Introduction

       The era between 1962 and 1975 was a really eventful time in the history of the United States. From the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 to the United States pulling out of Vietnam in 1973 all these events played a huge role in the future of America. The Civil Rights Movement was also a very important event in this era with the Civil Rights Act being passed in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965. Very important historical figures were assassinated during this time also, John F. Kennedy in 1963, Malcolm X in 1965, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. In 1969 the United States landed the first people in the moon aboard of the Apollo 11. Leading to the resignation of Nixon as president, the Watergate Scandal happened in 1972. This era was also a time when people's awareness for taking care of the environment increased substantially. The sixties and seventies was a time all about pushing the status quo and fighting for one’s beliefs.  

Interviews

LM Cummings was little boy during the 1960's and he lived in the South part of Texas.

Q."Do you remember anything about the sixties?"

A.  "During the sixties my father was a college professor who graduated from a top notch college and my mother was a nurse and we were quite wealthy growing up. Well, my father worked at an all white college during the time and the black 'colleges' during the time had a very bad system. The teachers were about as 'smart' as the kids but they didn't know any better because they were never taught the subjects correctly. But every night my father would walk by the black colleges and pick up a few kids to feed and give shelter to them for a couple days. So my house was always full of people I didn't know and soon enough I got to know pretty much every person at that college. My friends at school would treat me differently but I didn't care because I knew that every mean that thing that they were saying about them was wrong. Eventually some of the wealthier black families started to complain because there sons weren't getting a good enough education because the students were smarter than the teachers. So they demanded better teachers. But no white teacher would quit their well paying job to go teach them, other than my father. So then when the local white folks heard about this my dad started getting a lot of letters which I later realized were threats about people saying that he should not teach them and go back to teaching white folks. His own dad sent him a letter saying that he shouldn't teach the school and that he was ashamed of him .But he refused not to teach and luckily no one ever tried to kill him. But my dad told me about the first day he went to teach. He firstly said that it was a terribly kept place. He said there was trash everywhere and the building looked like it was about to fall apart. Also he talked about how there were hundreds of African Americans there to greet him into the school and to listen to him speak. Out of all of the things this is what I remember about him most".

Linette Harwell was in her 20's during the 70's

Q."What do you remember about the 1960's and 1970?"

A. "Growing up my mother was a very strict Christian women.I lived in Ohio and I went to church with them and sang like a good girl but I never really had it in my heart. When I was young and way I could I would rebel against my parents. I didn't care what it was I just wanted to do anything. Then on May 4, 1970, while I was attending Kent State University I had a friend named Sandy Scheuer. She was protesting about the war in Vietnam with some other of my friends and she begged me to join her so... I did. We were peacefully protesting for a little while until the national guard showed up and then the protesting got a little but rougher so I got a little nervous and told her I was going to leave but she wasn't listening.I started walking away pretty fast then all of a sudden there were screams and I heard loud noises and I fell to the ground. At first I thought that someone jammed there fingers into my side but I look over toward my friends and I saw the Ohio National Guards with there guns up and smoke floating through the air and I realized that I had just been shot in the side and I was so shocked that I passed out. I woke up in a hospital laying in bed next to another man who I assumed had also been shot in the shooting but I later found out that he had been shot in the war . I didn't realize at this moment but this catastrophe might have been the best thing that ever happened to me".

George Mathis Harwell was in his late 20's during the 70's

Q.What do you remember about the 1960's and 1970's?

A. "War. I remember I was never a fan of the president at the time but when I heard that we went to war with Vietnam, I thought that was the stupidest thing I have ever heard. We were having so many problems here on our own soil but we just want to go fix someone else soil? Never made sense to me but because I was the right age and I wasn't in college I was drafted into the war. Ever seen the movie Forest Gump? When I got there it was kind of like the scene when Forest first gets to Nam. Beer cans everywhere and people with bug bites all over them, and hot as all hell. Being probably the whitest guy there I got sunburnt every single day but I had to toughen up because my superiors wouldn't take pity on me(George later got skin cancer from all of the sun exposure). One day we went out to patrol the area for Charlie. I swear to God we walked a marathon that day we were so tired. A little before sundown we realized that we were lost so we all stopped and huddled together to find out where we were. But we were so tired that no one cared to be a body guard or set up a perimeter. We were standing there for about ten minutes when I realized I hadn't taken a leak all day so I walked about 15 feet away. But then without hesitation I heard yelling and a heard a huge explosion and I felt an intense heat and the worst pain I have ever in my whole life to date. My body was flung into a nearby river and at that reason I realized that it had been some kind of bomb and I realized I would never see and of my squad members again." He then passed out went down the river and landed on a shore next to a village and a few men found him and luckily the men knew where a nearby US base was so they took him there and from there he was sent back to America where he was put in a hospital in Ohio and was in a coma for years. It turned out that a very large peace of shrapnel had hit his head. But luckily after he came out of the coma he was not permanently damaged in any way other than a massive scar on the back of his bald head. He was in the hospital for about a week when he hears about a school shooting that happened not to far from the hospital that he is in. Hours later a women was rushed into a bed next to him with blood dripping from her side. She was apparently walking away from the protest when she was shot in the side. Little did he know but this women named Linette would eventually become his best friend and the women that he is still married to today".

Violeta and Raul Gonzales immigrated to the United States from Cuba in April 1962, they were in their 30s at this time.

Q. What was your first impression of this country when you arrived? 

A. "When we first arrived we were in awe, we were finally free from the dictatorship.That assassin took my family's possessions all for himself and he robbed us from our freedom. Everything here was so nice and we felt like we actually had an opportunity to get ahead and have a better life. The food was so good, in Cuba, Castro not only robbed us from our money, but also from our food". 

Q. Were you for or against the Vietnam War. Why?
A. "Oh, we were all for for the Vietnam War. Whatever it took to stop communism from spreading. We don't want any more damn communists. I would have enlisted myself in that war if I didn't already have a kid. It is all Johnson's fault we lost the war. He should have just dropped a bomb or something. And then came Nixon who got persuaded by all those hippies and pulled out".
Q. What are your thoughts on the Civil Rights Movement?
A. "No comment".
Q. Why did you dislike hippies so much?
A. "Well. As I said before, those damn hippies persuaded Nixon to pull out of war. Also they were idle and did nothing but infest our streets with their irrelevant opinions in protests. Hippies did nothing good for us; they were  like a virus, once someone got infected a bunch of young people around them got infected too".



Richard Darnold was a teenager during the sixties
Q. What do you remember about the 60s and 70s?
A. I remember that we were in war with Vietnam. One of my friends was drafted. He did not make it back alive but to this day I still remember him as the great guy he was. I also remember we had great music. And the assassination of Robert Kennedy, he was a great guy, he had a lot of potential to be president just like his deceased brother.
Q. Did you ever worry about the draft?
A. No. Fortunately my family had money and I was able to go to college. Some of my friends who did not go to college though were, they were paranoid especially since one of them had already been drafted.
Q. What do you remember about the Civil Rights Movement?
A. "I remember when Martin Luther King Jr. got killed. He was a good person. i am most certain he is in heaven now". 

Political cartoons

Herblock Political Cartoon

                   This political cartoon by Herblock depicts the situation in America during the Vietnam war very well. The United States' administration was focusing too much of their money on Vietnam and not enough at home where it was needed more.  

Vietnam Meat Grinder

                  The above cartoon shows president Nixon (because of his peace and victory signs) getting swallowed up by a meat grinder labeled "Vietnam" and getting tossed into a pile of shreds that represents Lyndon B. Johnson. LBJ's achievements in the U.S. were overshadowed by the mistakes he made in the Vietnam war, and the cartoon is suggesting the same thing is happening to Nixon with the Watergate Scandal.

