American Exceptionalism was coined by Alexis de Tocqueville in his book Democracy in America. To illustrate how the American way of thought is superior to the other ways of the world, Tocqueville expresses that the American way of thought is distinctively unique and special. This distinction is exemplified through liberty, egalitarianism, individualism, populism, and Laissez-Faire Economics. These qualities prove America’s exceptionality and difference from other countries. Although American Exceptionalism originated in the early 1800s, the idyllic values Tocqueville paints in his book can be seen throughout American history. These values were exemplified in the 1960s, a decade where de Tocqueville’s defining characteristics of American Exceptionalism…show more content… The Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Equal Pay Act of 1963 deliver the same rights and opportunities to all people. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, this Commission’s job is to enforce the prohibition of discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age in any employment process, including hiring, promoting, firing, and setting conditions and wages. This is an example of the U.S. government protecting the egalitarianism of its society by ensuring that all people have the same chance at obtaining a job and achieving success. Another piece of legislation that helped to provide equality amongst all citizens was the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This act prohibited racial discrimination in voting, it outlawed literacy tests and other methods of discrimination used at voting stations. Voting is perhaps the most important responsibility a citizen has, voting gives each and every citizen an equal say in their government. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was the result of a second Feminist Movement. This act gave women an opportunity for equal pay, abolishing wage…show more content… The youth became the most outspoken demographic of the decade, this is apparent in the 1960s counterculture and antiwar movements. Hippies became popular amongst the American youth. Hippies displayed “frank new attitudes about drugs and sex, communal lifestyles, and innovations in food, fashion, and music”, they valued differences and individuality more than the traditional values set by the generations before them. The American you broke the culture set by their parents, sex becoming a huge topic with the “sexual revolution was in full swing on American college campuses.” (Flower Power) Traditional views of sexuality were rejected and a more casual attitude toward became the norm. Experimentation with drugs, especially marijuana, LSD, and mushrooms, became common with the youth. The foods of the 1960s were also a break from the norm that had been set by their parent’s generation; yogurt, granola, and vegetarianism became popular amongst hippies. Fashion took a more casual approach with men sporting longer hair, and beads, bellbottom jeans, and tie dyed shirts became popular. Experimentation was a method for the youth to discover their identity and become their own individual. Antiwar sentiments were also popular amongst American youth. The movement against the Vietnam War “began mostly on college campuses” due to members of the Students for a Democratic
