Whether they voted for Kennedy or not, most Americans were ready for a change in 1960. From politics to the entertainment industry, both the country's leaders and followers sought new directions, heroes, and missions. The postwar era had to come to an end sometime, and the 1960s represented that transition. John F. Kennedy served as the first leader of this uncharted path to the New Frontier. From the end of racism and poverty to an American on the moon, for a while it seemed that anything was possible.
The 1960s covers this explosive and exciting decade—from the cold war days of the Cuban Missile Crisis to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, Jr., to the Vietnam War; from the Beach Boys to the Beatles to the Rolling Stones; from Hippies and Yippies to race riots and Kent State. In the words of Americans who experienced the major events and issues of the decade, The 1960s presents the story of one of America's most tumultuous historical periods.
Designed to pique the interests of the curious student and general reader, The 1960s offers a basic narrative as well as an examination of the probing questions of the time. In the format of the Eyewitness History series, the people of the time speak for themselves, describing events as they saw them. Among those whose testimonies are given are Richard M. Nixon, Sargent Shriver, Robert McNamara, James Meredith, Bill Cosby, Mary Wilson of the Supremes, John Lennon, and Constance Baker Motley. The introductory section of each chapter provides an overview of the history, and a chronology gives specific month-by-month listings of each year's major events. In appendixes, readers gain access to excerpts of important documents as well as brief biographies of leading personalities. A stunning collection of photographs and images is spread throughout the volume, complementing the engaging text.

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Excerpted from The 1960s by Timothy P. Maga
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