In today’s episode of Mr. Hutchings History, we explore the rise and fall of the New Left in the 1960s, a radical student-led movement that sought to challenge the Vietnam War, racial inequality, and corporate power. The New Left, birthed from disillusionment with Cold War politics and civil rights activism, evolved into a potent force of social change. We examine key events like the Port Huron Statement and anti-war protests, but also the movement’s internal divisions, government repression, and violent extremism, particularly with groups like the Weathermen. As the New Left fractured, the removal of the draft and shifting cultural interests signaled its decline. This episode assesses the movement’s influence, its contributions to social justice, and the cautionary lessons from its fragmentation.
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Works Cited
Chafe, William H. The Unfinished Journey: America Since World War II. Oxford UP, 2010.
Hayden, Tom. The Long Sixties: From 1960 to Barack Obama. Paradigm, 2009.
Isserman, Maurice, and Michael Kazin. America Divided: The Civil War of the 1960s. Oxford UP, 2000.
McWilliams, John C. The 1960s Cultural Revolution. Greenwood Press, 2000.
