America and the Decline of Hitchhiking. Thesis, Wesleyan University, 2015.

This source investigates the decline of hitchhiking to the point of obscurity in American society. The author examines the subtleties of “why” throughout the book rather than concentrating on the history of hitchhiking. The following are some significant queries made and investigated: “Why did hitchhiking lose its appeal? Why has its reputation been damaged? Why did it perish? (Compagni 8). The source examines historical occurrences that had an impact on hitchhiking, including various cultural periods. The impact of factors such as a culture of fear, changing mobilities and demographics of the American society, and the coming apart of the nation is analyzed in the context of the demise of the hitchhiking culture in the United States. Finally, the author breaks down the effect of the disappearance of hitchhiking on the United States in the context of larger American trends during the period. This source provides a detailed insight into the fate of hitchhiking thus helps understand the topic in relation to changing attitudes among Americans.

The period between 1930 and 1950 described as the era of the dutiful hitchhiker. Early on in this period, hitchhikers were seeking some form of transportation as the country struggled with the effects of the Great Depression which had created 12 million newly unemployed individuals. Just before the Second World War, hitchhiking was dominated by virtuous individuals who were shipping out to fight in the war. Towards the end of the dutiful period, ”hitchhikers were predominantly college freshmen stereotypically draped in a university scarf and a trunk” (Compagni 48). The period between 1951 and 1964 marked the start of the gradual decline of hitchhiking in the country. This period saw the production and release of many films and publishing of many articles that highlighted the danger associated with hitchhiking thus breeding a culture of fear. The image of the hitchhiker among the American public was, therefore, transformed from that of a trustworthy and deserving individual to that of potential criminal (Compagni 58).

Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wild. Anchor Books, 1997.

The book provides a non-fiction account of hitchhiking by Christopher McCandless. His journey is the premise of the book with its conclusion being marked by the demise of McCandless. The source provides an insight into hitchhiking including its functioning and the dangers involved. Besides exploring the hitchhiking experience between South Dakota and Alaska, the author also explores related stories about other individuals who vanished including a case from 1934. This source provides an important insight into what hitchhiking was and how people went about it in addition to exploring the dangers faced by hitchhikers. It, therefore, provides a unique perspective on the topic since most sources evaluate the dangers that hitchhikers posed to car owners. Additionally, the events recounted in this source took place in 1992 which is way past the presumed death of hitchhiking thus providing a unique perspective on the topic.

The beginnings of hitchhiking as we know it are traced back to the 1920s when automobiles were increasingly popular on American roads. Drivers were obliged to pick up individuals especially since most hitchhikers in the formative years were individuals escaping from inhumane working conditions (Krakauer 44). Another group of individuals that dominated hitchhiking then was people estranged from their families. Early hitchhiking was characterized by short distances in the countryside. This historical insight into hitchhiking provides the foundation for analyzing Christopher McCandless’ reasons for hitchhiking which is indicated as a search for adventure in the wild. At the time of the book’s publication, the reputation of hitchhiking had dwindled drastically with being a rare sight on American roads due to its association with all forms of criminals (Krakauer 53). This state, therefore, meant that it was very difficult for a driver to give a ride to a random stranger especially given the remoteness of the location.

Mahood, Linda. ”Thumb Wars: Hitchhiking, Canadian Youth Rituals and Risk in the Twentieth Century.” Journal of Social History, vol. 49, no. 3, 2015, pp.647-664.

This source examines the culture of hitchhiking throughout the Twentieth Century. The main focus is on hitchhiking as a social phenomenon and how it was affected by changing perceptions throughout the period in question. The source especially explores the last successful period of the hitchhiking culture in the late-1960s and throughout the 1970s when it was very popular among the youth whose perception was that hitchhiking was a cool thing. In contrast, it also examines the increasingly negative perception of hitchhiking among adults who put into consideration the dangers associated with hitchhiking. This paper provides useful information on the last popular wave of hitchhiking in addition to examining the factors that dealt the final blow to a culture that once characterized Americans.

