The War in the Schools: San Francisco Bay Area High Schools and the Anti–Vietnam War Movement, 1965–1973

This article examines the experiences of high school students, teachers, and administrators in the San Francisco Bay area during the antiwar movement of the Vietnam era. From 1965 to 1973, a vocal minority of high school students mounted a vigorous campaign of antiwar activism that demanded an immediate response from school officials. They constructed a unique interpretation of antiwar activity and the intensity of their activism generally reflected the movement at large. Drawing mostly from local dailies, high school newspapers, school district documents, and interviews, this article reveals that high schools in the San Francisco Bay area were politically contested battlegrounds during the antiwar movement.