About This Lesson
The “teenager” was a concept that changed the character of American life in the years following WW II. Where earlier many young people had gone into the workforce at an early age, now a post-war prosperity increased teenage leisure time and spending. The teenagers of the 1950s and 1960s experienced a new independence. When The Beatles “arrived” in America, particularly through their launch on The Ed Sullivan Show, young people saw something new: a pop act that seemed not like some distant, almost unreal entity, as Elvis Presley had, but a group, a gang, that seemed close, like peers. Theirs was an image that allowed the band member’s distinct personalities to emerge as much as it created a sense of the group as one. It appealed to young people, many of whom wanted to form their own such gangs. It was a moment of empowerment for teenagers. The Beatles were funny, smart, approachable, and capable of doing great things, particularly as a group. The day after the Ed Sullivan performance, rock bands popped up everywhere across the country.
