Essential Question: Why was 1968 a year of turmoil in U.S. history? Warm-Up Question: next slide 

1968: A Year of Turmoil Civil rights violence in Birmingham (1963) & Selma (1965) Americans experienced great change in the 1960s: The decade began with hope & optimism under Kennedy But, events in the mid-1960s increased tensions & anxieties The decade closed in 1968 with one of the most tumultuous years in U.S. history Cold War crises in Berlin (1961) & Cuba (1962)

1968: The Assassination of MLK Stokely Carmichael & SNCC Stokely Carmichael The Black Panthers MLK’s assassination marked a turning point in the civil rights movement from nonviolence to radicalism & “Black Power” In 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated MLK’s death set off race riots in over 100 cities

1968: The Assassination of Robert Kennedy RFK’s death divided the Democratic Party & led to a massive, violent protest at the Chicago Democratic National Convention Republican Richard Nixon took advantage of the divided Democrats & won the 1968 election In 1968, JFK’s brother Robert Kennedy was assassinated when he ran for president

1968: Student Protest & Vietnam The anti-war protest convinced Lyndon Johnson not to run for a second term as president Students & activists across the country protested American involvement in Vietnam 1968 was the height of the Vietnam War & the year of the disastrous Tet Offensive Since 1965, Americans were sent to fight Communism in Vietnam

American Indian Movement: The organization was formed to address various issues concerning the Native American urban community in Minneapolis, including poverty, housing, treaty issues, and police harassment.[ From its beginnings in Minnesota, AIM soon attracted members from across the United States (and Canada). It participated in the Rainbow Coalition organized by the civil rights activist Fred Hampton. Charles Deegan Sr. was involved with the AIM Patrol. In October 1971 AIM gathered members from across the country to a protest in Washington, D.C. known as the "Trail of Broken Treaties." AIM gained national attention when it seized the Bureau of Indian Affairs national headquarters and presented a 20-point list of demands of the federal government. In 1973 it led a 71-day armed standoff with federal forces at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Timeline: Civil Rights & the 1960s Examine the timeline on your notes For each event, identify whether the event was an accomplishment or failure of the era from 1954 to 1968 Use the “scales” on the side of the timeline to show the degrees of significance for each event When finished, answer the discussion questions & be prepared to discuss

Timeline Discussion Questions What words would you use to describe the era from 1954-1968? What patterns do you notice in terms of the amount of violence in this era? What role did TV play in the era? Is there a “turning point” in the era? Looking at the timeline, what predictions can you make about the 1970s?