Youth Question Social Norms (College Board AP® US History)

Timeline:

1962 ‒ Founding of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and the publication of the Port Huron Statement

1967 ‒ “Summer of Love” 

1970 ‒ Kent State Shooting

Summary

The 1960s were a period of immense social and cultural change in the United States. This period saw many youths in America questioning their government and their parents’ values and traditions. This questioning of authority led to movements like the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and the anti-Vietnam War movement, as well as the rise of counterculture – all of which left lasting impacts on American society.

Students for a Democratic Society

• Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was founded in 1962 at the University of Michigan 

• It was a student activist organization

• The movement promoted liberal ideas, calling for the end to:

  • poverty

  • racism

  • the Vietnam War

• The SDS organized protests, teach-ins, and marches against the Vietnam War

• The SDS became a prominent voice of the New Left

  • a political movement challenging traditional liberalism

Port Huron Statement

• The Port Huron Statement was a foundational manifesto

  • It was written by Tom Hayden in 1962

• The statement declared the views of the SDS and their vision for a better society

• It criticized the government for failing to address:

  • racism

  • inequality

• The statement rejected:

  • materialism

  • middle-class conformity

• It called for “participatory democracy”

  • where individuals could have direct influence over decisions affecting their lives

Anti-Vietnam War Movement & Counterculture

• The Vietnam War became a focal point of youth dissent during the 1960s

• Many young Americans, especially college students, opposed the war on moral, economic, and political grounds

• They criticized US imperialism and the draft system

  • The draft system disproportionately affected working-class people and minority youth

• Advocates such as Jane Fonda denounced the war through speeches and protests

• The Kent State Shooting (1970) was a defining moment in the anti-war movement

  • Ohio National Guard troops opened fire on unarmed student protesters at Kent State University

    • They aimed to disburse the protestors

  • The troops killed four students and wounded nine others

  • It resulted in widespread anti-war sentiment and nationwide protests on college campuses 

  • It also led to deepening distrust of the government

• The anti-Vietnam War movement contributed to shifting public opinion

  • This added pressure to the U.S. government

  • The government eventually withdrew troops from Vietnam by 1973 
    

Counterculture

• The counterculture movement was primarily driven by White, middle-class youths, known as hippies, who rejected the traditional values of their parent's generation

• The counterculture movement was characterized by the promotion of:

  • peace

  • freedom

  • individuality 

• This movement did cross over with the anti-war effort, but it also had broader cultural aims

Lifestyle and beliefs

• Hippies (1964‒1972) promoted an alternative lifestyle, including:

  • clothing

  • music

  • recreational drug use

  • anti-monogamy

    • Many in the movement questioned traditional ideas of marriage and relationships, experimenting with “free love”

• This was celebrated through iconic events like Woodstock (1969), where artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin symbolized the era’s ideals

• During the “Summer of Love” (1967) nearly 100,000 people gathered in San Francisco in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood including: 

  • artists

  • musicians

  • activists

• The event showcased ideals of the counterculture, such as:

  • experimenting with drugs

  • sexual liberation

  • communal living

• The invention of birth control pills in the early 1960s enabled greater sexual freedom

  • led to increased experimentation among young people

  • known as the sexual revolution

  • resulted in the widespread use of birth control, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and debates around abortion rights