LB Johnson (1963-1969) Flashcards

1
Q

Johnson’s personality / context

A
  • teacher in 1928
  • 2 children
  • entered politics 1930 (22) won seat in house of representatives
  • appointed Texas state director for National Youth Admin 1935, helped over 28,000 texans , alleviated black unemployment
  • served navy during war
  • elected to congress 1937
  • won senate race 1948
  • great political skill + became democratic leader in the senate 1955
  • sought presidential nomination but Kennedy chose him as running mate
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2
Q

Johnson context: vice president

A
  • chaired Ks EEOC: increased federal jobs for black people by 22% - lacked funding and power
  • intimidating politician ‘johnson treatment’
  • work ethic greater than any other president despite major heart attack 1955
  • ## passed over 60 pieces of legislation
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2
Q

Johnson context: vice president

A
  • chaired Ks EEOC: increased federal jobs for black people by 22% - lacked funding and power
  • intimidating politician ‘johnson treatment’
  • work ethic greater than any other president despite major heart attack 1955
  • ## passed over 60 pieces of legislation
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3
Q

1964 election

A
  • seemed to gibe Johnson advantage: opponent Barry Goldwater, seen to be campaigning against Kennedy’s legacy
  • J won 61% of vote - highest in 20th century
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4
Q

what were Johnson’s policies

A
  • policies were mostly domestic (unlike most Ps)
  • great society was extension of ks new frontier
  • didn’t intend to raise taxes
  • problems exposed by Harringtons ‘the other america’ were his principle focus
  • war on poverty: sought to re-establish the American Dream for all
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5
Q

Programmes of great society: 1964

A
  • Economic Opportunity Act
  • Urban Mass Transportation Act
  • Omnibus Housing Act
  • Civil Rights Act
  • Wilderness Protection Act
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6
Q

Economic Opportunity Act

A
  • 1964

- created the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) to administer the ‘war on poverty

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7
Q

Urban Mass Transportation Act

A
  • 1964

- provided federal money for public transport

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8
Q

Omnibus Housing Act

A
  • 1964
  • provided fed dfunds for public housing along with rent subsidies for poorer families
  • gave $8bn to moderate and low income housing
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9
Q

Civil Rights Act

A
  • 1964
  • prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin
  • made all forms of de jure segregation a fed crime
  • established Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC)
  • people could be convicted of ‘denial of civil rights’ e.g. Goodman, Chaney, Schwerner
  • failed to address problems with voting
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10
Q

Wilderness Protection Act

A
  • 1964

- promised that 9million acres of gov land would be protected from development

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11
Q

programmes of Great Society: 1965

A
  • Medical Care Act
  • Elementary and Secondary Education Act
  • Voting Rights Act
  • Air and Water Quality Act
  • Minimum Wage Act
  • Higher Education Act
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12
Q

Medical Care Act

A
  • 1965

- Created the medicaid and medicare programs to help poor and elderly with the cost of medical treatment

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13
Q

Elementary and Secondary Education Act

A
  • 1965

- granted federal aid to poorer children

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14
Q

Voting Rights Act

A
  • 1965
  • outlawed the discriminatory voting practices adopted in many southern states
  • abolished literacy tests and poll taxes
  • effect was immediate and dramatic
  • result of Selma to Montgomery march
  • end of 1966: only 4 of southern states had less that half their AA population registered to vote, even Mississippi had 59%
  • by next decade: number of elected black officials increased 12 fold; 0-300 (1960-80)
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15
Q

Air and Water Quality Act

A
  • 1965

- set tougher limits on polluters and gave states responsibility to enforce quality controls

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16
Q

Minimum Wage Act

A
  • 1965
  • raised minimum wage and extended the groups it is applied to
  • raised by 35 cents
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17
Q

Higher Education Act

A
  • 1965

- federal finding for post high school education

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18
Q

Programmes of the Great Society: 1966

A
  • Redevelopment Act

- Highway Safety Act

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19
Q

Programmes of the Great Society: 1967

A
  • Public broadcasting Act
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20
Q

