tion began to show what was wrong with this prosperous society. The reaction to these aspects of American life centered around teenagers and young adults.
Because of the rise in the birth rate following World War II, a huge new Baby Boom generation existed. Between the years 1964 and 1970, more than 20 million young Americans joined the 18-24 age group. This resulted in a rapid expansion of college enrollments, as prosperous middle-class parents saw education as the means for their children to get ahead in society. Between 1963 and 1973 the number of college students doubled. There were 5 times as many students in college as there were in 1940, before the war (Curtis 173).
When this generation reacted against the problems of the society, the number of teenagers, and the amount of money and education they possessed, combined to create a powerful new kind of youth culture. At first, folk musicians and their fans protested the evils of racial discrimination and the war in Vietnam (Szatmary 118). But, gradually, protest was expanded to include
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