It was founded on the initiative of Vienna based Zora association at the congress of 16 youth organizations which took place in Novi Sad (at the time center of Serbian culture) between 15 and 18 August 1866.
[1] Alongside promotion of Serb emancipation and liberation the movement was also expressly pan-Slavist advocating primarily for South Slavic cooperation.
[1] Numerous future prominent Serbian writera who participated in the group's work included among others Laza Kostić and Jovan Jovanović Zmaj.
[1] The group was also notable for its rejection of conservative clericalism, and acceptance of linguistic ideas of Vuk Stefanović Karadžić.
[2] United Serbian Youth, modeled after Giuseppe Mazzini's Giovane Italia, with whom they directly collaborated, was one of the first organizations to raise the question of women's emancipation.