In the early 1960’s folk music in America became an increasingly important focus of political protest

Folk music had a history of being sympathetic to the working class citizen. This folk tradition which had been carried on in the 1940’s and 50’s by Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger became increasingly popularised and politicised in the late 50’s and early 60’s by people like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Peter, Paul and Mary. Their new breed of folk music, a cross with rock ‘n’ roll, reached a far greater audience and had the youth listening.

Pete Seeger was a folk singer before, during, and after the war. He wrote many folk songs and is still currently writing. In 1941 Seeger, Cis Cunningham and the Lomaxes formed a group called the Almanac Singers. Their aim was to bring social injustice to the awareness of others.

Woodie Guthrie was also a folk artist during and after WWII. He wrote over 1000 songs before his death in 1967 from a nerve disease. ‘Where Have All the Flowers Gone?’ and ‘This Land is Your Land’ were two of Guthrie’s protest songs.

In 1962 a you...