New Left was a radical political and social movement of the 1960’s and early 1970’s in the United States. The New Left included many college students and other young people. It was “new” in relation to the “old left” of the 1930’s. The “old left” generally was guided by Marxist ideas and supported Soviet policies.
Members of the New Left demanded sweeping and fundamental changes in American society. They attacked most major institutions for claiming to support democratic principles but failing to end such injustices as poverty, racial discrimination, and class distinctions. Many New Leftists opposed capitalism and believed the desire for profits leads to imperialism, a policy that favors extending influence over another country.
People who identified themselves with the New Left were not all members of a single organization, and they frequently disagreed among themselves. Members of the New Left ranged from pacifists to violent revolutionaries. Many New Leftists favored such tactics as nonviolent civil disobedience. But their actions often led to bloody clashes with the police and other law enforcement officials. The most important elements of the New Left included the militant wings of the peace movement during the Vietnam War, the movement for racial equality, and the students’ rights movement.
The peace and civil rights movements appealed especially to young people. Their experiences in civil rights and peace demonstrations convinced many of them that war and discrimination could be ended only by a general reformation of American society. Several radical student organizations appeared in the early 1960’s, including the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and the Free Speech Movement. Radical students began to consider the university as an accomplice of war and racism. They used disruptive tactics in an effort to reform their universities or to use them as a base for revolutionary activities.
Most members of the New Left showed little interest in conventional politics and did little to get sympathetic candidates elected to public office. However, many people believe that the antiwar movement helped persuade President Lyndon B. Johnson not to run for reelection in 1968.
After 1968, the New Left split into several factions. For example, the revolutionaries split over tactics for defeating imperialism. Some urged an alliance with American workers, but others favored organizing the world’s poor and nonwhite peoples.
The New Left failed to bring about radical changes in American society. But it formed the basis for several movements that remain active today, such as the women’s and environmentalist movements.
