The Politics and Culture of the 1960s

While analyzing the reading, it seems that the New Left and the Free Speech Movement set the tone for youth activism for the rest of the decade. Students for a Democratic Society seemed to create this new left that broke away from their former industrialist stance. There were two key components to this movement: New Dealers and Communists. Those whose parents supported Roosevelt’s expansion of the federal government and the New Deal, dedicated to social justice, took these ideas and incorporated them into the New Left. Those of the Communist Party, who were alienated by the denunciations of McCarthyism during the 50’s brought new ideas and free thought into the party. One must notice how perfectly this party sets the tone for the rest of the decade. Under this New Left movement, the youth unite and create a unique culture that connects them all under a common belief system. Lytle talks about how they were born into a cold war world, and when they came of age, they became idealists to end their own alienation. Taking an active stance, they attempted to change every evil of American society to create a utopia that America’s potential could allow. This is the beginning of the counter culture. In The Port Huron Statement, the movement calls for revolutionary action when they write, “mankind desperately needs revolutionary leadership, America rests in national stalemate, its goals ambiguous and tradition-bound instead of informed and clear, it’s democratic systems apathetic and manipulated  rather than ‘of, by, and for the people.’” The New Left is calling to an end to apathy and a new age of activism. These words ring loudly during the Free Speech Movement at Berkeley, when President Kerr and Mario Savio battled how far student protest can go. It was the youth against the authority. With this New Left emergence, there was inevitably a conservative reevaluation of their own party. Now, united under Barry Goldwater, conservatives were calling liberalism “rootless” and thought that states rights were supreme above federal authority, which would lead to a continuance of segregation. With youth against their elders, whites against whites, it seems like America’s uncivil wars are quickly unfolding. The polarization is becoming obvious.

Discussion Question: How did the Port Huron Statement influence the ideal’s of the youth?