Redevelopment Act

A
  • 1966

- focused on 150 ‘model cities’ which were integrated grogrammes of social care, training and housing would be trialled

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21
Q

Highway Safety Act

A
  • 1966

- set new federal standards for vehicle and road safety

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22
Q

Public Broadcasting Act

A
  • 1967

- established the National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

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23
Q

Success of war on poverty with EOA

A
  • 44 states had anti-poveert programmes
  • 53 Job Corp centres = recieved alot of applicants
  • 25,000 families on welfare recieving work training
  • 35,000 college students on work-study programmes
  • Neighborhood Youth Corps in 49 cities and 11 rural communities
  • 8000 VISTA’s assisting poor groups
  • over 4M recieving aid for dependent children benefit families
  • $17M on loans given for small businesses
  • Community Action Programme assisted poor areas in combatting poverty
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24
Q

Education in 1964

A

1964: J highlighted:
- 54M Americans never finished high school
- 8M has under 5 years schooling
- 100,000 high school graduates couldnt afford college
- schools rundown and short of teachers

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25
Q

How did Johnson attack problem of education?

A
  • gave $8bn to support Elementary and Secondary Education act and Higher Education Act
    by end of presidency:
  • over 13M children ahd benifitted from federal aid to education
  • percentage high school deplomas rose
  • shortage of teachers had ended
  • new buildings had been constructed
  • accessibility of college education increased
  • 1970: 25% of college students recieved financial aid from HEA
26
Q

were the Urban problems resolved?

A
  • not really
  • despite legislation, state of ghettos didnt improve and caused discontent
  • 4/5ths of detroit ghettos riders arresred in 1967 had jobs paying over $120 weekly, suggesting it was housing rather than poverty causing alienation
  • tax payers didnt want to fund large-scale improvements
  • majority opposed integrated housing
  • 1968: J focused on ending discrimination on housing
  • congress rewsponded with Fair Housing Act = unsuccessful from white opposition
27
Q

Successes of the great society

A
  • 1976: medicare + medicaidcovered 20% population (19M 1966)
  • Head Start P: free nursery for 1M
  • 50,000 benefitted from Upward Bound Programme
  • poor families in US: 40M-25M from 1959-1968
  • Poverty: 17%-11% from 1965-1970s
  • federal xpenditure on poor: $13bn-$20bn from 1963-1966
28
Q

Failures of the Great Society

A
  • accused of damaging economy with interventionist approach
  • accused of destroying AA families through liberal welfare + CRL
  • ignored ‘silent majority’
  • promised too much and was underfunded
  • unpopular extension of federal gov
  • medicare + medicaid expensive: expected to be $12bn by 1990 but turned out to be $98bn - cost remained high for those excluded - only 1/5th
  • J underestimated impact of social tensions
29
Q

Impact of Vietnam on the Great Society

A
  • put sargent Shriver as Director of OEO with initial budget $1bn
  • Vietnam War killed the war on poverty, taking Js money + time
  • 1965-73: $15.5bn spent on GS, and $120bn on Vietnam
  • Vietnam caused tax inflation, making GS more unpopular
  • 1966: MLK said gov was spending $500,000 to kill one vietcong soldier and only $35 available for each poor American
30
Q

The impact of the Kennedy legacy on Johnson

A
  • J kept much of Ks team in place e.g. Bobby K as Attorney General despite tensions
  • continued Ks policies e.g. tax cut + civil rights bill - helped him win the 1964 election
  • issued executive order on 29th Nov for renaming NASA launch centre to JFK Space Centre
  • was in Vietnam that Ks legacy proved fatal for J
31
Q

