The U.S.A in 1969-70 Through Wonderful Color Photos

Although best associated with its counter-culture (flower-power) and music, the 1960s was a tumultuous period in American history.

The pressures of Civil Rights and racial equality, combined with increasingly violent political radicalism, stretched the fabric of American society. Overseas, the Cold War and the struggle to contain the further spread of Communism dominated national policy.

While America was becoming polarized at home, it had to present a strong front internationally. It was vitally important for the U.S. to become a bulwark against the spread of Communist-inspired insurgencies in Latin America. They were simply “too close to home” and posed a threat to a fragile and divided America.

These wonderful photos from Past of a Stranger that show what life looked like in the U.S in 1969 and 1970.