Student Protest

What were students protesting about in the 1960s?

During the 1960s and 1970s, students campaigned on a variety of issues affecting society including women's rights, poverty and the Vietnam War.

When were the students protests in the 1960s?

The main student protests started in 1964 and continued until 1970.

What caused students to protest in the 1960s?

There were 5 main reasons for the student protests:

• ❖ There was a big rise in the number of people going to college after the Second World War, and many students became increasingly concerned with American social issues.
• ❖ Students wanted more of a say in their education.
• ❖ The civil rights movement influenced the students and taught them how to protest.
• ❖ They were impacted by the Vietnam War as the average age of soldiers in the conflict was 19 - their own age group.
• ❖ The development of a counter-culture, such as the hippy movement, and the development of drugs like the pill and LSD influenced students to protest against the established culture of their parents' generation.

How did students protest during the 1960s?

Students protested in 6 main ways:

• ❖ Some joined existing groups such as SNCC or CORE.
• ❖ Some joined the Students for a Democratic Society, or SDS.
• ❖ Many joined anti-Vietnam War protests.
• ❖ Some became hippies.
• ❖ Many followed the non-violent protest example of the early civil rights movement and took part in sit-ins and marches.
• ❖ Some students became more radical and used extreme methods, such as the Weatherman or Weather Underground - a small, violent offshoot of Students for a Democratic Society.

What were the main events of the student protests during the 1960s?

There were 3 main student protests:

• ❖ The sit-ins and marches at Berkeley University in 1964, which created the Berkeley Free Speech Movement.
• ❖ The protests at Columbia University in 1968 which involved the occupation of university buildings by students.
• ❖ The Kent State University protests in 1970 which resulted in 4 students being shot dead by the National Guard.

What did the student protests achieve?

The student movement did have some successes but it was limited for 3 main reasons:

• ❖ The student movement never gained the general support of American society, unlike the civil rights movement.
• ❖ While some university groups like the Berkeley Free Speech Movement did achieve their aims, the main problem for the student movement was the large number of issues it protested about.
• ❖ Opposition to the Vietnam War was the only issue the student movement was united on.