1960s counterculture

The 1960s counterculture was a social movement rejecting mainstream American values—materialism, conformity, the nuclear family, and Cold War politics.

Centered among young people, it embraced psychedelic drugs, sexual liberation, Eastern spirituality, communal living, and opposition to the Vietnam War.

The movement produced lasting changes in attitudes toward authority, personal expression, and civil rights, while generating backlash that shaped conservative politics for decades.

The Summer of Love was the high-water mark of 1960s counterculture.