How 1960s political violence reshaped America's divisions forever

Political violence in the US reached a peak in the 1960s and 1970s, but data suggests 2020 may have surpassed it. The era was marked by deep unrest, with roots in social and political frustrations. Rick Perlstein’s Nixonland explores this turbulent period in detail. The unrest of the 1960s began in the mid-decade and faded by the early 1970s. It stemmed from black anger over ghetto conditions, cultural shifts, and opposition to the Vietnam War. The Watts Riot in August 1965 was a turning point, sparking further riots in 1967 and after Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination in 1968.

Conservatives united behind Richard Nixon, viewing him as a leader who would push back against liberal protest movements. The era’s counterrevolution proved more violent and passionate than often remembered today. Hopes for progressive change under Kennedy and Johnson had faded, fuelling further anger and demonstrations. The culture war that ignited in the 1960s has persisted into modern American politics. The tensions of that era shaped lasting divisions. Historical accounts like Nixonland help explain its enduring impact.