What were the historical conditions of the Cold War during the sixties for the American people?

This is a very difficult question to answer because it is
so vague.  There are many ways that the question could be
answered.

One way to look at this is to say that the
conditions were frightening.  The 1960s were a decade in which the Cold War was
relatively "hot."  The Cuban Missile Crisis, in particular, made this a time when people
were very afraid of the possibilty of an actual nuclear war.  In addition, it was during
this time that communism seemed to be advancing.  The communists had taken Cuba at the
end of the 1950s and were fighting against the US and its allies in Vietnam.  This would
have helped cause an atmosphere of fear in the US.

So, one
way to describe the historical conditions at this time is to say that it was a time of
great anxiety for the American people.