The 1960s were years of protest and reform. Young Americans demonstrated against the Vietnam War. African Americans demonstrated for civil rights. Women demonstrated for equal treatment. For many, society's hero was the person who helped others.
For many in the 1980s, society's hero was the person who helped himself. Success seemed to be measured only by how much money a person made.
The period of change came during the 1970s. For a while, these years remained tied to the social experiments and struggles of the 1960s. Then they showed signs of what American would be like in the 1980s. There were a number of reasons for the change.
One reason was that the United States ended its military involvement in Vietnam. Another was that the civil rights movement and women's movements reached many of their goals. A third reason was the economy. During the 1970s, the United States suffered an economic recession. Interest rates and inflation were high. There was a shortage of imported oil.
These wonderful color photographs of the U.S were taken by Danny Lyon during the 1970s.
