America's uncivil wars : the sixties era : from Elvis to the fall of Richard Nixon

Here is a panoramic history of America from 1954 to 1973, ranging from the buoyant teen-age rebellion first captured by rock and roll, to the drawn-out and dispiriting endgame of Watergate. In __America's Uncivil Wars__, Mark Hamilton Lytle illuminates the great social, cultural, and political upheavals of the era. He begins his chronicle surprisingly early, in the late '50s and early '60s, when A-bomb protests and books ranging from __Catcher in the Rye__ to __Silent Spring__ and __The____Feminine Mystique__ challenged attitudes towards sexuality and the military-industrial complex. As baby boomers went off to college, drug use increased, women won more social freedom, and the widespread availability of birth control pills eased inhibitions against premarital sex. Lytle describes how in 1967 these isolated trends began to merge into the mainstream of American life. The counterculture spread across the nation, Black Power dominated the struggle for racial equality, and political activists mobilized vast numbers of dissidents against the war. It all came to a head in 1968, with the deepening morass of the war, the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., race riots, widespread campus unrest, the violence at the Democratic convention in Chicago, and the election of Richard Nixon. By then, not only did Americans divide over race, class, and gender, but also over matters as simple as the length of a boy's hair or of a girl's skirt. Only in the aftermath of Watergate did the uncivil wars finally crawl to an end, leaving in their wake a new elite that better reflected the nation's social and cultural diversity. Blending a fast-paced narration with broad cultural analysis, __America's Uncivil Wars__ offers an invigorating portrait of the most tumultuous and exciting time in modern American history Here Is A Panoramic History Of America From 1954 To 1973, Ranging From The Buoyant Teenage Rebellion First Captured By Rock And Roll, To The Drawn-out And Dispiriting Endgame Of Watergate. In America's Uncivil Wars, Mark Hamilton Lytle Illuminates The Great Social, Cultural, And Political Upheavals Of The Era. He Begins His Chronicle Surprisingly Early, In The Late '50s And Early '6os, When A-bomb Protests And Books Ranging From Catcher In The Rye To Silent Spring And The Feminine Mystique Challenged Attitudes Towards Sexuality And The Military-industrial Complex. As Baby Boomers Went Off To College, Drug Use Increased, Women Won More Social Freedom, And The Widespread Availability Of Birth Control Pills Eased Inhibitions Against Premarital Sex. Lytle Describes How In 1967 These Isolated Trends Began To Merge Into The Mainstream Of American Life. The Counterculture Spread Across The Nation, Black Power Dominated The Struggle For Racial Equality, And Political Activists Mobilized Vast Numbers Of Dissidents Against The War. It All Came To A Head In 1968, With The Deepening Morass Of The War, The Assassinations Of Robert Kennedy And Martin Luther King, Jr., Race Riots, Widespread Campus Unrest, The Violence At The Democratic Convention In Chicago, And The Election Of Richard Nixon. By Then, Not Only Did Americans Divide Over Race, Class, And Gender, But Also Over Matters As Simple As The Length Of A Boy's Hair Or Of A Girl's Skirt. Only In The Aftermath Of Watergate Did The Uncivil Wars Finally Crawl To An End, Leaving In Their Wake A New Elite That Better Reflected The Nation's Social And Cultural Diversity.--jacket. Introduction -- Part One: The Era Of Consensus, 1954-63: The Consensus -- The Cultural Cold War -- Cracks In The Consensus -- The New Generation -- The Cold War On The New Frontier -- The Second Civil War -- Part Two: The Sixties, 1964-68: 1964: Welcome To The 1960s -- Teach-in, Strike-out: The Uncivil Wars Heat Up -- The Great Freak Forward -- A Very Bad Year Begins -- A Bad Year Gets Worse: The Domestic War Front -- Part Three: The Rise Of Essentialist Politics And The Fall Of Richard Nixon, 1969-74: The Rise Of Gender And Identity Politics -- Identities Of Race And Ethnicity -- Taking On The System -- The Uncivil Wars: Woodstock To Kent State -- Watergate: The Last Battle -- Epilogue: Who Won? Mark Hamilton Lytle. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 380-392) And Index.

