The Baby Boomers; Who Were They?
Today’s topic of the Baby Boomers was recommended by another “Prose.” user. To understand the baby boomers, we must first place this generation into context. I will write this almost exclusively in the context of the 1960s. America has never failed to show us that it is a very wacky country in many things, so naturally, the way that generations are distinguished in the United States differs from other nations. For example, most nations do not even keep track of generations, and those that do are usually on a different pattern than the United States. As such, because I am writing about the Baby Boomers, I will keep this strictly focused on the generation in the United States (sorry for those of you who were hoping to read about the French Revolution of 1968).
The Baby Boomers - preceded by the Silent Generation, who were preceded by the Greatest Generation - is the generation title given to those born in the United States between 1946 and 1964. The Baby Boomers are generally viewed by historians as probably the "most fortunate of any generation" so far, as they inherited a booming economy and a world of swiftly-advancing technology.
Now, as a disclaimer, it is impossible to summarize an entire generation, let alone doing so in one simple post. This is because there were approximately seventy six million Baby Boomers, and every single one of them had a different personality and character. As such, in an effort to keep this history post from running on too long, I will more or less focus on what the Baby Boomer’s are most known for.
The Baby Boom occurred just after one of the most deadly events in history, the Second World War. Essentially, during the very brief post-war era, society had turned away from the social norms of the 1920s and 1930s, and there was a new focus on the nuclear family. The Levittown (suburb) was invented, the interstate and roadway systems were paved, and even the popular music of the day took on a family-oriented theme.
The post-war era would quickly dissipate, however, with the event of the Korean War (1950-1953). Though none of the Baby Boomers would have actually been old enough to fight in this conflict, it still would have displayed the harsh reality of the ongoing Cold War between the United States and the United Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR).
Personally, I have always felt bad for the Baby Boomers in the sense that they had to live day after day with the threat of nuclear warfare looming over their heads. The 1950s and 1960s, in particular, were a time when tensions between the two superpowers were quite high. The Baby Boomers were often subject to videos in school about what to do in the event of a nuclear holocaust (sort of like how students in the education system today are told what to do in the event of a shooting).
However, it is almost comical how cheery the characters in these nuclear war preparation videos seem to be. Feel free to go online and watch some of them, as they are quite interesting. However, my point is, that the Baby Boomers more or less grew up in a world of fear. There was always the threat of the Soviets or the Americans starting a nuclear war.
But the war that would end up claiming many of the Baby Boomers proved to be the Vietnam War (1955-1975). This war, initially started by the french in “Indochina,” soon saw very involved U.S. participation in the nation of Vietnam. Though the war was largely unnecessary and saw the opposing sides being backed by either the USSR or the U.S. as more or less of a war of ideologies, I will not get into that conflict in this post, as that is not the lesson I am trying to tell.
The point is that the Baby Boomers were subject to this horrible war, with an estimated two million of them being drafted into the great conflict. Because the U.S. did not formally declare war in Vietnam, there are no official casualty numbers, but estimates indicate that around fifty eight thousand American soldiers met their demise during the Vietnam war, most of them Baby Boomers. This generation largely did not approve of being drafted into the military and being sent to a foreign nation to fight a war that they did not want to fight, which makes sense.
In response, the “youth movement” took hold. Though this movement was enacted for many reasons and could be seen across the globe, it was most prominent in the United States. Large protests and rallies saw turnouts of thousands of Baby Boomers protesting the war, mostly, but also more regular things, such as high dorm prices and, occasionally, excessive taxation.
The most well-known protest was really not a protest, but a concert. “Woodstock” (1969) saw an estimated turnout of four hundred thousand individuals. The concert was held in Bethel, New York, and boasted thirty two bands. Over several days, the concert ran out of food for the participants, and the nearby local provinces donated large amounts of food in response. There are even rumors of one fatality, and of several babies being born in the event, however, I cannot confirm this.
This brings us into our next topic: music. By the late 1950s, the family-oriented songs such as “Zippy-de-do-da” and “Buttons and Bows” had yielded to early rock. Baby Boomers as a society largely began to favor the music of Elvis Priestly, the Beach Boys, and, most prominently, The Beatles. (But, really, how could you not like the Beatles’ music?). The “British Invasion” characterized much of the music style of the middle and late 1960s in the United States.
Automotive fervor also took hold at this time. With the passing of the last original automobile manufacturer, Alfred Solan, of “General Motors,” in 1966 (born 1875), many automobile companies had already shifted to more…Exciting car designs. In the past, the automobile was desirable because it simply did its job: it transported people and/or goods easily over large or short distances of ground. However, the automobile had been around for many decades, now, and by the 1950s, people desired certain models not solely for their performance, but for their looks and style as well.
From the “Galaxie” to the “G.T.O.,” to the “Mustang,” these automobiles would quickly go in and out of fashion. (Although, today, any one of these automobiles are desirable. Though the “Edsel” was largely hated in its time, I actually think it was one of the better classic cars).
In conclusion, the Baby Boomers were a very complicated generation. They inherited an excellent economy and lived in an era of nice automobiles and favorable music, but they also had to live in the most intense years of the Cold War and suffer through that of Vietnam. That noted, this generation, one of the largest in American history, had a tremendous impact on that history. Much political, cultural, and social changes occurred due to the presence of this generation.
Now, you could read my simple and swift look at history, or you could get more information on your own. Unlike all of my other history posts, the people mentioned in this one are largely still alive. If you have not already, I would suggest asking your parents or grandparents (depending on your age, of course) what it was like to be part of such an influential generation.
But no matter what generation you’re in, I hope you enjoyed this post. If you are a Baby Boomer, feel free to share what it was like growing up during your time in the comments. Also, if anyone has any recommendations for future topics for me to write about, feel free to put those in the comments as well.