answer the questions
The 1960s was a transitional decade. It was a decade of extraordinary turbulence and impressive innovation. What began with the idealism and hopefulness of Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy, ended in the morass of Vietnam, high profile assassinations, and violent civil rights protests. The Baby Boomer generation, the largest in American history, came of age and became socially and politically active. President Johnson signed into law some of the most impressive and far-reaching laws in our history with his Great Society programs.
But it wasn't just liberal/progressive activism that defined the decade. The decade also produced reactionary movements on the right, specifically the popularity of George Wallace and local movements that tried to stop the integration of American society (for example, think of what happened in Prince Edward County Virginia and the closing of its schools, and the rise in private "segregation academies").
Start by reviewing this overview of the decade:The 1960s in America: Crash Course US History #40Links to an external site.
1.Goldwater, Acceptance Speech, 1964, http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/27-the-sixties/barry-goldwater-republican-nomination-acceptance-speech-1964/Links to an external site.
2. LBJ, Commencement Address, http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/27-the-sixties/lyndon-johnson-howard-university-commencement-address-1965/Links to an external site.
3. Fanny Lou Hamer, http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/27-the-sixties/fannie-lou-hamer-testimony-at-the-democratic-national-convention-1964/Links to an external site.
4. Port Huron Statement, http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/27-the-sixties/the-port-huron-statement-1962/Links to an external site.
5. George Wallace, Segregation Now,https://youtu.be/6C-kBVggFrsLinks to an external site.
Summarize and analyze the assigned materials and think about some essential questions in the context of the 1960s. How did the events and ideas of the 1960s change America, and are we still fighting and arguing over the events and achievements of that decade? Indeed, how are our political debates today influenced by the struggles of the 60s?
