protesting
Not all Americans were happy with their nation’s involvement in the starting events of the Vietnam war, as protests grew from a few pacifists and leftist professors to major anti-war events on college campuses and larger bodies of people. The American troops began to attack North Vietnam, determined to stop the spread of communism, found two of their own ships attacked by Vietnamese torpedoes.
In August of 1964, President Lyndon Johnson retaliated with the order of military bombings in Northern Vietnam, which eventually grew into regular bombings. As most of the protesting began with college students, the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was formed and created “teach-ins” to communicate their opposition to the US involvement in the war. These leftists were often joined by the hippies of the time, who were against any kind of structured government in general to begin with. As the war progressed, American deaths and injuries surpassed the 124,000 mark, and cost roughly $25 million per year. As 400,000 men began to be called for service each month, this was the final straw and the spark that ignited the biggest anti-war event yet. 100,000 activists met and 30,000 protesters marched in Washington D.C. on October 21st of 1967, resulting in a mass arrest of many involved, including the author of “The Armies of the Night”, Norman Mailer. Another public figure who spoke out against the morals of the war was Martin Luther King Jr., especially in regards to the mass African American casualties.
Eventually, these protestors’ efforts were referenced in President Nixon’s speech of November 1969, where he stated that their few but loud voices should not drown out the rest of the “content, silent America”. Unfortunately, Nixon’s action in the war only increased the divided opinions of the American people. Intensified violence in protests occurred, like when the national guard opened fire at a group of anti-war activists spoke out against the U.S raid in Cambodia resulting in four deaths. After the creation and publication of the Pentagon Papers, more Americans started to less enthousiastic about their troops in Vietnam, as the paper revealed more costs and casualties. As a result, Nixon stopped American involvement in January of 1973.
In August of 1964, President Lyndon Johnson retaliated with the order of military bombings in Northern Vietnam, which eventually grew into regular bombings. As most of the protesting began with college students, the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was formed and created “teach-ins” to communicate their opposition to the US involvement in the war. These leftists were often joined by the hippies of the time, who were against any kind of structured government in general to begin with. As the war progressed, American deaths and injuries surpassed the 124,000 mark, and cost roughly $25 million per year. As 400,000 men began to be called for service each month, this was the final straw and the spark that ignited the biggest anti-war event yet. 100,000 activists met and 30,000 protesters marched in Washington D.C. on October 21st of 1967, resulting in a mass arrest of many involved, including the author of “The Armies of the Night”, Norman Mailer. Another public figure who spoke out against the morals of the war was Martin Luther King Jr., especially in regards to the mass African American casualties.
Eventually, these protestors’ efforts were referenced in President Nixon’s speech of November 1969, where he stated that their few but loud voices should not drown out the rest of the “content, silent America”. Unfortunately, Nixon’s action in the war only increased the divided opinions of the American people. Intensified violence in protests occurred, like when the national guard opened fire at a group of anti-war activists spoke out against the U.S raid in Cambodia resulting in four deaths. After the creation and publication of the Pentagon Papers, more Americans started to less enthousiastic about their troops in Vietnam, as the paper revealed more costs and casualties. As a result, Nixon stopped American involvement in January of 1973.