Source: Bruce J. Schulman. The Seventies - The Great Shift
in American Culture, Society, and Politics (2001)
in American Culture, Society, and Politics (2001)
By 1970, the “Great American Ride” stalled, and the dominant liberal consensus started to crumble. White conservative backlash against Civil Rights and taxation showed increasing resentment among the previously loyal members of the liberal Democratic coalition. For years prior, urban ethnic whites had been upset at the changing landscape in their neighborhoods: for them, it was a “Zero Sum Game”, in that any perceived gains from a minority group would be at their expense. Also in play was the belief among the various array of white conservatives was that law and order was under fire, which meant at the local and state levels that “Law and Order” candidates were in, and candidates that were perceived as being weak on the issue were out.
Increasingly, conservative candidates mirrored Wallace in terms of packaging their social conservative agenda with a working class touch. Millions of Americans had become politically unmoored, and were drifting, willing to hitch their political wagon to a brand of conservatism that most still viewed as extremist. That being said, organized conservatism remained weak, unorganized, and not respected by most voters. Ironically, before the white conservative backlash, it was the New Left (radical liberals) that assailed mainstream liberalism the most. By 1968, the radical challenge to liberalism reached its crest, not only in the US, but also in Europe and elsewhere.
Increasingly, conservative candidates mirrored Wallace in terms of packaging their social conservative agenda with a working class touch. Millions of Americans had become politically unmoored, and were drifting, willing to hitch their political wagon to a brand of conservatism that most still viewed as extremist. That being said, organized conservatism remained weak, unorganized, and not respected by most voters. Ironically, before the white conservative backlash, it was the New Left (radical liberals) that assailed mainstream liberalism the most. By 1968, the radical challenge to liberalism reached its crest, not only in the US, but also in Europe and elsewhere.
Perhaps the best single example of the New Left protests in the US was at Columbia University (NYC), led by Mark Rudd, the leader of the SDS (Students for a Democratic Society). Columbia announced plans for a new athletic facility on nearby parkland in an African-American neighborhood in Harlem. Rudd and SDS members occupied the Columbia administration building and even took the dean of the college hostage. Very soon thereafter, African-American students and neighborhood activists joined the protest; while the dean was released, additional university buildings were occupied.
The SDS made additional demands beyond stopping construction of the athletic facility, demanding steps to combat racism and to the university’s ties to the military (and therefore, the Vietnam War). After lengthy negotiations failed, 1000 NYC police officers forcibly removed the protesters from five buildings, and there were numerous confrontations with the police. Columbia students responded with a general strike, and the administration was forced to cancel finals and close down the university. Columbia signaled a new tactical stage by the New Left, in that radicals now directly confronted the Establishment, ranging from civil disobedience to barricaded resistance. Tom Hayden, a rising figure in the New Left, predicted that the protests would become far too massive for law enforcement to handle; Hayden also claimed that the New Left was moving towards actually gaining power to stop the “Machine”.
The SDS made additional demands beyond stopping construction of the athletic facility, demanding steps to combat racism and to the university’s ties to the military (and therefore, the Vietnam War). After lengthy negotiations failed, 1000 NYC police officers forcibly removed the protesters from five buildings, and there were numerous confrontations with the police. Columbia students responded with a general strike, and the administration was forced to cancel finals and close down the university. Columbia signaled a new tactical stage by the New Left, in that radicals now directly confronted the Establishment, ranging from civil disobedience to barricaded resistance. Tom Hayden, a rising figure in the New Left, predicted that the protests would become far too massive for law enforcement to handle; Hayden also claimed that the New Left was moving towards actually gaining power to stop the “Machine”.
Adding to the tumultuous times was the reality, by the late-1960s, that either a young adult went to college or went to war, either earned a college degree or was doomed to a low-paying job. While college students fought for reforms, it seemed that the entire established order was under siege, in that the Counterculture opened up. For example, certain curse words were no longer shocking, and social norms and legal restrictions on personal behavior were relaxed or eliminated, showing a shift to broader and more informal living arrangements, dress, food, and behavior. By the late-1960s and early-1970s, more and more teens and young adults basically thumbed their nose at the established order.
