1960s-1970s Anti-war movement to the “Me Decade.”

The My Lai Massacre - Vietnam innocent civilians were killed in the massacre. Journalists documented the event. People at home in the US saw this and believed war was terribly wrong, and something needed to be done!

Student Protest Students in the 1960s demonstrated in support of free speech and other issues and protested against the Vietnam War.

Pentagon Papers The Pentagon Papers was a study conducted by the New York Times that revealed that the government had lied to congress and the American people about the war. This shocked the public.

Student Activism College students were at the forefront of the antiwar movement. During the early 1960s many more students started going to college after graduating high school.

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) Civil rights activists help organize Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) in This group started small, but grew they became a huge influence in the anti-war movement.

The NEW LEFT The SDS a major influence on a group called the New Left. Members of the New Left called for radical changes in government, and wanted to end discrimination, racism, sexism and poverty.

Free Speech Movement Students at UC Berkeley became angry when they were denied the right to distribute leaflets outside of the campus gates. Students argued that their right to free speech was being denied.

On December 2, 1964, thousands of students took over Sproul Hall and shut down the university administration. Police moved in and arrested more than 700 people. Students then stopped going to class to protest the administration’s decision.

Teach-in Movement Teach-in-First took place at the University of Michigan in Professors taught a special night class in which issues about the war could be aired. Thousands of people showed up and similar teach-ins started occurring around the country.

Resistance to War There was a draft, or required military service. People started refusing to go into the military/war. Conscientious Objectors-People opposed fighting in the war on moral or religious reasons. Deferment-college students could go to college and postpone their call to serve.

Columbia University 1968 Students linked the issues of civil rights to the war. Students took over the president’s office. They were arrested for their actions. Many radical protests grew violent as the 60s moved on.

Kent State and Jackson State The invasion of Cambodia in 1970 reignited the protests on college campuses. At Kent State after one of Nixon’s speeches, students broke windows in the business district and also burned the ROTC building (which had become a symbol of the war).

The National Guard was called in to stop the Kent State protests. They ended up killing 4 students.

Kent State and Jackson State A similar incident occurred at Jackson State (an all black college in the south). Violence erupted and 2 students were dead and 11 wounded.

Counterculture Movement As a result of protest against the Vietnam war, the civil rights and women’s rights movements, a counterculture movement emerged. The 1960s youth culture promoted freedom and individuality. Its new attitudes about personal relationships, drugs, and music shocked many Americans.

Counterculture People of the counterculture rejected most traditional social customs. They experimented with new forms of dress, different attitudes towards sexual relationships, and the recreational use of drugs.

“Hippies” or people who wanted to look “hip,” or aware of the latest styles-wanted to look different. Some women wore loose fitting clothes and dresses, while other wore tight mini skirts. Men often grew their hair long and wore beards. People wore blue jeans (bell- bottoms) and plain tee shirts to look more “natural.”

Sexual Revolution Views about sexual relationships by the counterculture were labeled the “sexual revolution.” This led to more open conversations about sex in light of newspapers, magazines and books. Many people began living together and not getting married, which was shocking in comparison to the times before

Drug- 1960s Two Harvard University researchers worked on the chemical compound known as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). LSD is a psychedelic drug. Soldiers brought back drugs from Vietnam, and marijuana became common among middle class college students.

Music Woodstock Festival-400,000 people gathered for several days in up state New York to listen to major bands of the time. Drug laws were not enforced. And the crowd remained in control. Some members of society viewed the festival with disgust. Older people resented the hippie- counterculture.

1970s As the 1960s proceeded and became the 1970s, the Vietnam War dragged on. Student activism continued Music changed from rock to disco Drugs changed from psychedelics (pot, LSD) to crank and cocaine. The 1970s is known as the “Me Decade”