For better or worse, the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club has been an integral part of the American
cultural phenomenon. The club has been an inspiration to a whole generation of biker movies
like Hells Angels on Wheels and Easy Riders. Even in modern times, the crime show Sons of Anarchy
was mostly based on the history of the club. And as the show depicts, the club is indeed infamous
today as an outlaw organization for various reasons. But that wasn’t always the case. In
today’s video, Nutty History brings you the story of the world’s most infamous motorcycle club,
how it started as a group of war veterans trying to find a peaceful hobby. And then
how it became a crime syndicate in the eyes of the US Justice Department. But before we
ride off into the sunset, hit that subscribe button for more crazy stories from history.
The Hells Angels’ name actually originated from the pop culture mecca of Hollywood.
Eccentric filmmaker Howard Hughes produced and directed Hell’s Angels in 1930, a movie
about First World War aviators. The movie was a phenomenal success and the name caught on to later
became a nickname for Bomber Crews in the second world war. A number of motorcycle clubs cropped up
almost everywhere in the United States after the war ended. Most of them had colorful names like
The Boozefighters, the Market Street Commandos, and the Pissed Off Bastards of Bloomington. But
after the Hollister riot of 1947, these clubs assembled in Fontana, California to merge. There,
a veteran who served in China with the Flying Tigers’ Hells Angels Squadron, suggested the
very name for the newly formed umbrella club. When questioned about the missing apostrophe,
Hells Angels often say “it’s you missing. We don’t”. Harley Davidson was contracted in 1940
to produce a limited number of motorcycles for the US Army. But then pearl harbor was attacked
and suddenly the demand for military motorbikes skyrocketed as the USA joined the war. The model
in demand was a Harley Davidson WLA Liberators. With 739 cc displacement, 3-speed transmissions,
and 23 and a half horsepower, these beasts were designed to go 65 miles per hour. Harley-Davidson
supplied over 90 thousand of these bad boys to the army during the war. However, after the fall
of Berlin and the end of the war, the US Army had no clue what to do with these bikes anymore. So,
they started selling these fine Harley-Davidsons dirt cheap. Of course, the veterans were the
first in the queue to snap them up. And when these veterans returned home with motorcycles,
they either joined or formed a motorcycle club. These groups were about comradery and escaping
PTSD. An escape from the troubles of readjusting in civilian life. Some were just plain bored and
some just wanted to recapture the war’s adventure and adrenaline rush. Before the Second World War,
the motorcyclists used to wear shawl collar vests, bow ties, and khaki riding pants. War veterans
introduced the rebel look that we now associate with these groups. Leather vests, bandanas,
armbands, and sunglasses became the new fashion among bikers. And oh, don’t forget the grease! In
1957, Sonny Barger became president of the Oakland Chapter as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club grew
both in states and internationally. During this period thanks to movies like A Wild One and Rebel
Without a Cause, the bikers were the epitome of the cool rebellions and overall being Punk long
before it was trendy. But Sonny’s influence began to change the biker community and they acquired
the image of barroom brawlers and general thugs. However, it didn’t catch the public eye until
Hunter S. Thompson dropped his first book: “Hell’s Angels, a strange and terrible saga”. Thompson’s
book along with a report on hoodlum activities of Hells Angels by the attorney general of California
put the limelight right at the face of the club. It shot the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club to fame
and notoriety. Sonny Barger benefited most from it as he became the club’s public face and national
spokesperson. While the late 60s and early 70s saw a surge of a lot of low-budget and independent
biker movies glorifying the club. There were also documentaries showing the uglier sides of Hells
Angels and other biker gangs. Over the years, a lot of members have been indicted and even
convicted for serious crimes like murder, assault, and methamphetamine production and distribution.
Still, most bikers of the club today claim to have a law-abiding life and use the club as a platform
to help charities for children and veterans and to spread awareness. But it is also a fact that Sonny
Barger himself was found guilty of conspiracy to blow up a rival clubhouse in 1988. A complicated
history with an indelible mark on American society. Tell us in the comments what experience
you have with the controversial biker club. Do you know anybody who used to be in the Hells Angels?
Have you seen movies about the Hells Angels? Let us know and thanks for watching Nutty History.