Introduction

This book uses evidence-based primary source analysis to provide students with the historical perspective necessary to think critically about the romantic memories, stubborn stereotypes, misperceptions, deliberate falsehoods, distorted myths, and old grudges that distort our popular perceptions of the 1960s.

Twenty-first century Americans routinely use the 1960s as a metaphor, a sort of convenient shorthand, for the cultural wars—that continuous clash over differing values, beliefs, attitudes, and lifestyles—still bitterly polarizing the nation. Therefore, understanding the 1960s cultural revolution is critical to understanding ourselves. What this book contributes to that conversation is needed historical perspective with evidence-based primary source analysis.

Ten chapters shed light on ordinarily overlooked aspects of the period, challenge stubborn misconceptions, and explore the enduring legacy of the 1960s. Primary source material—both written and visual—is drawn from archival holdings, newspapers, published proceedings, oral histories, and memoirs in order to present a balanced, accessible examination of mistaken beliefs and the historical truths.