A presentation by David Farber, the Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Kansas.

In the 1960s, a lot of young Americans took on all the big questions, asking what equality, freedom, patriotism, and prosperity  should and could mean. At Woodstock, nearly half a million of them celebrated what freedom felt like in the midst of one of the greatest assemblages of popular musicians the United States had ever seen.  At a time of national polarization and grave uncertainty, Woodstock, for those who were there and for the millions more who watched the film that was released the next year, represented a triumph of hope, possibility, and joy, even if it was only evanescent.

Dr. Farber received a BA from the University of Michigan, and earned a Ph.D. in American history from the University of Chicago. He has taught at Barnard College, the University of Hawaii, the University of New Mexico, and Temple University. His research encompasses twentieth-century American history, especially the second half of the century.

Funding for this program is provided by Humanities Kansas, a nonprofit cultural organization that connects communities with history, traditions, and ideas to strengthen civic life.