Beatnik Who and What Were They

The term Beat Generation came up in 1948 by Jack Kerouac in order to generalize the underground anti-conformist movement that was prevalent in New York City at the time. The term Beat was introduced by Herbet Huncke who's explanation was the term was used as underworld slang used by the hustlers, drug addicts, and petty thieves, from whom Alan Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac received their inspiration from. Beat was slang for beaten down but Ginsberg and Kerouac it has a spiritual connotation to it