Pinocchio Nixon

In this political cartoon Nixon is is pictured as Pinocchio to show that he lied. Nixon was involved in the Watergate scandal, he had taped a few conversations in his office and didn't want to turn them and tried to cover it up by deleting some of the tapes. After this scandal Nixon was forced to resign because he lost the trust of the American public.

Poems

Brown vs Board of Education

Brown vs. Board of Education
Was bored of education

With illegal segregation

Which stirred up the nation

And caused a lot of agitation

They all felt domination

But only in their imagination

Was their integration 

But for there to be a transformation

We must forget about our reputations

And take it as our obligation 

To end all of the hating

And put an end to segregation.

Women

Women in the 60's were underestimated

No one thought they could make it

But never question a women's power

They'll leave you crying for hours
The old generation said it all was explicit
And the parents all started to dis it
They tried to stop them but it was all implicit
They all knew the old times they would miss it
Hippies started taking drugs such as LSD
Then they would drive across the whole country
They all left there houses and parents
But for them they could care less.

Dr. King

Dr.Kings plans were clear and plain

He wanted integration but not the fame

But then his life someone claimed

With only James Earl Ray to blame

But before he died he left a legacy

He had a dream about you and me

He had a dream that one day all our children

Could put aside our differences and all be in the same building

Without fighting with each other about what should happen

And we could stop all the killing and the capping

We should find a solution to the problem

Work together and try to help all of the fallen.


Back in Nam 

Vietnam wasn't an easy battle
It wasn't all barbecues and beer
But more suspicion and struggle.
Kinda makes your hope disappear.
But have no fear 
The end is near!
I only wanted to go back to Seattle 
And shake my baby's rattle.
I didn't want a souvenir
I just wanted to get out of there.
I was just being used like cattle
For a war I didn't want to battle. 


Save the Trees!

We need trees for living
so stop polluting!
All these corporations
want to ruin this whole nation. 
With their destructive ways
The world will just decay.
You may call us tree huggers, 
But we know what we're doing.
With all this environmental damaging
We will end up in the gutter.
Save our trees!
Everyone agrees.

Popular Songs in the 60s and 70s

"Paint It Black"The Rolling Stones

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1zBG2TEjn4

I see a red door and I want it painted black
No colors any more, I want them to turn black
I see the girls walk by, dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes

I see a line of cars and they're all painted black
With flowers and my love both never to come back
I see people turn their heads and quickly look away
Like a newborn baby, it just happens every day

I look inside myself and see my heart is black
I see my red door I must have it painted black
Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts
It's not easy facing up when your whole world is black

No more will my green sea gord turn a deeper blue
I could not foresee this thing happening to you
If I look hard enough into the setting sun
My love will laugh with me before the morning comes

I see a red door and I want it painted black
No colors any more, I want them to turn black
I see the girls walk by, dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes

Hmm, hmm, hmm,..

I wanna see it painted, painted black
Black as night, black as coal
I wanna see the sun blotted out from the sky
I wanna see it painted, painted, painted, painted black

Yeah!

Hmm, hmm, hmm...

"Fortunate Son"Creedence Clearwater Revival

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40JmEj0_aVM

Some folks are born made to wave the flag
Ooh, they're red, white and blue
And when the band plays "Hail to the chief"
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no

Yeah!
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand
Lord, don't they help themselves, oh
But when the taxman comes to the door
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son, no
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no

Some folks inherit star spangled eyes
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord
And when you ask them, "How much should we give?"
Ooh, they only answer More! more! more! yoh

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no military son, son
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, one

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, no no no
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate son, no no no

"Stairway To Heaven"Led Zeppelin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcL---4xQYA

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven.

There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.

Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it makes me wonder.

There's a feeling I get when I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who stand looking.

Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.

And it's whispered that soon, if we all call the tune,
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long,
And the forests will echo with laughter.

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now,
It's just a spring clean for the May queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on.
And it makes me wonder.

Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know,
The piper's calling you to join him,
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind?

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll.

And she's buying a stairway to heaven.

