The Beat Generation, emerging in the 1950s in the United States, significantly impacted culture and society, challenging conventional norms. Writers like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg explored themes of spirituality, sexuality, and a disdain for materialism, inspiring a countercultural movement. Their works encouraged literary experimentation and laid the groundwork for later movements, such as the hippie movement. The Beats also fostered a sense of artistic freedom, promoting jazz music and expressing anti-establishment sentiments, influencing subsequent generations and shaping modern American literature and art.