The Student Protest Movement

Reasons for Student Protest
There were several reasons for the emergence of the student protest movement of the 1960s. It was partly inspired by the culture of the 'Swinging Sixties' and protest singers such as Bob Dylan. In addition it was influenced by key personalities such as Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy. However, much opposition was directed at US involvement in the conflict in Vietnam.

Revision: Why did the student movement emerge? What was the importance of the conflict in Vietnam?

Key Features of the Student Movement
Students were heavily involved in the civil rights movement, in organisations such as the SNCC and CORE and, by the mid-1960s, they were ready to use this experience to campaign for greater rights for themselves as well as to oppose the war in Vietnam. The leading student organisation was Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), which was first noticed nationally when it organised a sit-in at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1964. The anti-war campaign culminated in the death of four people during a demonstration at Kent State University, Ohio, in 1970. During the second half of the 1960s, many young people demonstrated in a different way by becoming part of the hippy movement.

Revision: How did the students campaign?  What were the main campaigns of the 1960s? Why was the student movement important?