Why did the protest movements develop in the 1960s and 1970s?
● Inspiration from the Civil Rights movement
- Inspired other groups facing other forms of prejudice (such as women and
other ethnic groups)
- Young people used their experience to organise more protests
● Lack of change & unfairness of society
- Only white men experienced wealth and power → seen as highly unfair
- Return to pre-war situation
● Kennedy’s death
- He had offered promise of change until his death in November 1963
- Assassinated before he was able to fulfil his policies
● Younger people questioning older generations more
- Due to post WW2 ‘baby boom’, large percentage of young people
- Teens questioned their parents’ belief and values
- Started to form and join protest groups
● Media: Rise in TV viewers
- protest movements gained more publicity and awareness
- exposed US actions (e.g. US atrocities in Vietnam)
→ Growth in opposition to the war, raised awareness of protests
● Musicians and artists
- Encouraged a spirit of rebellion e.g. Bob Dylan.
- Promoted alternative lifestyles which challenged American traditions.
● Expectations of the government to take action to tackle poverty and injustice
- 1930s President Roosevelt’s democratic government
● Protest movements around the world e.g. Paris in 1968
● Women gained more freedom such as the contraceptive pill being invented –
questioned their role in society
Chapter 4.2
Student protests - why?
- Educated students increasingly concerned about the state of society
- Students actively campaigned for Civil Rights, women’s rights, gay rights nuclear
disarmament and the environment
- Joined existing organisations & organisations, e.g. CORE, SNCC
- Rejected the views and ideals of the older generation – they had corrupted society
- Rebel against their parent’s society and beliefs
[ @twilightxcafee notes – Reserved for customers only ]
, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)
- 1960 - First meeting at University of Michigan
- 1962 – Port Huron statement: aim to campaign against ‘racial injustice, war and the
violation of human rights’
- Campaigned for better student rights in universities – rallies and sit ins
- Protested against strict rules
- Grew throughout the 1960s – by 1970, 100,000 members
(membership increased dramatically due to the Vietnam War)
Berkeley Free Speech Movement
- Autumn 1964 – protests against racial discrimination on university campus
- University banned protests on their grounds; students ignored ban
- Some suspended from uni – 400 signed petition and filled hall of admin building
demanding they too be suspended
- One protestor (Jack Weinberg) arrested; police car blocked for 32 hours
- Free Speech Movement created to protest and negotiate until they had the right to
protest freely on university grounds – led by Weinberg and Mario Savio
- Leaflets, rallies, meetings etc – at peak 14,000 supporters
- Dec 1964 - rally and sit-in of admin building in protest to 4 students who had been
suspended for breaking uni rules – 6,000 involved
- Police arrests 750 students (took 12 hours)
- University staff voted in favour for their to be no limits on the protests allowed on the
campus
- However there were rules about where and when protests could occur
- Students who had been arrested were all convicted and fined
Impacts and achievements of the student movement
FSM:
- lost support of many moderate students as it became more confrontational
- Never had much support in the local community and general support in US society
- Labelled ‘Filthy speech movement’ because of swear word used on signs at a rally
- Older people regards the protestors as troublemakers
Berkeley
- Protests achieved some of their aims regarding students’ rights at college
- But few of their other aims were met
- Problem: protesting about huge variety of issues, numerous differing views within the
student movement
- Opposition to the Vietnam war united the student movement
Vietnam War
1950s -US had intervened (by sending money, equipment and advisor) to protect South
Vietnam from communist forces (North Vietnam and the Vietcong)
1959 - Vietnam war began; US support for South Vietnam increased
[ @twilightxcafee notes – Reserved for customers only ]
● Inspiration from the Civil Rights movement
- Inspired other groups facing other forms of prejudice (such as women and
other ethnic groups)
- Young people used their experience to organise more protests
● Lack of change & unfairness of society
- Only white men experienced wealth and power → seen as highly unfair
- Return to pre-war situation
● Kennedy’s death
- He had offered promise of change until his death in November 1963
- Assassinated before he was able to fulfil his policies
● Younger people questioning older generations more
- Due to post WW2 ‘baby boom’, large percentage of young people
- Teens questioned their parents’ belief and values
- Started to form and join protest groups
● Media: Rise in TV viewers
- protest movements gained more publicity and awareness
- exposed US actions (e.g. US atrocities in Vietnam)
→ Growth in opposition to the war, raised awareness of protests
● Musicians and artists
- Encouraged a spirit of rebellion e.g. Bob Dylan.
- Promoted alternative lifestyles which challenged American traditions.
● Expectations of the government to take action to tackle poverty and injustice
- 1930s President Roosevelt’s democratic government
● Protest movements around the world e.g. Paris in 1968
● Women gained more freedom such as the contraceptive pill being invented –
questioned their role in society
Chapter 4.2
Student protests - why?
- Educated students increasingly concerned about the state of society
- Students actively campaigned for Civil Rights, women’s rights, gay rights nuclear
disarmament and the environment
- Joined existing organisations & organisations, e.g. CORE, SNCC
- Rejected the views and ideals of the older generation – they had corrupted society
- Rebel against their parent’s society and beliefs
[ @twilightxcafee notes – Reserved for customers only ]
, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)
- 1960 - First meeting at University of Michigan
- 1962 – Port Huron statement: aim to campaign against ‘racial injustice, war and the
violation of human rights’
- Campaigned for better student rights in universities – rallies and sit ins
- Protested against strict rules
- Grew throughout the 1960s – by 1970, 100,000 members
(membership increased dramatically due to the Vietnam War)
Berkeley Free Speech Movement
- Autumn 1964 – protests against racial discrimination on university campus
- University banned protests on their grounds; students ignored ban
- Some suspended from uni – 400 signed petition and filled hall of admin building
demanding they too be suspended
- One protestor (Jack Weinberg) arrested; police car blocked for 32 hours
- Free Speech Movement created to protest and negotiate until they had the right to
protest freely on university grounds – led by Weinberg and Mario Savio
- Leaflets, rallies, meetings etc – at peak 14,000 supporters
- Dec 1964 - rally and sit-in of admin building in protest to 4 students who had been
suspended for breaking uni rules – 6,000 involved
- Police arrests 750 students (took 12 hours)
- University staff voted in favour for their to be no limits on the protests allowed on the
campus
- However there were rules about where and when protests could occur
- Students who had been arrested were all convicted and fined
Impacts and achievements of the student movement
FSM:
- lost support of many moderate students as it became more confrontational
- Never had much support in the local community and general support in US society
- Labelled ‘Filthy speech movement’ because of swear word used on signs at a rally
- Older people regards the protestors as troublemakers
Berkeley
- Protests achieved some of their aims regarding students’ rights at college
- But few of their other aims were met
- Problem: protesting about huge variety of issues, numerous differing views within the
student movement
- Opposition to the Vietnam war united the student movement
Vietnam War
1950s -US had intervened (by sending money, equipment and advisor) to protect South
Vietnam from communist forces (North Vietnam and the Vietcong)
1959 - Vietnam war began; US support for South Vietnam increased
[ @twilightxcafee notes – Reserved for customers only ]