"Imagine"John Lennon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRhq-yO1KN8

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

 "Don't Stop Believin'"
Journey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k8craCGpgs

Just a small town girl
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train
Goin' anywhere
Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train
Goin' anywhere

A singer in a smokey room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on

Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching
In the night
Streetlights, people
Livin' just to find emotion
Hidin' somewhere in the night

Workin' hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin' anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
Some will win
Some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on

Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching
In the night
Streetlights, people
Livin' just to find emotion
Hidin' somewhere in the night

[Instrumental interlude]

Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlights, people
Don't stop believin'
Hold on
Streetlights, people
Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlights, people

Diary Entries

Dear Diary,
                  President Johnson is doing wonders with his Great Society. His plan is to end all racial injustices and poverty. He is helping poverty majorly. He is doing really great. He is trying to help all those people who haven't had the luck to make enough money to get by. this would help not only them, but our country in general, if these people get the help that they need with healthcare, education, etc. they will be able to make progress and become better people. If  they make progress we will all make progress as a country. we also won't have wasted talent just because the person can not afford education, what this country needs for advancement is more people who have an education.
Sincerely,
                                                                                       Marianne

Dear Diary,
                    Johnson is doing so much to end racism, but racial injustices are done by the public, and laws that try to overturn practices that have been done for centuries will not be undone so easily. But I hope eventually over time they will change. That the racial injustices will be no more and that we may all live in peace one day. People of African descent have been treated miserably for centuries, it is about time they get the treatment they deserve. Their ancestors were ripped from their homes and forced to labor for free in this country, and how do we repay them? we treat them like animals. No one deserves this kind of treatment, I would not wish anyone this, not even my worst enemy. This country needs someone like him, someone who understands the real issues here.
Sincerely,
                                                                                       Marianne

Dear Diary,
                  This so called Great Society has failed miserably.The war in Vietnam is too much for our country economically and Johnson can no longer support the society. LBJ is spending all the money in that pointless war instead of just ending it. The war in Vietnam is just a waste of money, soldiers, and resources. I no longer believe in Johnson being able to run this country. I thought things would get better, that poverty and racial discrimination would be eradicated. Hopefully Johnson doesn't get reelected. He is not a very good president, good presidents don't throw our much needed money down the drain into a war that is impossible to win. Hopefully the next president uses our money wisely and puts it to work toward our actual needs. One can only hope for a better future.
Sincerely,
                                                                                       Marianne

Who, What, Where, When and Why of the Watergate Scandal

WHAT

The watergate scandal was where several robbers were found inside the Democratic National Committee. At first they thought it was just a normal robbery but it was far from ordinary. They eventually found that these men were linked to Nixon's reelection campaign.

WHO

James McCord, Virgilio Gonzalez, Eugenio Martinez, Frank Sturgis, and Bernard Barker were the five robbers that were a part of Nixon reelection campaign. These men were found trying to wire tap phones and steal illegal documents. No one really knew if Nixon knew about the scandal at this time but later he paid a lot of money to try to stop the FBI from investigating them.

WHEN

The Watergate Scandal was in 1972 during Nixon's reelection campaign. Nixon was elected president in 1969 and ended his presidency in 1974. When he resigned because of this Watergate Scandal Gerald Ford took over the presidency.

WHERE

Scandal happened in Washington D.C. in the Watergate building. The Watergate building was used for a hotel which you can still visit and stay in today. Watergate in the political world is a synonym of corruption and scandal.

                                                                                             WHY

It was questioned then later confirmed that these men were trying to recover secret documents and wiretap phone lines. Also it was confirmed that Nixon had secretly recorded all of the conversations in the white house. He wouldn't give up the tapes until the supreme court finally ordered him to give up the tapes. On the tapes they found Nixon talking about they robbery and the cover up for it. So knowing that he would be impeached he resigned on August 9, 1974.

Lessons Essay

      During the sixties the United States was involved in major conflicts in the world such as the Cold War and the Vietnam War. African American people in the sixties struggled to get equal rights. And People gained a new way of thinking towards the environment. America should learn a lesson from everything that happened during the 1960s; from war, to the Civil Rights Movement, to environmentalism; the sixties was full of very important events that changed the history of the United Sates for good or bad.

