Rage Against the Machine: Berkeley 1964 and the Birth of the Free Speech Movement

This article examines the origins and contributions of the Freedom of Speech Movement ( FSM ) at the University of California, Berkeley (September-December 1964) that led to widespread social activism on other college and university campuses throughout the US . This article highlights the role of Mario Savio and other participants in the FSM while linking these efforts to the civil rights movements of the late 1950s and early 1960s. The essence of the FSM and its contribution to social activism by middle-class college and university students can be seen in the primary sources provided by Free Speech Movement Digital Archives.