During the Miss America Pageant
in Atlantic City in 1968, radical feminists protesters paraded a sheep as their contestant, making sure that the media was present for the protest and slogans. These radical feminists claimed that American women were “judged like animals in a county fair”; most famously, these protesters threw “instruments of torture to women” in a “Freedom Trash Can”, such as high heels, girdles, hair curlers, women’s magazines, and bras (the protesters did not burn their bras, since there was a local ordinance against burning items in public, and these particular protesters did not want to go to jail). In effect, it was “Guerilla Theater” by design, and the hostility from the male-dominated media was significant and obvious. The radical feminist protesters refused to be interviewed by male reporters, which forced media outlets to scurry to find female reporters from the society pages and the gossip columns. Traditionally, the Miss America Pageant protest is seen as the event that started the Feminist Movement, which lasted through the early-1980s
During the Miss America Pageant
in Atlantic City in 1968, radical feminists protesters paraded a sheep as their contestant, making sure that the media was present for the protest and slogans. These radical feminists claimed that American women were “judged like animals in a county fair”; most famously, these protesters threw “instruments of torture to women” in a “Freedom Trash Can”, such as high heels, girdles, hair curlers, women’s magazines, and bras (the protesters did not burn their bras, since there was a local ordinance against burning items in public, and these particular protesters did not want to go to jail). In effect, it was “Guerilla Theater” by design, and the hostility from the male-dominated media was significant and obvious. The radical feminist protesters refused to be interviewed by male reporters, which forced media outlets to scurry to find female reporters from the society pages and the gossip columns. Traditionally, the Miss America Pageant protest is seen as the event that started the Feminist Movement, which lasted through the early-1980s
However, no single event illustrated the shattered remains of the old Post-WW II Era consensus than the Democratic National Convention in Chicago during August 1968. Mayor
Richard Daley of Chicago, in essence the last “Elected Dictator” of a major city, vowed to keep law and order in the face of what was perceived to be an invasion of protesters. Daley assembled 12k Chicago police, 6000 Illinois National Guardsmen, and 6000 Army troops (with LBJ’s help), and 1000 or so FBI undercover agents (with J. Edgar Hoover’s help).
The anti-war protesters were from various segments of the New Left, such as the SDS and the “Yippies”, who were led by Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin (interestingly, Rubin became an investment banker in the 1980s). The “Yippies” were the epitome of Guerilla Theater, doing what ever they could do to gain the attention of the media, such as threatening to levitate the Pentagon. Among the many threats made ahead of the convention, the “Yippies” claimed they would poison Chicago’s water supply with LSD, which tremendously raised the fears of city leaders (LSD would never have had the impact the “Yippies” desired, and anyone with common sense would have understood that plain fact).
Thousands of anti-war protesters clashed with police in city parks, challenging the curfew and permit requirements. On the same day in which the Democratic convention nominated VP Hubert Humphrey, 15k protesters were in Grant Park (ironically with a permit), and after a young protester tried to lower the US flag (wanting to turn in upside down for the international symbol of distress), the Chicago police on hand overreacted, and not only arresting the protester (which needed to be done), but arresting/attacking a multitude of other protesters; the media covering the event didn’t show the protesters throwing rocks (and even human excrement) on Chicago police. It reached the point at Grant Park where a phalanx of Chicago police moved forward, clubbing and beating any unlucky protester that was in their way.
Richard Daley of Chicago, in essence the last “Elected Dictator” of a major city, vowed to keep law and order in the face of what was perceived to be an invasion of protesters. Daley assembled 12k Chicago police, 6000 Illinois National Guardsmen, and 6000 Army troops (with LBJ’s help), and 1000 or so FBI undercover agents (with J. Edgar Hoover’s help).
The anti-war protesters were from various segments of the New Left, such as the SDS and the “Yippies”, who were led by Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin (interestingly, Rubin became an investment banker in the 1980s). The “Yippies” were the epitome of Guerilla Theater, doing what ever they could do to gain the attention of the media, such as threatening to levitate the Pentagon. Among the many threats made ahead of the convention, the “Yippies” claimed they would poison Chicago’s water supply with LSD, which tremendously raised the fears of city leaders (LSD would never have had the impact the “Yippies” desired, and anyone with common sense would have understood that plain fact).
Thousands of anti-war protesters clashed with police in city parks, challenging the curfew and permit requirements. On the same day in which the Democratic convention nominated VP Hubert Humphrey, 15k protesters were in Grant Park (ironically with a permit), and after a young protester tried to lower the US flag (wanting to turn in upside down for the international symbol of distress), the Chicago police on hand overreacted, and not only arresting the protester (which needed to be done), but arresting/attacking a multitude of other protesters; the media covering the event didn’t show the protesters throwing rocks (and even human excrement) on Chicago police. It reached the point at Grant Park where a phalanx of Chicago police moved forward, clubbing and beating any unlucky protester that was in their way.
The events at Grant Park led to the overreaction of the protesters, especially by Tom Hayden, who urged as many protesters as possible to reassemble at the Conrad Hilton Hotel where the nomination was to occur. The television networks (delayed by 30 minutes or so), captured what was later called a “Police Riot”; Americans attacked other Americans over the Vietnam War. Tom Hayden was thrown through a picture glass window of a hotel bar during the riot, and tear gas forced
Eugene McCarthy to abandon his hotel room far above the street, and McCarthy decided to go down to the street to help the injured protesters.
After the Democratic National Convention, a gloom descended over the New Left, in that in many ways their ascendancy had fizzled and lost momentum, even in the face of increasing anti-war sentiments in the nation. Many among the New Left started to focus on new goals, such as the environment and women’s rights, while ohers literally tuned out society by forming communes in rural areas. Those that remained on course in the New Left had lost their optimism and sense of impending victory.
Eugene McCarthy to abandon his hotel room far above the street, and McCarthy decided to go down to the street to help the injured protesters.
After the Democratic National Convention, a gloom descended over the New Left, in that in many ways their ascendancy had fizzled and lost momentum, even in the face of increasing anti-war sentiments in the nation. Many among the New Left started to focus on new goals, such as the environment and women’s rights, while ohers literally tuned out society by forming communes in rural areas. Those that remained on course in the New Left had lost their optimism and sense of impending victory.