      The Vietnam War took a huge toll in the wellbeing of the American people. The country had divided opinions towards it. There was the "Doves", who were against the war, and the "Hawks", who were all for war. The "Doves" strongly believed the Vietnam War was pointless and the United States had no business in participating because it was a civil war. The "Hawks" thought this war was justified because it was America's duty as an international police power to keep communism from spreading. The administration believed that if they let Vietnam fall to communism it would have a domino effect and this form of government would spread to surrounding countries. The Vietnam War was unsuccessful, it is easy to say now that the United States should have never been involved because the outcome is already known, but back then this decision was not so easy.

      Another big issue during the 1960s was that there were no equal rights between white and "colored" people. African Americans had striven for equal rights for a very long time but during this time the Civil Rights Movement came to a peak. Leaders like and organizations such as Martin Luther King Jr. and the NAACP organized events such as boycotts, sit-ins, and marches. One of the most admired marches of this movement was the March on Washington, where MLK gave his famous “I have a dream” speech. Segregationists’ supporting argument was that they were “separate but equal”, which was not true because African American facilities were usually in a negatively different condition. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 made it illegal to discriminate in public and employment places. The Voting Rights Act made it illegal for discrimination to be present in voting. The Civil Rights Movement had a huge impact in eliminating racial discrimination in the United States.

      A big topic during this time was also the environment. After WWII America experienced a boost in the economy, which meant new technology and all this new technology damaged the environment. In 19632 the book Silent Spring was published, this book revealed how the pollution being excreted by all the industries affects people’s health. Americans became more aware of the effects industries have on the environment and the government made more regulations to make sure there was not any big damage being done to the environment. 

      The sixties was all about pushing the limit and standing up for one's beliefs. American leaders should look at the sixties for inspiration because this was a time for reform in areas such as civil rights and environmental issues. they should also look at the era to not repeat past mistakes, such as the Vietnam War. One should always want to strive for to eliminate unfairness.

Works Cited

• ·       ""Fortunate Son" Lyrics." CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL LYRICS. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2014.
• ·       "Imagine Lyrics." N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2014.
• ·       ""Paint It Black" Lyrics." THE ROLLING STONES LYRICS. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2014.
• ·       ""Stairway To Heaven" Lyrics." LED ZEPPELIN LYRICS. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2014.
• ·       ""Don't Stop Believin'" Lyrics." JOURNEY LYRICS. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2014.
• ·       "The Center for the Teaching of American History -- Protesting Vietnam." The Center for the Teaching of American History -- Protesting Vietnam. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2014.
• ·       "Political Cartoons." Weblog post. Cclmhistory. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2014.
• ·       "Vietnam Meat Grinder." Welcome! N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2014.
• ·       "US History Timeline: 1900 - 2000." US History Timeline: 1900 - 2000. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2014.
• ·       Lovelady, Dana M. "Learning to Give, Philanthropy Education Resources That Teach Giving and Civic Engagement." Enviromentalism. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2014.
• ·       Monaco, Lou. "Vietnam - Hawks & Doves." Vietnam - Hawks & Doves. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2014
• "New Enviromentalism." THE “NEW ENVIRONMENTALISM” OF THE 1960S (n.d.): 1-2. University of Wisconsin. Web. 26 May 2014.
• "Voting Rights Act of 1965." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 26 May 2014. Web. 26 May 2014.
• Candaele, Kerry. "The Sixties and Protest Music." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 May 2014.
• "Great Society." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 25 May 2014. Web. 26 May 2014.

"Who Done It"

Marianne Zerquera Ramos

Introduction

Last 2 interviews

Political cartoons

Last 2 poems

Popular songs

3/4 of the diary entries

Essay

Works Cited 

Editing and aesthetics

Sam Cummings

First 3 interviews

First 3 poems

1/4 of the diary entries

Who, What, When, and Where of the Watergate Scandal