Johnson’s economic policies

A
  • Under EIsenhower = 19% growth in GNP
  • Under Kenendy and Johnson = 39% growth in GNP
  • GNP grew $9M
  • Unemployment stood at 1.4%
  • 96% americnas believed standard of living would improve
  • J put through Ks tax cut proposal = stimulated economy
  • Infletion stayed relatively low - just under 2%, picked up slightly late 1965, left Nixon infletion problem
  • average growth rate for economy = 4.1% a year
  • big economic problems in 1968: trade deficit made up by sending gold abroad, which had decreased by 40% since 1945
  • when reserves dropped to $12.4bn (lowest since 1937) the dollar was greatly weakened
32
Q

Johnson’s economy: 1965

A
  • signs booming economy was slowing

-

33
Q

Situation of Vietnam inherited by Vietnam (Johnson’s aims_

A
  • Kennedy had increased military advisors
  • Confifdent china and communist rebels in Laos and Cambodia
  • South Vietnam protected bu US created SEATO supported by general Minh and 17,000 American advisers
  • 1968: America had 535,000 troops in south V
  • J wanted to eradicate communist dictatorship and avoid consequences of domino theory
34
Q

Tonkin Incident and resolution

A
  • march-august 1964
  • USS Maddox moves into Gulf of Tonkin, and its is ‘attacked’ by North Vietnamese border patrol
  • Resolution: provided Johnson with a reason to take any measures necessary for Vietnam (attack them)
  • gained public support to excalated war
35
Q

Escalation in vietnam

A
  • Johnson increasing US involvement after election
  • felt torn as previous presidents had endorsed involvement with policy of containment but he had GS to fund
  • when bombed North V first time (1964) approval rating went 42%-72%
  • was adivsed to maintain an independent South V and suggested heavier bombing to maintain ‘antional prestige’
  • Operation Rolling Thunder begins 1965
36
Q

NSAM 273

A
  • 26th Nov 1963 (day after Ks funeral)
  • national security memorandum approved by J
  • directed US gov to assist people and gov of south V to win contest against communism
  • proved disasterous and undermined his election commitments to peace
37
Q

NSAM 288

A
  • march 1964
  • called for greater use of US force
  • included air strikes against north V
38
Q

Operation Rolling Thunder

A
  • authorised 13th Feburary 1965
  • sustained bombing camoagin against north vietnamese
  • designed to destroy supplies and infrastrucutew in North V and boost morale in south
  • respose to a Viet Cong attack on American Camp neae Pleiku, killig 8 and wounding 100
  • 8th March 1965: 3,500 marines near Da Nang ordered to shoot only if fired at
  • 3rd April: J sent 2 support units of 20,000 men on ‘search and destroy’ missions
  • within year since election: 175,000 troops in V, 1/4M next year
  • 1965-68: 864,000 tonnes of bombs dropped on North V
  • 67% supported action
39
Q

Tet Offensive

A
  • domesitc opposition grew as war dragged on
  • worsened with use of draft to fill demand of troops (Selective Service Training Act of 1940)
  • J admin promised progress was being made and it would soon be over
  • 1968: North V launched Tet Offensive - coordinated attack on dozens of cities - destroyed concept that NV were in disarray
  • attack was unexpected
  • took 11,000 US and SV troops 3 weeks to clear
    dead:
  • almost 4,000 Americans
  • almost 5,000 SV military
  • 14,300 civilians
  • 58,000 communist soldieras
  • american embassy in Saigon taken for 6 hours
  • American opposition soared as result
  • Johnson decided not to stand in 1968 election after this
40
Q

The The Sanh Base

A
  • same time as Tet
  • second major battle in NV since Jan 1968
  • turned to bloodiest battle of the war
  • Khe Sanh = US base since 1962
  • 21st Jan 1968: genrral Giap surrounded base with 20,000 men and a 75 day seige began
  • J couldnt lose base so dropped 80,000 tonnes of bombs
  • evetually closed it down
  • traid to keep quiet from US public but was revealed in NV propaganda victory
41
Q

international response to Vietnam during Johnson

A
  • lack of support for johnson
  • Charles de Gaulle of France gave speech urging johnson to pull troops out of Southeast Asia
  • frnace also withrew from NATO in 1966
  • out of 40 US allies few supported:
  • South Korea had 50,000 troops deployed in 1968
  • Austrailia only 7,700
  • Philippines and New Zealand les that 3,000 between them
42
Q