The formative period of hitchhiking was characterized by a feeling of obligation by drivers to help out a large number of individuals seeking employment across the country and later on to giving rides to soldiers who were involved in the Second World War (Mahood 653). The popularity of hitchhiking in the 1930s cut across all age groups from young boys to entire families seeking to relocate during the Great Depression. The hitchhiking wave in the 1970s was markedly different since it was dominated by the youth who were thrilled by the thrill and adventure of soliciting rides from absolute strangers. It was common to meet groups of people standing by the roadside waving their fingers to secure rides from drivers. Besides narratives of exciting road stories by hitchhikers, there was a growing counter-narrative in the press that highlighted the dangers of hitchhiking and challenged the assumption by the general public that the hitchhiking created social cohesion (Mahood 661).

Misiroglu, Gina. American Countercultures: An Encyclopedia of Nonconformists, Alternative Lifestyles, and Radical Ideas in US History. Routledge, 2015.

The book explores movements in the history of the United States that attempted to change conventional practices and lifestyles of the time. The source, therefore, goes through a variety of countercultures with hitchhiking being reviewed in a section of the book. The essence of the book is to examine the impact of the various movements on the social history of the United States. This source provides a detailed look of American social history and effectively provides an opportunity to analyze hitchhiking in the context of major social movements and determine how the latter could have delivered the final blow to the hitchhiking culture.

The death of hitchhiking can be attributed to the negative perception of the culture and fear instilled in Americans by stories of gruesome experiences by hitchhikers that dominated mass media in the 1970s. The narrative by the media that hitchhiking was posed a great danger to drivers caught the attention of the FBI which began investigating thus starting the slow demise of the culture. This negative publicity resulted in 23 states formulating and enacting legislation that discouraged hitchhiking in their specific jurisdictions (Misiroglu 41). The association of hitchhiking with social deviance essentially turned the American society against the practice. Despite its promising start in the 1970s when it was very popular among the youth, it was destined to die once policymakers entered the equation. Other social movements worsened the situation during the period such as the hippie movement which caused anxiety about the safety of young people who got rides from strangers. This in addition to increasing levels of unrest among the youth and increasing crime rates marked the end of an era for hitchhiking culture in the country (Misiroglu 43).

Morton, Katherine. ”Hitchhiking and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Billboard on the Highway of Tears.” Canadian Journal of Sociology, vol. 41, no. 3, 2016, pp. 299-313.

The paper reviews hitchhiking as a form of mobility with a specific bias towards the gender and racial implications of hitchhiking. The author begins by providing a detailed overview of the history of hitchhiking including challenges the culture encountered throughout history. The author explores the stigma associated hitchhiking in the modern world where many view it as not only dangerous but also a socially unacceptable form of mobility. The author attributes this to negative stereotyping over the years. The source goes on to delve into a specific aspect of hitchhiking by exploring the intersection between the dominance of automobility and the race/ gender constructs of hitchhikers. This paper will act as an important source of information about the history of hitchhiking in addition to providing a unique perspective about the social perceptions of the topic in the modern world.

The popularity of hitchhiking in the formative years is highlighted by recognition of J.K. Christianson by the New York Times after accumulating over 3,000 hitchhikes within a 27-day period. Hitchhiking was then seen as fun and adventurous since it involved interaction between strangers (Morton 306). The changing social and economic situations in the country invariably changed the identity of the hitchhiker throughout the Twentieth Century. The fact that more Americans began to buy cars changed the dynamics of the hitchhiking culture too. The 1970s peak is, however, different from other eras of culture since it was driven by a rebellion of the youth against the prevailing fear of hitchhiking which was influenced by mainstream media (Morton 312). The adversity was too strong though, and it led to the eventual demise of the hitchhiking culture.

Works Cited

Compagni, Julian Anthony. Thumbs Down: America and the Decline of Hitchhiking. Thesis, Wesleyan University, 2015.

Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wild. Anchor Books, 1997.

Mahood, Linda. ”Thumb Wars: Hitchhiking, Canadian Youth Rituals and Risk in the Twentieth Century.” Journal of Social History, vol. 49, no. 3, 2015, pp.647-664.

Misiroglu, Gina. American Countercultures: An Encyclopedia of Nonconformists, Alternative Lifestyles, and Radical Ideas in US History. Routledge, 2015.

Morton, Katherine. ”Hitchhiking and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Billboard on the Highway of Tears.” Canadian Journal of Sociology, vol. 41, no. 3, 2016, pp. 299-313.