Divide Over Divide Over WarWar Pro-war and antiwar Pro-war and antiwar

groups attacked each groups attacked each other with increasing other with increasing anger over Vietnamanger over Vietnam

Antiwar protestorsAntiwar protestors (sometimes (sometimes known as known as “doves”“doves”) called ) called Johnson and his Johnson and his supporters “killers”supporters “killers”

Pro-warPro-war groups groups (sometimes (sometimes known as known as “hawks”“hawks”) called the ) called the protestors “traitors”protestors “traitors”

The The generation gap generation gap continued to split continued to split America over the warAmerica over the war

Anti-War Anti-War ProtestorsProtestors Protestors believed Protestors believed

there was a civil war in there was a civil war in Vietnam that should not Vietnam that should not involve the USinvolve the US

They were concerned They were concerned that the cost of US that the cost of US commitment to Vietnam commitment to Vietnam hurt domestic programs hurt domestic programs at homeat home

They condemned the They condemned the devastation and lives devastation and lives lost on both sides of the lost on both sides of the warwar

CountercultureCounterculture The The youth counterculture youth counterculture

movement rejected traditional movement rejected traditional American valuesAmerican values

They wore torn blue jeans and They wore torn blue jeans and the men had long hairthe men had long hair

New popular music New popular music communicated their ideascommunicated their ideas

Some young people refused to Some young people refused to follow customary social roles follow customary social roles of study, work, and familyof study, work, and family

They rejected the competition They rejected the competition for material goods and for material goods and personal successpersonal success

DraftDraft Law requiredLaw required all men to all men to

register for register for thethe draftdraft when they turned 18 when they turned 18 toto supply soldiers for the supply soldiers for the warwar

Draft boards had the Draft boards had the power to give people power to give people defermentsdeferments that that excused them for the excused them for the draftdraft, for such reasons , for such reasons as being full-time as being full-time college students (mostly college students (mostly the middle class)the middle class)

Therefore more soldiers Therefore more soldiers came from poor or came from poor or working class familiesworking class families

OppositionOpposition Anti-war groups wanted to Anti-war groups wanted to

force an end to the draft to force an end to the draft to stop the supply of soldiers stop the supply of soldiers being deployedbeing deployed

Many argued the draft Many argued the draft discriminated against the discriminated against the poorpoor

Some protestorsSome protestors were were “conscientious objectors”, “conscientious objectors”, claiming their moral or claiming their moral or religious beliefs prevented religious beliefs prevented them from fighting in the them from fighting in the warwar

Others Others burned their draft burned their draft cardscards – Congress – Congress responded by making that responded by making that a crimea crime

Growing ProtestGrowing Protest Over 50,000 people Over 50,000 people

marched to the marched to the Pentagon to protest Pentagon to protest the war in 1967the war in 1967

The Secret Service The Secret Service feared for Johnson’s feared for Johnson’s safety and urged him safety and urged him not to speak in publicnot to speak in public

Johnson started to Johnson started to only speak in front of only speak in front of sympathetic crowdssympathetic crowds

USS PuebloUSS Pueblo In January 1968 In January 1968 North Korean boats North Korean boats

seized the USSseized the USS Pueblo Pueblo, a navy spy , a navy spy ship in international waters off the ship in international waters off the coast of Koreacoast of Korea

News that a foreign country captured News that a foreign country captured a US ship and its crew shocked the a US ship and its crew shocked the countrycountry

Tet OffensiveTet Offensive In January 1968 the North Vietnamese and In January 1968 the North Vietnamese and

Vietcong launched attacks in South Vietnam Vietcong launched attacks in South Vietnam starting on the Vietnamese new year (Tet)starting on the Vietnamese new year (Tet)

Tet Offensive targeted US military bases and Tet Offensive targeted US military bases and major South Vietnam citiesmajor South Vietnam cities

Vietcong troops raided the US embassy in SaigonVietcong troops raided the US embassy in Saigon US and South Vietnamese troops finally drove the US and South Vietnamese troops finally drove the

Vietcong back and killed thousands of Vietcong, Vietcong back and killed thousands of Vietcong, forcing North Vietnam to take a larger share of forcing North Vietnam to take a larger share of the fightingthe fighting

Impact Back Impact Back HomeHome Tet Offensive was a Tet Offensive was a

turning point in the warturning point in the war and turned more and turned more Americans against the Americans against the war and Johnsonwar and Johnson

Images over TV of Images over TV of Vietcong guerrillas killing Vietcong guerrillas killing Americans in the embassy Americans in the embassy shocked Americans and shocked Americans and made them doubt army made them doubt army statements about winning statements about winning the warthe war

Many believed the army Many believed the army was losing ground and was losing ground and few people trusted few people trusted Johnson administration Johnson administration statements – a credibility statements – a credibility gapgap

