When Push Came to Shove: The Historiography of the Student Protest Movement at Harvard

Abstract

Primary sources are the basic building blocks of historical research. They are the unfiltered accounts of eyewitnesses to historical events. Yet these portrayals must not be taken completely at face value. A comprehensive analysis of a primary source requires consideration of potential biases that may have affected the author’s perspective. Indeed, historical research comes closest to ascertaining the truth when counterfacts that challenge the author’s account emerge. They help determine the reliability of the author and, by extension, the veracity of events or issues discussed. The student protest movement at Harvard during the spring of 1969 provides an insightful case study of this most fundamental tool of historical analysis.