ok, for history i have to write a ten page term paper on almost anything.... so i've decided instead of writing about things like hitler and world war two, why not write about something about the hippy generation. (since it interests me more) but what do u suggest i focus on, ex: the vietnam war, the civl rights movent, etc... what other suggestions do u have??? well thanx in advance.
The most you'd find on hippies would be to do with the Vietnam war.....but why don't you just do hippies in general? Where they evolved from and where they are now....stuff like that...there'd be tons of info for ten pages if you just did that...
I am a high school History teacher, so I hope my opinion counts for something. The Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Mov, etc. are all good subjects, but they are too broad. Narrow it down a bit. Focus a particular event, group, or person within those areas and connect them to the wider world of their time. Here is a ranked list of people and/or sub-groups that I would check out: 1) Ken Kesey: Probably the most influencial person of what I would consider the "hippy" movement. His most famous book, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, was heavily influenced by his participation in the LSD/Mescaline/Psilocybin/DMT/etc. experiements at Stanford's Vetrans' Memorial Hospital. His participation in these tests led to a night guard job at the hospital where he gained access to to these powerful phychedelics and started conducting his own experiements...All of this culminated in his book which was almost immediately and universally hailed as the most important book of the decade. With the funds from this book, he held LSD parties en masse with the Grateful Dead and later sponsored, in part, by the famous LSD chemist Owsley. Timothy Leary might also be a good person to write about for the academic influences on what would become the hippy movement. 2) Huey Newton: Co-founder of the Black Panther Party, a black militant organization who rejected the methods of Martin Luther King Jr. and caused quite a panic on the streets of several major US cities. Black people, armed with weapons and knowledge, organizing their communities and protecting themselves against police brutality. A side note to the Civil Rights Movement. Okay the short list: 3) Mario Savio: A leader of the Free Speech Movement at Berkeley 4) J. Edgar Hoover: Head of the FBI during the 60s. Responsible for repressing revolutionary movements. 5) Henry Kissinger: Important conservative foreign policy adviser. This is a very short list. I could go on and on, and I am sure other people will. With these people you can link them up to the larger movements that were taking place, give your teacher and fellow students some new information, and discover some of the finer points of the era. Good Luck. You can PM if you need more information (my grandpa was the head of Stanford Vetrans' Memorial Hospital where Kesey worked, so I have lots of info on him).
No worries. That was just a brief summary in my opinion. I could read about Ken Kesey and Timothy Leary forever. Actually anything to do with the 60' s subculture. Good luck with your paper! I'm sure you'll find lots to write about!
Don't forget music. The 60's, hippies, Peace, Love and Granola, all had a tremendous influence on music and vice versa. Music would be an interesting slant on an historical theme. It evolved as the movement evolved.
