest occured on April 17th, 1965, to protest the bombing of North Vietnam. People gathered at the Washington Monument in Washington, DC. The turnout was monumental with between 15,000 and 25,000 people attending the protest. In 1968, students at Columbia University in New York, New York, errupted with protests. They occupied many buildings on campus, and police removed them with great force. Riots on the street landed hundreds in jail, and many were injured.

The anti-war protests were only the beginning of the counterculture, and young people soon took a turn in a more peaceful direction....