Abbie Hoffman was a leading member of the Yippie movement and co-founder of the Youth International party. Get details about his life from this article.
A political and social activist and the co-founder the Youth International Party, Abbie Hoffman earned himself popularity for his successful media events. A rebellious kid, Hoffman’s early years posed to be the window of what his life would be in general. He protested, along with his confederates, on numerous occasions, disrupting the normal functioning of the people and getting his message across. An activist and writer, Hoffman spoke his mind and gave strong stances on various subjects. For the same, his life has drawn eyeballs of various people who have tried to portray the same through various modes of entertainment, such as movies, plays and television plays. Discover with this article detailed information about the life and career of Abbie Hoffman.
Childhood & Early Life
- Hoffman was born on November 30, 1936. His parents, John Hoffman and Florence Schamberg, came from a middle class background.
- Since his childhood, Hoffman was a troublemaker and was expelled from his sophomore year in the Classical High School due to a paper in which he presented strong communist views.
- He was later enrolled at the Worcester Academy, from where he graduated in the year 1955. During these years, Marxist theorist Herbert Marcuse played an important role in the life of Hoffman and had a profound effect on his political outlook.
- Hoffman, then, attended the Brandeis University earning a BA in Psychology in 1959 after which he went to University of California to earn his Master’s degree.
Career
- Before becoming a leading member of the Yippie movement, Hoffman was engaged with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), which sold items to support the Civil Rights Movement in the southern United States.
- During the Vietnam War, Hoffman protested against the war and the American economic and political system. What is interesting to note is that Hoffman used comical and theatrical methods to let out his views. An example of this was when he challenged to levitate the Pentagon until it turned orange and vibrated using psychic energy to a group of soldiers who formed a barricade to block the Pentagon steps.
- Later in the August of 1967, along with a dozen of confederates, Hoffman disrupted the functioning of the New York Stock Exchange by showering the trading floor with dollars, both real and fake.
- Hoffman was arrested and tried for his anti-war protests in the Vietnam War and was among the group, Chicago Seven. However, in the trials as well, he maintained his rebellious attitude and frequently targeted the judge and lawyers. He was found guilty of the charge and sentenced to five years imprisonment but the convictions were subsequently overturned by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
- In 1969, Hoffman interrupted The Who's performance at the Woodstock in an attempt to speak against the jailing of John Sinclair of the White Panther Party.
- In 1971, Hoffman gave vent to his views by penning a book titled, “Steal This Book”. Through this write-up, he encouraged readers to move to the stage at concerts and live shows and get their message across to the large audience. Also, he taught them how to live for free. Inspired by the title of the book, many people started stealing the book from the stores. Additionally, Hoffman wrote numerous other books, such as Vote!
- After being underground for quite some time, Hoffman came back to visibility in November 1986, when he was arrested along with fourteen other people, for trespassing at the University of Massachusetts. However, all of them were acquitted as the jury found them not guilty.
- Post this, Hoffman starred in Oliver Stone's later-released anti-Vietnam War movie, “Born on the Fourth of July”. The movie was released posthumously, eight months after his demise.
Awards & Achievements
- Posthumously, Hoffman was the recipient of the Courage of Conscience award in the year 1992.
Personal Life & Legacy
- Abbie Hoffman tied the nuptial knot with Sheila Karklin in the year 1960. The couple was blessed with two children, Andrew and Amy.
- The marriage, however, did not sustain for long and they separated in 1966. Later the next year, Hoffman remarried to Anita Kushner. They had a son named america Hoffman. However, in 1973, Hoffman turned into a fugitive, seven years after which, the two formally separated.
- Hoffman breathed his last on April 12, 1989 due to swallowing 150 phenobarbital tablets along with hard liquor.
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