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The era of the baby boomers is defined as Americans born during the post-WW II period between 1946 and 1964. The high birth rate of over 76 million is credited to the post war economic boom that introduced the middle class to the U.S. Due to the large volume of GI’s returning home, Congress passed the GI Bill of Rights in 1944, launching benefits for our soldiers that included VA low interest or low/no down payment loans for homes and farms and low interest higher education opportunities. The children that were born to this more affluent middle class became known as the “baby boomers,” and they shared in the wide spread benefits of a country experiencing growth.
There was a lot going on between the 50s and 60s including sprawling suburbs and strip malls to new schools and infrastructure to accommodate the families. Boomers became the first generation to be raised watching television, going to the drive-in theater, and having access to cars.
But grumbling in the background of all of this success was a mounting Cold War, the over pollution of the planet, and then the Vietnam War. We saw the rise of the Civil Rights Movement, the Women’s Movement, and the First Earth Day; and the boomers stood up, protested, and demanded that these issues be viewed. The 60s also brought about an entirely new ideology for the young people, including peace…
