“Make love, not war,” a popular anti-war slogan that emerged in the 1960s, represented a core belief that ultimately created the counterculture and explained the simplicity of the ideals that the counterculture era encompassed. The counterculture was made up of many parts of society, which encouraged the transformation of attitudes toward society among young, mostly white, middle-class Americans. Characteristics that supported the countercultural movement included hippies, drug culture, the sexual revolution, music, and literature. When combined, these creative aspects formed the counterculture and caused people to think and act differently than before. People of this period lived by a similar ethic and expressed it in various ways, changing their appearance and general daily lives as the war progressed and gaining a different perspective on the violence. During the 1960s, Americans began to realize the unjust horrors of war, developing a sense of disquiet toward the government. The Vietnam War (1959-1975) was a major contributor to the counterculture. Initially, many thought the war and intervention in Vietnam was necessary, but as things progressed, people began to see the inequitable destruction. Due to their changing attitudes towards war and violence in general, people organized protests and other anti-war movements and used these events to further promote peace and love, which led to other counterculture ideas. This movement greatly influenced America because the transformation of beliefs regarding war and violence had caused great social unrest and impacted every other aspect of people's lives. The birth of counterculture essentially gave rise to different ideologies that emphasize... middle of paper ...... Throughout the 1960s, the counterculture era emerged from American society. Drug culture, hippies, the sexual revolution, literature and music all played a major role in influencing attitudes and ideals of the late 20th century. Every aspect of the counterculture has influenced people's ideologies and lifestyles. They developed a new sense of creativity that had never been found in the United States in previous years. People experimented beyond their comfort level and developed ideals that contradicted those that were restrictive before the movement. The counterculture has left an everlasting impact. The emphasis on hippies, drugs and other aspects of society during the 1960s waned, but towards the end of that century, long hair and colorful clothing became a trend, and overuse of drugs has led to overdoses and addictions, particularly in Vietnam. Veterans.