A Nation Divided

A WORKING CLASS WAR Deferment: an excuse to stay out of the draft Deferment: an excuse to stay out of the draft Types of deferment: Types of deferment:  Educational (college students)  Medical (physically unfit)  National Guard or Coast Guard 80% of soldiers were from the working class Because these deferments were largely unavailable to the lower classes, almost 80% of soldiers were from the working class

ROOTS OF OPPOSITION Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)  Called for a restoration of “participatory democracy” and greater individual freedom Free Speech Movement (FSM) Free Speech Movement (FSM)  Began as a protest for free speech on college campuses  Grew to include protests against the American “machine”-powerful businesses and the government

PROTEST MOVEMENT April 1965 April 1965  SDS organized a march on Washington, D.C. by 20,000 protestors  Pushed for civil disobedience  Called on young men to “dodge” the draft by fleeing to Canada or Sweden Musicians took up the protest cause Musicians took up the protest cause  The protest movement intensified

WAR DIVIDES THE NATION Doves-those who opposed U.S. involvement in the war Doves-those who opposed U.S. involvement in the war Hawks-those that called for escalation (increased troop involvement in Vietnam) Hawks-those that called for escalation (increased troop involvement in Vietnam)

THE TET OFFENSIVE January 30, 1968  A cease fire was called to celebrate the Vietnamese New Year (Tet)  People were allowed to cross between North and South Vietnam  Funerals were held for victims of the war  North Vietnamese villagers used coffins to smuggle weapons into the South  Launched a massive attack on South Vietnamese cities and U.S. airbases  Lasted for nearly a month

TET CHANGES PUBLIC OPINION Although the U.S. successfully drove out the Vietcong (losing 32,000 soldiers), the outcomes of the Tet Offensive were not positive.  Reduced popular support for the war in America  Media began to criticize the war  Johnson’s popularity plummeted

JOHNSON WITHDRAWS Anti-war Democrats began to work against Johnson’s reelection Robert Kennedy and Eugene McCarthy rose to prominence within the party Robert Kennedy and Eugene McCarthy rose to prominence within the party Johnson struggled in the primaries March 31, 1968 March 31, 1968  Johnson announces that he will not seek reelection

TURMOIL IN CHICAGO August 28, 1968  Democrats met for their national convention to nominate a presidential candidate  10,000 protestors rallied outside to pressure delegates into adopting an anti-war platform  Mayor Richard Daley sent Chicago police officers and the National Guard to “prevent violence”  Chaos ensued as protestors were beaten and arrested on national television

NIXON TRIUMPHS Conservative backlash Conservative backlash  Traditional Americans were dissatisfied with the counterculture and looked for a conservative response  Richard Nixon (Republican) promised a return to law and order, as well as an end to the war Nixon defeated Hubert Humphrey (Democrat) by more than 100 electoral votes