There were several factors leading to civil unrest in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. One of these factors was tied to discrimination and segregation in the South. Throughout the South, whites and blacks were not equal. Jim Crow laws segregated the races in most areas of public life. There were separate schools, separate seating sections on buses and trains, and separate drinking fountains, just to name a few examples. These facilities were supposed to be equal but usually weren’t. Blacks were also being denied the right to vote. As a result, black people in the South began to demand equality. There were marches and protests. Many times, these turned violent because of the actions of the white people. Bombings and murders were common. The protest for equality led to civil unrest until changes occurred.

A second factor for the civil unrest was the disapproval of most Americans of our involvement in the Vietnam War. People didn’t support this war, and once they realized the government was not being honest with them, there were many protests. Some of them turned violent. The unhappiness with our involvement in the Vietnam War led to more unrest in the 1960s.