1. Unit 12: Vietnam
6.3.15

2. Early Vietnam War Protests
Part 1
Early Vietnam War Protests

3. Early Opposition Video Clip #1 What did Americans see
Why might some have supported the war at this point?
Why might some have opposed the war at this point?

4. Quick Timeline 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Hundreds protest in SF
1965
Thousands march at universities
SNCC and Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) organize 25,000 marchers in D.C.
Poll: 48% support the war, 28% didn’t

5. Growing opposition (1965-1969)
Part 2
Growing opposition ( )

6. Video Clip #2 Growing Anti-War Movement Contributing Factors
Events of 1968

7. Timeline 1966 Veterans protesting the war
Thousands march in D.C. & college campuses
Poll: 41% approve of war, 37% don’t
Muhammad Ali declares himself a conscientious objector and refused to go to war
1967
MLK leads 5,000 in march against war in Chicago
Thousands march in D.C., New York & college campuses
Poll: 52% disapprove of LBJ’s handling of war

8. Timeline
1968
In January Robert Kennedy runs for President as anti-war candidate
DNC Convention – 10,000 protestors, 23,000 police/national guard – “police riot”
1969
Nixon becomes President
Protests continue to escalate

9. Draft
Starts in 1969
Men born between Jan 1, Dec 31, 1950 eligible
Got lottery numbers
If their number was called, they would have to serve*
Rep. Alexander Pirnie of House Armed Services Committee draws the first capsule draft lottery for the Vietnam War

10. The Draft Exemptions & Deferments:
Men could be exempt (safe) from being drafted or could defer (put off) being drafted if college or graduate student
Poor & working class young men resented this
Automatic student deferments ended.
Draft VERY unpopular
Tens of thousands of young men migrate to Canada which did not support the war
1973: Draft ended

11. March on Washington Vietnam Moratorium – 1969 500,000 marchers in D.C.
Largest anti-war march in American history

12. Part 3
War unravels ( )

13. Video Clip #3

14. Unit 12: Vietnam
6.4.15

15. Nixon’s “Silent Majority”
“So tonight, to you, the great silent majority of my fellow Americans, I ask for your support.
I pledged in my campaign for the Presidency to end the war in a way that we could win the peace.”

16. Bombing of Cambodia
April 30, 1970, President Nixon stuns Americans by announcing a huge offensive of US and South Vietnamese troops into Cambodia
He said it was "...not for the purpose of expanding the war into Cambodia but for the purpose of ending the war in Vietnam and winning the just peace we desire."

18. Kent State University Student Protest, May 1970
Students set fire to the ROTC building.
Ohio National Guard called out to restore order.
Objects thrown at the Guardsmen.
The Guardsmen opened fire, killing 4 students.

19. Thousands protest
In response to the killings, over 400 colleges and universities across America shut down.
In DC, nearly 100,000 protesters surround various government buildings including the White House and historical monuments.

20. Polling
DATE
PERCENT WHO SAID NO
August 1965 61
March 1966 59
May 1966 49
September 1966 48
November 1966 51
February 1967 52
May 1967 50
July 1967
October 1967 44
December 1967 46
February 1968 42
March 1968 41
April 1968 40
August 1968 35
October 1968 37
February 1969 39
October 1969 32
January 1970 33
April 1970 34
May 1970 36
January 1971 31
May 1971 28
"In view of developments since we entered the fighting in Vietnam, do you think the U.S. made a mistake sending troops to fight in Vietnam?“
When did American support for the War fall apart?
Why do you think this is?