Anti-War movements under Johnson

A
  • [rotests against V war in San Fransisco, Boston, Madison, and Seattle in 1964 led by students from progressive labor party and the Young Socialist Alliance
  • 12th May: young men in New York had a draft cad burning in protest - led to congress criminalising this act
  • 1965: SDS organised ‘teach-in’ at uni of Nichigan
  • 1965: norman morrison (father of 3) stood outside Robert McNamara;s office in pentagon and burnt himself to death in protest, with youngest baby daughter sat in front of him = caused international meida attention and shock
  • crowds chanted ‘hey hey LBJ! how many kids did you kill today?’
  • october 1967: largest rally held in washington by protest groups, saw 70,000 activisrts, 625 arrests
43
Q

Role of media in Vietnam and anti-war attitudes

A
  • 1968: 100M TV sets sold in US, 24% had coloured TVs
  • more focus on televised events
  • imagery of Vietnam came out exposing the severity and brutality of the war to americans - shifted perspective and lost alot of support
44
Q

The Freedom Summer: build up and events

A
  • summer 1964 Mississippi: SNCC, CORE, and NAACP
  • voter registration campaign
  • Mississippi targeted because of its lowest black voting rate in the US
  • only 6.2% of adult black citizens were registered, voters
  • Approx. 800 volunteers from the North (many were white) participated in the campaign
  • campaigners established 20 Freedom Schools across Mississippi
  • designed to educate black citizens about Civil rights issues and black history: encourage them to register to vote
  • Local KKK and State Police put up resistance
  • Homes of 30 black people and 37 black churches were firebombed
  • 80 beatings, 35 shootings, and 1000+ arrests
  • Approx. 17,000 AA’s tried to register to vote in Mississippi
  • Only 1600 succeeded in registering
  • As a result: set up the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), which held its own Primary
45
Q

The Freedom Summer: significance

A
  • controversy over the Mississippi Freedom Summer and the MFDP: signaled a breakdown in the relationship between Civil Rights campaigners and President Johnson
  • many Civil Rights activists saw this as proof that the American political system was fundamentally racist
  • learnt it was therefore necessary to use more militant methods and to stop compromising with white politicians
46
Q

Malcom X significance

A
  • belief that AAs should defend themselves ‘by any means necessary’ grew popular
  • 1969: NOI grew 25,000-250,000
  • NOI newspaper had weekly circulation of 600,000 by mid-1970s
  • NOI declined when Malcolm X and 2 of Muhammad’s sons left
  • they criticized the materialism and hypocrisy of leadership
  • Malcolm then converted to Sunni Islam, promoting New Muslim Mosque Inc. and the Organisation of African-American Unity
  • appeared to be coming towards a compromise position with southern civil rights groups renouncing previous criticism of them and King
  • assassinated February 1965 by two NOI gunmen
47
Q

Johnson and passing CR legislation

A
  • (southern senator) had mixed record in civil rights:

Before presidency:

  • didn’t sign 1956 Southern Manifesto, but ensured Eisenhower’s 1957 Civil Rights Bill was examined and diluted by a committee headed by senator for Mississippi James Eastland (Extreme racist)
  • opposed Truman’s civil rights program - pro-states rights

During presidency:

  • showed huge levels of commitment to pass Kennedy’s Civil Rights bill
  • due to economic reasons (believed it made south unattractive to investors)
  • feared losing northern voters to republicans and desire for legislative achievment
  • continued to support civil rights through presidency despite violent turn in CRM after 1965
48
Q

