Home > Vietnam War > Abbie Hoffman Biography

Born November 30, 1936
Worcester, Massachusetts
Died April 12, 1989
Bucks County, New York

American social activist and radical political leader

Abbie Hoffman was a colorful and controversial political activist who led numerous outrageous demonstrations against the Vietnam War during the 1960s. He also cofounded the Youth International Party, or Yippies, a group that rejected many traditional elements of American society in favor of a lifestyle of "sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll."

Early rebel

Abbot Hoffman was born November 30, 1936, in Worcester, Massachusetts. He grew up in a middle-class neighborhood with his parents, John Hoffman and Florence (Schanberg) Hoffman, and two younger siblings. In high school he was a smart but rebellious student who repeatedly got into trouble with teachers. After...