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Chapter 14: 1960-1968

5 Lessons

14 Activities

14 Essays

Overview

Chapter 14 of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, BRI’s U.S. History Curriculum Resource, invites students to explore how internal and external political and cultural tensions shaped the years 1960–1968. Discover our suggested sequence for Chapter 14.

Lessons

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaking to a large crowd during the March on Washington, with the Lincoln Memorial in the background.

Civil Disobedience across Time

1 Activities90 Min

Use this lesson with the Freedom Riders Narrative; The March on Birmingham Narrative; the Black Power Narrative; the Martin Luther King Jr., "Letter from Birmingham Jail," 1963 Primary Source; the Martin Luther King Jr., "I Have a Dream," August 28, 1963 Primary Source ;The Music of the Civil Rights Movement Lesson; and the Civil Rights DBQ Lesson to discuss the different aspects of the civil rights movement during the 1960s

A woman playing guitar and singing, while a man with an acoustic guitar looks on in a public performance setting.

The Music of the Civil Rights Movement

Use this lesson with the Freedom Riders Narrative; The March on Birmingham Narrative; the Black Power Narrative; the Martin Luther King Jr., "Letter from Birmingham Jail," 1963 Primary Source; the Martin Luther King Jr., "I Have a Dream," August 28, 1963 Primary Source; the Civil Disobedience across Time Lesson; and the Civil Rights DBQ Lesson to discuss the different aspects of the civil rights movement during the 1960s.

Crowd gathered at the Lincoln Memorial, listening to a speaker during a civil rights event.

Civil Rights DBQ

Use this lesson with the Freedom Riders Narrative; The March on Birmingham Narrative; the Black Power Narrative; the Martin Luther King Jr., "Letter from Birmingham Jail," 1963 Primary Source; the Martin Luther King Jr., "I Have a Dream," August 28, 1963 Primary Source; the Civil Disobedience across Time Lesson; and The Music of the Civil Rights Movement Lesson to discuss the different aspects of the civil rights movement during the 1960s.

A burnt-out car abandoned in a dense forest, partially covered by foliage.

A Civil Rights Investigation: Mississippi Burning

Why did three civil rights workers disappear during the Freedom Summer of 1964? Engage students with primary source documents to investigate this question. This lesson was developed by and included with the permission the LBJ Presidential Library.

Album cover of Pete Seeger's "We Shall Overcome," recorded live at Carnegie Hall on June 8, 1963.

We Shall Overcome: The Fight for Voting Rights

In this lesson, developed by and included with the permission the LBJ Presidential Library, students will examine primary source documents associated with the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Activities

President Lyndon B. Johnson signing legislation with advisors and officials in attendance.

Was the Great Society Successful?

Did the Great Society significantly alleviate poverty and social ills in the United States or did it have little impact beyond creating unsustainably expensive federal programs? Anthony D. Bartl and Gregory L. Schneider debate this question.

John F. Kennedy smiling in a suit, standing near a wall with hanging items, black and white photo.

John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961

Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.

Black and white portrait of a woman in a light-colored blouse, smiling at the camera.

Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, 1962

Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.

Students participating in a protest in a Marquette classroom, surrounded by desks and a chalkboard.

Students for a Democratic Society, “Port Huron Statement,” 1962

Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.

Photograph of Betty Friedan.

Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique, 1963

Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.

A split image of Martin Luther King Jr., one side showing him in a police mugshot, the other in a contemplative pose in jail.

Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” 1963

Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaking to a large crowd during the March on Washington, with the Lincoln Memorial in the background.

Martin Luther King Jr., “I Have a Dream,” August 28, 1963

Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.

A naval ship navigating through open water on a clear day.

The Tonkin Gulf Resolution, 1964

Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.

Black and white photo of a smiling man in a suit with glasses, speaking at an event.

Malcolm X, “The Ballot or the Bullet,” April 12, 1964

Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.

A man stands at a podium with microphones, delivering a speech to a large crowd at a graduation ceremony.

Lyndon B. Johnson, Commencement Address at the University of Michigan (“Great Society” Speech), May 22, 1964

Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.

A man stands at a podium with the Presidential seal, addressing an audience against a curtain backdrop.

Lyndon B. Johnson, “Peace Without Conquest,” April 7, 1965

Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.

A smiling man in military uniform stands outdoors wearing a flower lei, with palm trees in the background.

The Vietnam War Experience: An Interview with Veteran William Maxwell Barner III

Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.

A large crowd watches a military parade in front of a building with columns, with spectators on the roof.

Image Analysis: March on the Pentagon, October 21, 1967

Use this primary source imagery to analyze major events in history.

A man in military attire stands amidst a war-torn landscape, speaking to a camera.

Walter Cronkite Speaks Out against Vietnam, February 27, 1968

Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.

Essays

A young woman offers a flower to military police during a protest, with a crowd and sign visible in the background.

Chapter 14 Introductory Essay: 1960-1968

How did cultural tensions shape the 1960s?

A large crowd gathers at a podium during an inauguration ceremony, with flags and a presidential seal visible.

John F. Kennedy’s Inauguration

Why is JFK's Inaugural Address so iconic?

Freedom Riders

How did the Freedom Riders fight to end segregation?

Black and white portrait of a woman in a light-colored blouse, smiling at the camera.

Rachel Carson and Silent Spring

Explores Rachel Carson's impact on environmentalism.

A black and white photo of a submarine navigating through ocean waters, with a helicopter visible in the background.

The Cuban Missile Crisis

How close was the U.S. to nuclear war in 1962?

The March on Birmingham

How did did the March on Birmingham impact the Civil Rights Movement?

Women walk down a city street and hold signs that say Women Demand Equality and GWU Women's Liberation.

Betty Friedan and the Women’s Movement

What did the feminist movement of the 1960s work for?

Black and white image of soldiers marching along a dusty path surrounded by trees.

The Vietnam War: Ia Drang Valley

What lessons did the U.S. learn after the battle of Ia Drang?

Rows of National Guard soldiers stand in the street and face protesting civilians.

Students and the Anti-War Movement

Why were many students opposed to the Vietnam War?

Three individuals holding "Free Huey" flags while standing on steps in front of a building.

Black Power

Explores the impact of the Black Power movement in the 1960s.

Robert F. Kennedy speaking to a large crowd during a civil rights demonstration, holding a megaphone.

The Election of 1968

Who ran for president in the 1968 election?

A man stands on a car, addressing a crowd of people at an outdoor event, with trees in the background.

Protests at the University of California, Berkeley

What sparked the Berkeley Free Speech Movement?

Black and white photo of a girl and a boy holding peace symbol armbands.

Free Speech and the Student Anti-War Movement

Explores the impact of students on the anti-war movement.

Two men engaged in a serious conversation, one leaning forward and the other looking down, in a formal setting.

Lyndon B. Johnson’s Decision Not to Run in 1968

Why did LBJ decide not to run for president in 1968?

Educator Resources

A protest scene with a young woman offering a flower to military police during a demonstration.

Educator Resource

Chapter 14: 1960-1968 Inquiry Organizer

How did internal and external political and cultural tensions shape the years 1960–1968?

A man and woman sit in a vintage car next to a police officer, outdoors with other cars in the background.

Educator Resource

Chapter 14 Answer Key

Answer Key for Chapter 14 of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness