The 60’s: Two Generations of Influence

Setting aside for a moment the many admirable contributions of the Greatest Generation, it seems that America has brought forth two Influential Generations in its two-hundred-or-so year history, often eclipsing the generations of those bookending them, as one held and the other still holds a commanding sway over the direction of society, the political landscape, and the economic and foreign policies of their times.

These would be the generations of the 60’s:  the 1860’s and the 1960’s.  Both generations defined by divisions found in the conflicts of their day.  For those who came out of the 1860’s, the events that followed their turbulent 60’s were often seen through the lense of the Civil War as the United States two decades afterwards flexed it muscles abroad in the form of the Spanish-American War, leaving many of that generation to question the war as simply Imperialism (as in “This why I fought to keep the Union together?”) as The United States acquired new territories from Cuba to the Philippines, not to mention the “questionable” circumstances which still surround the sinking of the Maine - the event which touched off the war in the first place.  The scope and role of the Federal Government was also hotly debated a hundred years previous as that 60’s generation’s views dominated the national conversation, while the monopolies of the day were broken up and the Federal Reserve was established in an effort to control Boom-and-Bust cycles, as well as to provide greater economic opportunity in the market place for all citizens. 

For those who emerged from the often turbulent 1960’s, the same can be said about the war in Iraq, as many from this generation saw the war as simply a quagmire similar to one they saw occur in Viet Nam (as in “Why are we at war?”) not to mention the “questionable” circumstances surrounding the Weapons of Mass Destruction – the event which touched off the war in the first place.  The scope and role of the Federal Government is hotly debated once again as the 1960’s generation’s views dominate the national conversation in much the same way the 1860’s generation’s influence held sway a century ago, as the Federal Government recently took a greater role in society in an effort to prevent a banking collapse, following a period where it had attempted to provide greater access to financial capital for all citizens. 

Of course both 60’s found themselves at the center of admirable and necessary social advancements too.  For the 1860’s, it was such advancements as the Emancipation Proclamation and the Fourteenth Amendment.  For the 1960’s, it was such advancements as the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act.  Keeping all this in mind, I can’t help but look at the Baby Boomers who remain firmly entrenched in society’s driver’s seat and wonder did the generations immediately following the Civil War Generation think the same about their influence?