In contrast with most histories of this period, America's Uncivil Wars: The Sixties Era from Elvis to the Fall of Richard Nixon does not treat the 1960s as a single historical moment or as successive waves of activism. Rather, it employs a chronological narrative to identify three distinct phases during which events of the era unfolded. The first began with the cultural ferment of the 1950s and ended with the assassination of John F. Kennedy. During the second phase, from 1964-1968, the "uncivil" wars began in earnest: Americans disagreed about new social and cultural mores, protests against the Vietnam War increased in size and vehemence, and American cities erupted in racial violence. From 1967 through 1968, all of these forces combined to divide Americans more deeply than they had been since the Civil War. In the third phase, Richard Nixon promised to bring Americans together. However, a host of new value and identity movements—environmentalists, consumer advocates, feminists, gay, Latino, and Native American activists—frustrated his design. Only after the Watergate scandals forced this polarizing figure from office did a measure of civility return to the nation's public discourse.
America's Uncivil Wars captures the broad sweep of this tumultuous era, analyzing both the cultural and political influences on the movements of the 1960s. Paying particular attention to Latinos, Native Americans, feminism, and gay liberation, it integrates the politics of gender and race into the central political narrative. The book also covers such topics as McCarthyism; the FBI; rock and roll; teen culture in the 1950s; the origins of SDS, SNCC, and YAF; and the environmental and consumer movements. With its engaging narrative style and broad cultural emphasis, America's Uncivil Wars brings a fresh approach to our understanding of not only the 1960s but also U.S. history since 1945.

Here is a panoramic history of America from 1954 to 1973, ranging from the buoyant teen-age rebellion first captured by rock and roll, to the drawn-out and dispiriting endgame of Watergate. In America's Uncivil Wars , Mark Hamilton Lytle illuminates the great social, cultural, and political upheavals of the era. He begins his chronicle surprisingly early, in the late '50s and early '60s, when A-bomb protests and books ranging from Catcher in the Rye to Silent Spring and The Feminine Mystique challenged attitudes towards sexuality and the military-industrial complex. As baby boomers went off to college, drug use increased, women won more social freedom, and the widespread availability of birth control pills eased inhibitions against premarital sex. Lytle describes how in 1967 these isolated trends began to merge into the mainstream of American life. The counterculture spread across the nation, Black Power dominated the struggle for racial equality, and political activists mobilized vast numbers of dissidents against the war. It all came to a head in 1968, with the deepening morass of the war, the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., race riots, widespread campus unrest, the violence at the Democratic convention in Chicago, and the election of Richard Nixon. By then, not only did Americans divide over race, class, and gender, but also over matters as simple as the length of a boy's hair or of a girl's skirt. Only in the aftermath of Watergate did the uncivil wars finally crawl to an end, leaving in their wake a new elite that better reflected the nation's social and cultural diversity. Blending a fast-paced narration with broad cultural analysis, America's Uncivil Wars offers an invigorating portrait of the most tumultuous and exciting time in modern American history "Here is a panoramic history of America from 1954 to 1973, ranging from the buoyant teenage rebellion first captured by rock and roll, to the drawn-out and dispiriting endgame of Watergate." "In America's Uncivil Wars, Mark Hamilton Lytle illuminates the great social, cultural, and political upheavals of the era. He begins his chronicle surprisingly early, in the late '50s and early '60s, when A-bomb protests and books ranging from Catcher in the Rye to Silent Spring and The Feminine Mystique challenged attitudes towards sexuality and the military-industrial complex. As baby boomers went off to college, drug use increased, women won more social freedom, and the widespread availability of birth control pills eased inhibitions against premarital sex. Lytle describes how in 1967 these isolated trends began to merge into the mainstream of American life. The counterculture spread across the nation, Black Power dominated the struggle for racial equality, and political activists mobilized vast numbers of dissidents against the war. It all came to a head in 1968, with the deepening morass of the war, the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., race riots, widespread campus unrest, the violence at the Democratic convention in Chicago, and the election of Richard Nixon. By then, not only did Americans divide over race, class, and gender, but also over matters as simple as the length of a boy's hair or of a girl's skirt. Only in the aftermath of Watergate did the uncivil wars finally crawl to an end, leaving in their wake a new elite that better reflected the nation's social and cultural diversity."--Jacket Contents 8 Preface 10 INTRODUCTION 18 PART ONE: The Era of Consensus, 1954–63 28 1 The Consensus 30 2 The Cultural Cold War 43 3 Cracks in the Consensus 61 4 The New Generation 89 5 The Cold War on the New Frontier 113 6 The Second Civil War 133 PART TWO: The Sixties, 1964–68 158 7 1964: Welcome to the 1960s 160 8 Teach-in, Strike Out: The Uncivil Wars Heat Up 191 9 The Great Freak Forward 211 10 A Very Bad Year Begins 234 11 A Bad Year Gets Worse: The Domestic War Front 257 PART THREE: The Rise of Essentialist Politics and the Fall of Richard Nixon, 1969–74 284 12 The Rise of Gender and Identity Politics 286 13 Identities of Race and Ethnicity 306 14 Taking on the System 333 15 The Uncivil Wars: Woodstock to Kent State 351 16 Watergate: The Last Battle 374 EPILOGUE: Who Won? 392 Notes on Sources 397 Index 410 A 410 B 411 C 412 D 415 E 416 F 417 G 418 H 419 I 420 J 420 K 421 L 422 M 423 N 424 O 426 P 426 Q 427 R 427 S 429 T 431 U 431 V 432 W 432 Y 433 Z 433 In the 1950s, many schools worried more about producing good citizens than able learners.