1960s Dbq

To a larger extent the popular protests of the 1960s in the USA were dominated by the youth movement. The 1960s was defined by the nuclear disarmament movement, the anti-Vietnam war movement, the peace movement which embodied both movements and the student protest movement which was an extension of all of these. Conversely, it is argued that the feminist movement was predominant and defined this era.

At the beginning of the 1960s America was knee-deep in international conflict. In the East, America was five years into an anti-communism war with the North of Vietnam. American troops, however, were being sent in by the thousandths and were killed even faster. The troops largely consisted of 18-26-year-old men and their deaths brought about anger in their college-going compatriots who felt as if these men were being sacrificed for a fruitless effort. This anger was expressed publicly by students in the form of protests which predominantly occurred in university towns (Source F). This movement formed a part of a larger peace movement which advocated for all unions of peace, including the movement for disarmament and “further distinguished the development of tactics of non-violent action” (Source A).

During this period America was still involved in the Cold War with the Soviet Union as they were a fully operational communist government who posed a threat to America with their nuclear ammunition based in Cuba. This impending threat spurred the American public to protest the use of weapons of mass destruction (Source E). Students and anti-war supporters took to the streets, protested this conflict and demanded that their sense of security was to be returned by mutually consented