Hippy Movement
Hippy MovementThrough out history the world has seen some generations that have
made an impact more than all of its predecessors. The decade from 1960
to 1970 was definitely one of those eras. The people didn’t follow the
teachings of its elders, but rejected them for an alternative culture
which was their very own(Harris 14). Made up of the younger population
of the time this new culture was such a radical society that they were
given their own name which is still used today. They came to be called
the Hippies. The Hippie movement started in San Francisco, California
and spread across the United States, through Canada, and into parts of
Europe (World Book). But it had its greatest influence in America.
During the 1960’s a radical group called the Hippies shocked America
with their alternative lifestyle and radical beliefs.
Hippies came from many different places and had many different
backgrounds. All Hippies were young, from the ages of 15 to 25
(Worldbook). They left their families and did it for many different
reasons. Some rejected their parents’ ideas, some just wanted to get
away, and others simply were outcasts, who could only fit in with the
Hippie population. “Under 25 became a magical age, and young people all
over the world were united by this bond” (Harris 15). This bond was of
Non-conformity and it was the “Creed of the Young” (Harris 15). Most
Hippies came from wealthy middle class families. Some people said that
they were spoiled and wasting their lives away. But to Hippies
themselves this was a way of life and no one was going to get in the
way of their dreams and ambitions.
Hippies flocked to a certain area of San Francisco on the corner
of Haight Street and Ashbury Street, where the world got their first
view of this unique group. This place came to be known as the Haight
Ashbury District. There were tours of the district and it was said that
the tour “was the only foreign tour within the continental limits of
the United States” (Stern 147). The Hippies were so different that the
conservative middle class could not relate to them and saw them as
aliens. The Haight Ashbury district lies in the very center of San
Francisco. In the years of 1965 and 1966 the Hippies took over the
Haight Ashbury district(Cavan 49). There they lived and spread their
psychedelic theme through out the whole area. In the Haight Ashbury
district there were two parks that that all Hippies knew well. The most
famous of the two was the Golden Gate Park(Cavan 43). The single most
important event that put the Hippies on the map was held at the Golden
Gate Park. It was called the Trips Festival. The Trips Festival was a
week long festival designed to celebrate the LSD experience(Stern 148).
Besides this festival dozens of other events took place at Golden Gate
Park, some of which were free concerts by The Grateful Dead and
Jefferson Airplane and Anti-War rallies held by Hippie political
leaders. The other park is called the Buena Vista park and is known for
housing hippies at night and for socializing during the day.
As the...
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