John Lennon of the famous rock group, The Beatles, once said, "If everyone asked for peace instead of another television, then there would be peace." This quote essentially defines the 1960s and the counterculture movement in America. After World War II people had much more free time than during the war and many people decided they wanted to settle down and start a family. This caused a big boom in baby births. Children born during this boom are known as “baby-boomers.” “Due to the baby boom between 1945 and 1955, over half the population was under the age of 30” (The American Experience 1). During this period in American history, the children of the “baby boom” generation began to rebel against the war in Vietnam and the traditional, conservative beliefs held by older generations. Baby boomers wanted change. The counterculture movement primarily focused on sexual freedom, drug use, and the idea of ​​nonconformity. After watching their country slowly fall apart due to the Vietnam War and seeing family and friends being drafted to fight in the war, the young people decided to create another culture that revolved around peace, love and to freedom. Events such as the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal were the catalysts that led to the beginning of the counterculture movement. Those who were dissatisfied with what was happening took part in this social phenomenon and tried to demonstrate their ideals in many ways to make America understand their point of view. Protests for peace and freedom began to break out on college campuses, the popularity of rock music skyrocketed, and different forms of religion and meditation began to form. The 1960s were a very turbulent time in history where the "baby boomer" generation decided that we... middle of paper... the way the country was being run and decided to create a change. They achieved just that in many different ways, mostly through starting the Gay Rights Movement and inspiring an entire generation of people to speak their minds and make sure the country didn't spiral out of control. Cited http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/pill/timeline/index.html Carter, David. Stonewall: the riots that sparked the gay revolution. New York: St. Martin's, 2004. Print.http://www.cedarville.edu/resource/education/schools/chca/othergrades/sixties/culture.htmDolgin, Gail, and Vicente Franco. American Experience: The Summer of Love. PBS, 2007. Print.Gitlin, T. The Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution. I have ed. St. Martin's, 2004. Print.Leary, Timothy. Turn on, tune in, drop out. Berkeley, California: Ronin, 2001. Print.