The Countercultures Once Pooh-poohed, Now Revered

Throughout American history, the countercultures have greatly influenced the societies of their respective eras. The Quakers, the Harlem Renaissance participants, and the Hippies have had an immense impact on American culture. This impact is especially apparent in the political actions and artä ¸â‚¬audio and visualä ¸â‚¬of the countercultures’ respective times. The Quakers first arrived in North America after facing constant persecution under England’s monarchical government. Led by William Penn, Jr., the Quakers landed in the not-yet-founded colony of Pennsylvania. During the early stages of their settlement, the Quakers and Native Americans had a mutual relationship; thisä ¸â‚¬at the timeä ¸â‚¬was unheard of between European settlers and Native Americans.†¦show more content†¦This is pronounced by one of the strongest products of the Harlem Renaissance, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; this organization has taken a leading r ole in pushing for legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968. It has also, since its founding, been an organization to be depended on for legal counsel in cases concerning civil rights. The artists of the Harlem Renaissance too pushed for governmental reform in their own rite. Harlem Renaissance poets like Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Zora Neale Hurston, and Harlem Renaissance artists like Aaron Douglas and Archibald Motley helped by using their art to change public opinion; instead of lobbying, they changed the views of the lobbyists. Both types of Harlem Renaissance participants though, en masse, helped to remold American culture into its contemporary form. The Hippies of the 1960s are one of the most recognized countercultures in United States history. Its members included many of the most easily identified celebrities of the time, including Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and Janis Joplin. The Hippie movement greatly influenced music to this day and American culture as a whole. Due majoritarily to the Hippie movement, the Rock music genre saw a sharp increase in popularity in the 1960s. In the years of and following the Hippie movement, American ethical values also changed as they had become more liberal; images that