Political Political OppositionOpposition Johnson faced challenges Johnson faced challenges

in his own partyin his own party In late 1967 Democratic In late 1967 Democratic

Senator Senator Eugene Eugene McCarthyMcCarthy (MN) (MN) announced he announced he would run would run for presidentfor president for his party for his party as a protest against the as a protest against the warwar

He was not well-known He was not well-known but performed well in but performed well in early primariesearly primaries

Later, Later, antiwar candidate antiwar candidate Robert F. KennedyRobert F. Kennedy, a , a Senator from New York, Senator from New York, announced he would also announced he would also seek the nominationseek the nomination

Johnson’s ReactionJohnson’s Reaction General William General William

Westmoreland in charge of Westmoreland in charge of VietnamVietnam requested more requested more troops after the Tet Offensive, troops after the Tet Offensive, but Johnson wanted to but Johnson wanted to reevaluate the war, and his reevaluate the war, and his own campaignown campaign

On March 31On March 31stst, 1968, Johnson , 1968, Johnson announced on TV he would announced on TV he would stop bombing North stop bombing North Vietnamese cities and asked Vietnamese cities and asked North Vietnam to do the same North Vietnam to do the same so peace talks could beginso peace talks could begin

He concluded by saying “I He concluded by saying “I shall not seek, and I will not shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your party for another term as your president.”president.”

PrimariesPrimaries Vice President Hubert Vice President Hubert

Humphrey alsoHumphrey also then then sought sought the nominationthe nomination, but he , but he avoided the primaries and avoided the primaries and gathered support among gathered support among Democratic Party leaders, Democratic Party leaders, who chose the delegates in who chose the delegates in some statessome states

RFK edged out McCarthy in RFK edged out McCarthy in many primaries but McCarthy many primaries but McCarthy rebounded in Oregonrebounded in Oregon

In June 1968, In June 1968, RFK won RFK won CaliforniaCalifornia, the state with the , the state with the most delegates, most delegates, but that night but that night an assassin shot and killed an assassin shot and killed himhim, not long after Martin , not long after Martin Luther King’s assassinationLuther King’s assassination

Democratic Democratic ConventionConvention

By the time the Democrats By the time the Democrats had their convention in had their convention in Chicago, Humphrey Chicago, Humphrey seemed to have enough seemed to have enough votes to win, but he was a votes to win, but he was a supporter of Johnson’s supporter of Johnson’s Vietnam policies and was Vietnam policies and was linked to the pro-war linked to the pro-war movementmovement

Thousands of antiwar Thousands of antiwar activistsactivists went towent to Chicago Chicago to to protestprotest

Chicago’s mayor Richard J. Chicago’s mayor Richard J. Daley feared violence and Daley feared violence and had the police out in forcehad the police out in force

RiotsRiots On the third day of the On the third day of the

convention, protestors planned convention, protestors planned to march to the convention site to march to the convention site but police blocked them at the but police blocked them at the hall, then blocked them in hall, then blocked them in another directionanother direction

Protestors pelted the police Protestors pelted the police with sticks and bottles; the with sticks and bottles; the police threw tear gas and beat police threw tear gas and beat or arrested manyor arrested many

Humphrey won the nomination Humphrey won the nomination but TV showed the violence but TV showed the violence outside the hall and the anger outside the hall and the anger inside, damaging his candidacyinside, damaging his candidacy

Third PartyThird Party Alabama Governor Alabama Governor George George

Wallace ran on a “law and Wallace ran on a “law and order” themeorder” theme as a third-as a third-party candidateparty candidate

He promised to crack down He promised to crack down on the “long-hair, draft on the “long-hair, draft card-burning youth” and card-burning youth” and criticized efforts to integrate criticized efforts to integrate schools by busing studentsschools by busing students

His tough stand on law and His tough stand on law and order and appeal to racial order and appeal to racial fears attracted many votersfears attracted many voters

NixonNixon Republican nominee, former Vice President Republican nominee, former Vice President

Richard Nixon, pledged to represent the “silent Richard Nixon, pledged to represent the “silent majority”majority” – the quiet voice of most Americans – the quiet voice of most Americans who were not demonstratorswho were not demonstrators

Wanted people to be free from domestic Wanted people to be free from domestic violence and return to law and orderviolence and return to law and order

Promised he would achieve “peace with honor” Promised he would achieve “peace with honor” in Vietnam but did not provide details on howin Vietnam but did not provide details on how

1968 Election Results1968 Election Results

Nixon: 301 Electoral Votes; 43.2%Nixon: 301 Electoral Votes; 43.2% Humphrey: 191 Electoral Votes; 42.6%Humphrey: 191 Electoral Votes; 42.6% Wallace: 46 Electoral Votes; 12.9%Wallace: 46 Electoral Votes; 12.9%