Passing 1964 Civil Rights Act

A
  • faced considerable opposition in congress
  • longest filibuster in Senate history: 54 days
  • July 1964: eventually signed into law by J helped by NAACP
  • January 1964: 68% of Americans favored the bill
  • Johnson feared this would lose south vote for long time
  • Mississippi, Alabama, and South Carolina only voted for DP once since: Jimmy Carter 1976
49
Q

Johnsons other/later Civil Rights Acts

A
  • 1968: third CRA - outlawed racial discrimination in sale/rental of houses
  • had delivered most effective Civil Rights legislation in American history
  • 70% of people who visited J before his death were black
  • 1980: proportion of AA voters only 7% less than proportion of whites
  • riots encouraged j would do more for AAs after 1965 voting act
  • 1966 poll showed 90% opposed new Voting act
50
Q

Limitations of Johnson passing CR legislation

A

Congress:

  • 1966: rejected admin civil rights bill as polls showed 70% white voters opposed large numbers of black neighbors
  • J also received little support in request for legislation to help AA children suffering from rat bites in rundown ghetto accommodation

Local Officials:

  • J had to rely on state and local authorities to carry out his programs: wouldn’t always cooperate
  • although 1964 CRA said federal funding shouldn’t be given to segregated schools, Chicago mayor Daley was valuable political ally and got his funds for segregated schools
51
Q

African Americans and economic equality

A
  • King told Bayard Rustin now the movement need to focus on economic opportunity to allow black people to afford to eat in the restaurants they fought to be allowed in
  • King Chose Chicago to campaign: second-largest city, pop of 3M (700,000 were black)
  • Mayor Richard Daley (racist) close ally of Johnson = lack of political support, poor planning, saw a succession of failures
    Highlighted:
  • only 32% of ghetto pupils finished high school compared to the 56% white children
  • early 1960s: 46% unemployed Americans were solely black
  • some ghettos including chicago’s, had 50-70% black youth unemployment
52
Q

Failures of the Chicago CR campaign for economy

A
  • king moved his family to ghetto apartment to prevent media attention
  • July 1966 rally only gathered 30,000 supporters instead of hoped for 100,000
  • Daley met with King frequently: unproductine, blamed king
  • caused $2 million in damages and many arrests
  • march through white working class (Cicero) saw violent opposition
  • King left chicago after being hit by rock and deputy Jesse Jackson took over a more limited campaign of economic boycotts: operation breadbasket
  • co clear plan of action
  • kings tactics didnt focus on real concerns of AAs e.g. police brutality, lack of skilled jobs and the poor ghetto conditions
  • J made $4m pf fed funds but this was insufficicent
53
Q

the Race Riots

A
  • 1965-1968 summers
  • ghettos saw alot of violence, looting and arson
  • began in Watts, LA: 3,500 arrests, 34 deaths, $40M damage
  • almost every large city outside south had a race riot
  • 1967: police prubality against black taxi driver sparked 6 days of riots = 26 died, 1,500 injured
  • Detroit followed: 40 died, 2,000 injuries, 5,000 arrests, 5,000 made homeless
54
Q

the riots and how they were provoked

A
  • disturbances in over 200 cities until 1972
  • 250 deaths, 10,000 serious injuries, 60,000 arrests

poverty was largest cause:

  • 30% blacks below poverty line
  • 50% lived in substandard housing
  • percentage of poor AAs increased 28% - 31%

Assassination of MLK also provoked major riots

  • 100 cities
  • 46 dead, 3,000 injured, 27,000 arrested
  • 21,000 federal troops
  • 34,000 national guardsmen
  • $45 M damage of property
55
Q

Johnsons response to the riots

A
  • J commsissioned Otto Kerner, Governor of Illinois to investigate riots
  • 1968:Kerner commissions report: ‘our nation is moving forward to two societies, one black, one white - seperate and unequal’
  • commission established 12 reasons for rioting gathered from interviews
  • riots angered johnson = felt he had done more than any other president to help AAs
  • exposure in the media nationally and internationally challenged progress many felt US had been making
  • undermined idea of the American Dream
56
Q

