HIS-450: Analyzing Protests, Crisis, and Countercultures in the 1960s

This homework assignment, for HIS-450, analyzes key aspects of the social and political landscape of the 1960s in the United States. It addresses five key questions. The first question examines the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), their activities, methods, and overall impact. The second question explores the concept of counterculture, using the "Jesus People" as an example. The third question focuses on "Black Power" and its role in the Civil Rights movement. The fourth question investigates the "Silent Majority" and the conservative backlash during this period. The final question analyzes the 1968 Democratic Convention and its consequences. Each response is supported by research and assesses both positive and negative effects. The assignment aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the social upheaval of the 1960s. The assignment is available on Desklib, a platform providing AI-based study tools for students.

Running head: DEMOCRATIC HISTORY
DEMOCRATIC HISTORY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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DEMOCRATIC HISTORY
Question 1
Students of Democratic Society have been the national student activist and organization
that was present in the United States. They have been the representing the New Left. It have
been established in the year 1960. SDS is considered as the largest and most influential US
radical student organization ("Students for a Democratic Society", 2020). They were mainly
concerned with the civil rights movement. Establishing equality and economic justice have been
another agenda that they have been fighting for. The main concern of SDS was the damages that
have been brought by the Vietnam war. It have been seen that SDS proved that the students can
be impacting the political sphere as well.
The major activity that they performed in the process was that they were focused on
performing debates. These debates were related to the issues that were occurring. They have
been performing proper communication with the Student’s Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.
Gaining knowledge regarding the ongoing issues have been the major activity of SDS.
Yes, the methods that they used in incorporating change have been imminent. This
section ensures that the results that were desired were received. Although the results were not
very much expected, however the results that were received were as on the positive side.
The major affect that have been seen in the process is that there have been introduction of
the term participatory democracy. This depicted the fact that politics must be taken up in a
positive manner. This have been one of the major aspect that is to be considered. There were
creation of several decentralized groups. These groups were also into performing community
education.
Question 2

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DEMOCRATIC HISTORY
Counterculture have been referring to the prospect that the movement is made in an
opposite direction than the main stream. The counterculture is considered to be important in the
processing of the protests and rejections of the things that are to be performed in the old manner.
The entire scenario proves that there is a requirement of the implementing new methods in new
and critical scenarios (Hollander, 2018). This have been leading to creation of divergent culture
from culture from places. Jesus people ensures the fact that they were the predecessors of the
Charismatic movement.
However, there have been a deep relationship in Christianity of US. The Jesus movement
have been including the formation of various denominations in the Christian organizations
(Chaplin & Mooney, 2017). This included the fact that there have been presence of
contemporary Christian right and Christian Left. Another aspect that was noted in the process is
that there has been generation of Jesus music. This creation of Jesus music deals with the aspect
that contemporary Christian music was created which is still used. It have also been seen that
there have been several converts gaining the leadership quality among them. This section also
ensures the fact that the preaching of Christianity is done in a massive manner.
Question 3
Black Power is considered to be one of the revolutionary movement that took place in the
years 1960s and 1970s. Emphasizing on the racial pride have been one of the major aspect that is
considered. This was the period when there was a growth in the demand of the learning African
culture was considered. However, it was in the year 1966, that the Black came into power and it
started getting main stream. It can be stated that the Black Power movement have been a political
as well as social movement (Ogbar, 2019). The advocates who were the face of the revolution

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DEMOCRATIC HISTORY
believed in racial pride. Self-sufficiency and equality for people have been considered as one of
the major aspect that is considered by the advocates and they have been fighting for the same.
Black Power have been one of the major reason that there have been a mass protest
against the racial segregation as well as discrimination that have been existent. This also ensures
that they have been fighting for the passage of the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments of the
US Constituents.
Question 4
Silent majority is the unspecified large group that have not been specifying the opinions
that they possess in public platforms. These are the people who have not been supporting the
large demonstration that have been performed against the Vietnamese war. They were not
joining the counterculture and they were not supporting the public discourse as well (Krason,
2017). It was seen that several big shots have been demanding the silent majority to fight for
their rights. It was stated that they were concerned with the processing of the civil rights that they
were being deprived of.
There were both positive as well as negative aspects that are to be considered. This
ensures the fact that chances of creating mishaps have been decreasing. This section ensures that
chances of war will be lessening.
The major disadvantages that have been considered is that there have been issues
regarding participation. As there have been protests going on for civil rights and with least
support, it acts as a major issue.
Question 5

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DEMOCRATIC HISTORY
It have been seen that there have been issues regarding the massive massacre that have
been created in the period of 1968. This leads to the fact that there have been issues regarding the
increase in number of protestors in the process (Ogbar, 2019). This is one of the major reason
that the outcome that have been received. There have been several issues regarding the Vietnam
war that have affected the entire lifestyle of the residents. They have been violent in nature as
well.
The positive aspect that is concerned in this case is that the processing of the entire
business process will be ensuring that the results that have been received have been better than
the previous revolutions that had taken place.
However the major disadvantage that is present in the process is that there have been violence in
the process. This violence process have been affecting the major processing of peace
maintenance.

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DEMOCRATIC HISTORY
References:
Chaplin, T., & Mooney, J. E. P. (2017). The Global 1960s: Convention, contest and
counterculture. Routledge.
Hollander, P. (2018). Explaining the Counterculture. Academic Questions, 31(1), 23-32.
Krason, S. M. (2017). The Transformation of the American Democratic Republic. Routledge.
Ogbar, J. O. (2019). Black power: Radical politics and African American identity. Johns Hopkins
University Press.
Students for a Democratic Society. (2020). Retrieved 1 March 2020, from https://mtsu.edu/first-
amendment/article/1201/students-for-a-democratic-society