Essay - Decade of the 1960s Could There be any Doubt that...

Decade of the 1960s

Could there be any doubt that the decade of 1960s was truly one of the most pivotal periods in the history of ***** United States not only in the twentieth century but throughout its history too? The ***** *****deed shaped our nation's history with the events that define who we are as an American nation. It w***** a ***** that divided and united the nation; it was ***** period ***** our history ***** changed our lifestyle and our outlook. ***** may also be said that this era was the time where America lost ***** innocence as a result of the episodes that me*****ured our mettle in the social, political, cultural and global arena. "The sixties ********** the age of youth, as

***** million children from the post-war baby boom became teenagers and young adults. The movement away from ***** conservative fifties cont*****ued ***** eventually resulted in revolutionary ways of thinking and real change in the cultural fabric of ***** life. No longer content to be images ***** the generation ahead of **********, young people wanted change. The *****s affected education, values, **********, laws, and entertainment. Many of the revolutionary ideas which began in the sixties are continuing ***** evolve today. (Goodwin, 2006)"

The decade started off with ***** election of John F. Kennedy as the thirty-fifth president ***** the ***** States. He ***** ***** only a well-loved politician and war hero, ***** also one of the youngest presidents elected in the United States. Those who can remember J*****K's presidential *****auguration speech will never forget the challenge posed by the newly elected president: "Ask not what y***** country can do for you--ask what you can do ***** your country." What Kennedy actually asked each and every Ameri***** is to take up the challenge of making *****ca a better ***** stronger n*****tion worthy of its position as the Big Brother to many nations. As if an oracle fulfilled, *****s to American ***** that made it at *****s a strong n*****ion and at times weak.

Thus, the 1960s brought the Cuban Missile Crisis to America's doorstep. This is one moment is ***** that nuclear Armageddon could have happened had the two superpowers - the ***** States and the Soviet Union, ***** let cooler heads prevailed. It was a tumultuous occasion considering had the Soviets successfully completed ***** nuclear m*****sile site buildup in Cuba and the United States retaliated, ***** Cold War would have ended but it would have taken us to World ***** Three. "If the *****n Missile Crisis ***** the most dangerous passage ***** the Cold War, the most ***** moment of the Cuban Missile ***** was the evening ***** Saturday, 27 Oc*****ber 1962, when ***** resolution of the crisis ***** ***** or peace - appe*****d to hang in the balance. While Soviet ships had not attempted to break the U.S naval blockade of Cuba, Soviet nuclear missile bases remained on ***** island and were rapidly becoming operational, and pressure on President Kennedy ***** order an air strike