The Meredith March

A
  • June 1966
  • James Meredith, first black student to attend Uni of Mississippi, embarked on 220-mile walk from memphis jackson, Mississippi
  • shot on the 2nd day but leaders vowed to continue
  • 400 marchers by third day
  • King led SCLC group
  • NAACP no longer wanted to support the SCLC or SNCC and seemed that leadership of CRM was passing to advocates of black power
  • increased militancy of SNCC alarmed king = feared it would alienate white moderate support and J
57
Q

The Washington campaign and King’s assassination

A
  • even more poorly planned than in chicago the previous year
  • MLK proposed occupation of washington by poor people of all colours
  • April 4th 1968: before campaign was underway King was assassinated in Memphis `Tennessee by James Earl Ray
58
Q

The radicalisation of SNCC and CORE

A
  • many ghetto residnets felt organisations e.g. NAACP and SCLC knew little about ghetto life and were unhelpful / ineffective
  • many turned to new radical leaders e.g. malcolm X and Stokely Carmicheal (new SNCC keader elected in 1966)
  • CORE elected more radical leader James McKissick, replaced James Farmer 1966
  • both organisations excluded white members
59
Q

Black Power and Black Panthers

A
  • Elijah Muhammad: black power meant black supremacy / revolution
  • for others it meant a new black pride
  • Huey Newton and Bobby Seale (black panther founders) in Oakland used aggressive rhetoric
  • staged madia stunts
    • never boasted more than 5000 members
  • respected in ghettos: set up ghetto clinics to advise on health, welfare, legal rights and self help
  • helped children and young people: 1970 southern carolina chapter of the free breakfast programme served over 1,700 meals weekly to the ghetto poor
  • carried weapons, sought confrontation, petty crime, advocated violence against police
  • manifesto sought:
  • federal compensation to black americans for slavery
  • black juries for black trials
  • black exemption from military service
  • no police brutality
  • ghetto improvements
  • never boasted more than 5000 members
  • respected in ghettos
  • 1970 poll revealed 64% black americans took pride in the black panthers
60
Q

Berkleye’s free speech movement

A
  • December 1964: University of California at Berkeley = student radicalism first gained national attention
  • leader of protests: Mario Savio (participated in SNCCs black voter register campaign)
  • wanted to raise money for SNCC byt Uni authorities didnt allow fundraising and political activity on campus = prompted thousands of Berkeley students to protest
  • occupied the admin building until the police ejected them and made 800 arrests
  • ‘you cant trust anyone over 30’ slogan
  • students gained support from teaching staff and uni allowed political discussion on campus
  • triggered nationweide student protest
61
Q

Popular culture during Johnsons presidency

A
  • big influence on new sense of disenchantment
  • increase of music from beatles and bob dylan
  • art from Andy Warhol, Allan Ginsberg (flower power)
  • concept of ‘free love’ all the talk
  • Alfred Kinsey report: not as sexually conservative as many believed
  • Playboy circulation of 7 million in early 1970s suggested some of the older generation subscribed
  • playboy first published in 1953
62
Q

Youth Protests

A
  • election of K stimulated youth interest in politics
  • left leaning groups (SDS) began to gather support but many were occupied with civil rights
  • 1963: malcolm X second most sought-after speaker on US college campuses after republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater
  • students not always liberal and protested as a result of Ks new frontier, vietnam and CRM
  • just 12% of students identified themselves as part of the ‘New Left’ movement in 1970
  • in half of 1968 alone there were 221 major demonstrations at Uni such as stanford, Yale, Harvard, UC Berkeley
  • lacked dominant issue / focus
  • surrounded civil rights, enviromental issues, vietnam
  • asome protest directed inwards critisising their own universities: teaching methods, lack of black studied programmes, unis (Harvard) buying up land and evicting poorer residents
63
Q

youth counter-culture (hippies)

A
  • hippies rejected American society’s emphesis on individualism and materiamism for communal living and harmony
  • attended happenings and 100,000 visited