FBI Files: The Anti-War Movement

Welcome to the FBI Files on the Anti-War Movement archive at The Black Vault. This archive offers a revealing window into the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s surveillance and documentation of individuals and groups involved in the anti-war movement, particularly during times of significant conflict such as the Vietnam War. These documents provide an insightful perspective into how the FBI monitored and sometimes intervened in the activities of those who actively opposed U.S. military interventions and policies. This collection serves as a crucial historical record of the tension between government agencies and civil activism, showcasing the depth and breadth of the government’s response to one of the most pivotal movements in modern American history.

As you explore this collection, you will encounter a diverse array of files, ranging from detailed investigations to surveillance reports and correspondence. These documents not only offer a glimpse into the lives and activities of key figures in the anti-war movement but also illuminate the broader socio-political climate of the times. For historians, researchers, activists, and anyone interested in civil liberties and government oversight, this archive provides a fascinating exploration of the complexities of dissent, freedom of speech, and the extent of government surveillance. It invites a deeper understanding of the historical struggles for peace and the often contentious relationship between government actions and public opposition.

Declassified Anti-War Movement FBI Files

Abbey, Edward Paul – [ 151 Pages, 11.12MB ] – Jane Addams (1860-1935) was an internationally known social worker, activist, and Nobel Peace Prize winner. This release concerns a treason investigation opened in 1924 involving the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom; Addams was a founding member of the organization.

Addams, Jane – [ 161 Pages, 18.49MB ] – Jane Addams (1860-1935) was an internationally known social worker, activist, and Nobel Peace Prize winner. This release concerns a treason investigation opened in 1924 involving the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom; Addams was a founding member of the organization.

American Friends Service Committee – [ 2,904 Total Pages ] – The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Religious Society of Friends (Quaker) affiliated organization which works for peace and social justice in the United States and around the world. AFSC was founded in 1917 as a combined effort by American members of the Religious Society of Friends to assist civilian victims of World War I. For its anti-war, pro-immigration, and anti-capital punishment stances, the AFSC receives criticism from many socially conservative groups. Often the criticisms allege that the AFSC has supported Communist activities.

Clergy and Laity Concerned about Vietnam – [ 259 Pages, 9.94MB ] – In October 1965, 100 clergy members met in New York to discuss what they could do to challenge U.S. policy on Vietnam. Believing that a multi-faith organization could lend credible support to an anti-war movement often labeled as Communist, they created the Clergy Concerned about Vietnam. Martin Luther King, Jr., was one of the few black members and the only member from the South. After the group opened its membership to laypeople and changed its name to National Emergency Committee of Clergy and Laymen Concerned about Vietnam (CALCAV), King used the organization’s platform in April 1967 for his widely acclaimed ‘‘Beyond Vietnam’’ speech that condemned the war in Vietnam.

Hoffman, Abbie – [Part 1a|Part 1b|Part 02|Part 03|Part 04|Part 5a|Part 5b|Part 6a|Part 6b|Part 07|Part 8a|Part 8b|Part 09|Part 10|Part 11|Part 12|Part 13|Part 14a|Part 14b|Part 15|Part 16|Part 17|Part 18|Part 19|Part 20|Part 21|Part 22a|Part 22b|Part 23a|Part 23b|Part 24a|Part 24b|Part 25a|Part 25b|Part 25c|Part 25d|Part 26] – Abbie Hoffman, an activist and anarchist in the 1960’s and 70’s, was Co-Founder of the Youth International Party (YIP a.k.a. Yippies). He was also one of the”Chicago Seven”. In view of Hoffman’s anarchist actions, he was the subject of a security investigation in 1968. He was also the subject of an anti-riot law investigation as a result of his leadership in disturbances at the 1968 Democratic National Convention (DEMCON) in Chicago.  See related file below.

Youth International Party (Yippies), 1967-1977 – [ 6,722 Pages, 299MB ] – The Youth International Party, whose members were commonly called Yippies, was a radically youth-oriented and countercultural revolutionary offshoot of the free speech and anti-war movements of the 1960s. It was founded on December 31, 1967. They employed theatrical gestures, such as advancing a pig (“Pigasus the Immortal”) as a candidate for President in 1968, to mock the social status quo. They have been described as a highly theatrical, anti-authoritarian and anarchist youth movement of “symbolic politics”. Since they were well known for street theater and politically themed pranks, many of the “old school” political left either ignored or denounced them. According to ABC News, “The group was known for street theater pranks and was once referred to as the ‘Groucho Marxists’.” See related file above.

Kent State Shootings –  [ 1,262 Pages, 116.69MB ] – The Kent State shootings (also known as the May 4 massacre or the Kent State massacre) occurred at Kent State University in the U.S. city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of unarmed college students by the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970. The guardsmen fired 67 rounds over a period of 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis.  There was a significant national response to the shootings: hundreds of universities, colleges, and high schools closed throughout the United States due to a student strike of four million students, and the event further affected the public opinion—at an already socially contentious time—over the role of the United States in the Vietnam War.

Savio, Mario – [ File #1 12.86MB | File #2 10.94MB | File #3 2.05MB | File #4 20.42MB | File #5 0.5MB | File #6 16.53MB | File #7 7.66MB | File #8 15.35MB | File #9 20.15MB ] – [ 1,409 Total Pages ] – Mario Savio (1942-1996) was a political and human rights activist from the University of California at Berkeley who became the voice of the Free Speech Movement. He was investigated by the FBI from July 1964 until January 1975, following his arrest in March 1964 at a civil rights demonstration in San Francisco.

Spellman, Cardinal Francis – [ 557 Pages, 33.04MB ] – Francis Joseph Spellman (May 4, 1889 – December 2, 1967) was an American archbishop of the Catholic Church. He was the sixth Archbishop of New York from 1939 to 1967, having previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston (1932–39). He was named a cardinal in 1946.

 

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