Transcript (The Vietnam War Era - The Anti-War Movement).

Today’s Objective
We will describe the responses to the Vietnam
War such as the draft, the role of the media, the
credibility gap, and the anti-war movement.
Sub-Objective
We will analyze the United States Supreme Court
decision of Tinker v. Des Moines.
The Tet Offensive
January 30, 1968
Turning point in the war in Vietnam
LBJ Escalates troop involvement to near a half million men
Americans believe we’re close to winning the war
The Vietnamese New Year Tet cease-fire
It showed that the Vietcong could strike anywhere
Americans turn against the war
Credibility gap grows American people and our leaders
The
Anti-War
Movement
SEs: 2B, 8D, 8E, 8F, 20A, 21A
State Standards
21A (r)
Analyze the effects of landmark US Supreme Court
decisions, including Brown v Board of Education,
and other US Supreme Court decisions such as
Plessy v Ferguson, Hernandez v Texas, Tinker v Des
Moines, Wisconsin v Yoder, and White v Regester.
8E (s)
Analyze the major issues and events of the Vietnam
War such as the Tet Offensive, the escalation of
forces, Vietnamization, and the fall of Saigon.
8F (r)
Describe the responses to the Vietnam War such as
the draft, the 26th Amendment, the role of the media,
the credibility gap, the silent majority, and the antiwar movement.
Doves vs. Hawks
American society was divided between “doves”
– those who wanted the U.S. out of the war – and
“hawks” – those who supported the war .
Doves wanted the United States to get out of
Vietnam and saw the conflict as a civil war. They
believed the U.S. was fighting an immoral war.
War Hawks
“Hawks” felt the United States was justified in
fighting the war because we were protecting
democracy and stopping the spread of communism.
The Credibility Gap
Robert McNamara
Opposition to the
Vietnam War grew in
the United States in
the late 1960s
Many Americans
were suspicious of
the government’s
truthfulness about
the war
William Westmoreland
Many Americans believed a credibility gap
had developed (people lost trust in what the
government was telling them)
Draft Lottery Begins
During the Vietnam War, the U.S. government
began the very unpopular practice of drafting
young American men into the U.S. military.
The Draft
Many Americans who were against the war
believed the United States had an unfair draft
system because it targeted minorities and poor.
The Draft
Many men refused to go into the military. As a
sign of protest, many burned their draft cards or
dodged the draft by leaving the country.
Some folks are born made to wave the flag,
ooh, they're red, white and blue.
And when the band plays "Hail To The Chief",
oh, they point the cannon at you, Lord,
It ain't me, it ain't me,
I ain't no senator's son,
It ain't me, it ain't me,
I ain't no fortunate
one, no,
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand,
Lord, don't they help themselves? oh.
But when the taxman come to the door,
Lord, the house look a like a rummage sale, yes,
It ain't me, it ain't me,
I ain't no millionaire's son, no, no.
It ain't me, it ain't me,
I ain't no fortunate one, no.
Yeh, some folks inherit star spangled eyes,
ooh, they send you down to war, Lord,
And when you ask them, how much should we give,
oh, they only answer, more, more, more, yoh,
It ain't me, it ain't me,
I ain't no military son, SON, NO
It ain't me, it ain't me,
I ain't no fortunate one, NO NO
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, no no no,
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate son, son son son
Anti-War Protests Escalate
Nowhere was the discontent more visible than on
college campuses, where young Americans constantly
protested U.S. involvement in the Vietnam war.
Free Speech Movement
The Free Speech Movement began at the
University of California, Berkeley, in 1964 was a
major starting point for the anti-war movement.
Free Speech Movement
Movement began when the Univ. of
California restricted students’
rights to distribute literature to
people for political causes
Students held a
sit-in at the
administration
building. More
than 700
students were
arrested.
Student Protests
During the Vietnam
War, SDS – the
Students for a
Democratic Society
– is created
SDS was a student activist movement that was
one of the main voices of those who opposed
the War in Vietnam.
Anti-War Protests
At anti-war protests, many young people
chanted “Hell no, we won’t go.”
Anti-War Protests
Another chant that was often used was “Hey,
Hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?”
Tinker v. Des Moines
In 1965, John F. Tinker, his younger sister, and a
friend decided to wear black armbands to their
school in protest of the Vietnam War.
Tinker v. Des Moines
They were suspended from school for doing so,
so they sued the school district, saying their
First Amendment rights were being violated.
Tinker v. Des Moines
In 1969, in the case of Tinker v. Des Moines, the U.S.
Supreme Court ruled that wearing the armbands to
school to protest the war was protected by their First
Amendment right to freedom of speech and expression.
My Lai Massacre
March 28, 1968
An American platoon massacred over 200 South
Vietnamese civilians who they thought were
Vietcong in a village called My Lai.
My Lai Massacre
March 28, 1968
Most of the victims of the My Lai Massacre were
old men, women and children.
My Lai Massacre
March 28, 1968
The My Lai massacre increased feelings among many
Americans that the war was brutal and senseless.
LBJ Drops Out of Race
President Johnson refuses to run for
re-election in the Election of 1968
"I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my
party for another term as your President." March 31, 1968
Impact of media on war
The media – newspapers, radio, and television –
had a great influence on shaping public opinion
during the conflict in Vietnam.
Impact of media on war
The Vietnam War was the first war where
people saw video footage of a war being fought
on their TV screens during the nightly news.
Impact of media on war
Around 90 percent of nightly news
broadcasts was about the war in Vietnam.
Impact of media on war
The television coverage from Vietnam showed
people the ugliness of warfare and helped to
turn many people against the war.
Television impact on war
When, after the Tet Offensive, CBS anchorman
Walter Cronkite said that the war was
unwinnable, most Americans believed him.
Television impact on war
After hearing Cronkite’s comment, LBJ said “If
I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost Middle America.”
Small group purposeful talk
What role do you think the media
plays today in coverage of conflicts
involving the United States?
Independent Practice
I will write a essay describing the role of
television during the Vietnam War and its
role in igniting the anti-war movement.