As the death toll increased and Americans learned more about the Vietnam War through the media, starting around the mid-1960s and throughout the early 1970s there were many organized protests present around the United States universities. From the violent protest of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, to the peaceful protests of the University of Iowa and Western Illinois University, to the tragedy in Kent State University, university students were trying to create change and end the bloody Vietnam War. During the 1960s, the University of Wisconsin-Madison gained a reputation as one of the nation's most radical campuses in the United States. Through the 1960s, faculties and teachers of the University of Wisconsin-Madison organize meetings
The Vietnam War played a huge role in the 1960’s, over 50,000 people were killed, and the war began from a dispute from two colonies. Vietnam came apart along with Korea by an agreement of the north and the south. When John F Kennedy became president there were problems between Soviet Union and the United States. Cold war was getting worse and worse; President Eisenhower had to resolve the issues with berlin and Dictator Fidel Castro. These conflicts would eventually lead to a cordial resolution. The progressive political organization did not last long they went about a lot of things violently.
On May 1 1970 a massive demonstration was held at Kent State, on the Commons (a grassy area in the center of campus that is used as a gathering place for rallies) and another one was planned for May 4. The students were angry and there were many who were calling to "bring the war home."
America got involved in the vietnam war because they didn't want another country going to communism. The French asked The U.S.A. to join the war because they needed help, and the U.S. has been an ally with the french since the revolutionary war. The viet cong were terrorizing people forcing the countries to become communists. This is in my top five list of history that has happened to america because America suffered great losses.
On April 30th, 1970 the current president Richard Nixon announced that the American forces would expand the Vietnam War into Cambodia. The expansion angered many Americans and a demonstration was held on May 1st on Kent State University and then later agreed to be held again on May 4th. Beside the Universities efforts to ban the gathering, two thousand students attended to protest the Vietnam war. The Ohio Army National Guard was called to the university to disperse the crowd. The crowd retaliated with throwing rocks and other
This article provides a brief overview of the history of student activism up to-and including-the 1970s. It emphasized how fervent and militant the movements were during different time periods. The focus of the article was on the militant 1960s and the passive 1970s. Altbach found that the lack of student activism in the 1970s was caused by the increase of religious organizations, the decreased population of college-age students, the presence of an economic recession, and the lack of political issues that lend themselves to activism. He also noted that there were no active conservative
The 1960's were a time of radical change in the society of America. A sense of liberalism could be felt though out the counting during the middle of the decade. The infamous Vietnam War and the new alternative culture were pushing the United States towards a time of liberalism and a nationwide rebellion against the social norms. The first combat forces were sent to Da Nang in 1965, by a formally anti war President, Lyndon B Johnson. The question of why the United States was engaging in a war between North and South Vietnam was raised. Anti war rebellions sprouted up all across the country, all asking the same question, “What are we fighting for?” This alternative culture started to develop though out America. Men, women, youth and
The Vietnam War was first derived from the gradual oppression of the communist party of the north over the region of South Vietnam. The North Communist party was supported mainly by China and the Soviet Union whiles the Anti-Communist party of South Vietnam was supported by United States and France. The communist party group, as known as the Viet Cong, was recognized for their guerilla war strategies within the region of South Vietnam, intended to fully expand and unify Vietnam under Communist rule. U.S. involvement with the Vietnam War starting in November 1, 1955, develops from the theory of the domino effect, stating that if one country falls into communism, a threat that can develop into the encouragement and spread of communism throughout the world in the future. It is basically viewed as a potential harm to the welfare of the United Sates. Therefore, due to the conflicting forces of the historical, political, economic and cultural nature of the war itself, it is known to be the longest enduring war in United States history that altered many lives of the Vietnamese and American community, leading to suffrage and acts of courage.
The main reason for many college protests was the unpopular Vietnam War and the American people’s increasing disinterest in being involved in the war. By the late 1960’s the American people had become disillusioned with the war, several scandals had been leaked, shedding a negative light on the war. One event that disillusioned the American people was the Tet offensive, where in January 1968 the North Vietnamese had success in surprise attacking American bases in the South. Back home many people were beginning to hate the war, as anti-war sentiment spread. One of the breeding grounds for anti-war sentiment was universes, where young Americans let their feelings on the war be heard. May 4, 1970, and many Americans are angered by the spreading
By 1965 together with the staging of massive demonstrations, the teach in wave and draft protests by students, the anti-war movement in universities continued to evidence the war as a major political issue and kept it in national spotlight (Hall 127). Although it might not have seemed apparent at the time of the protests, the sustained activism against the war, maintained the vast pressure on the administrations to bring the conflict to a close
However, the brunt of the movements was concentrated on college campuses, through events called “teach-ins”. At these events, students became informed about the Vietnam War and the origins of it (Nicole L. Thompson). As teach-ins started to become more popular across the country, students launched vocalized and strong opposition towards the war in Vietnam (Thompson). Teach-ins on college campuses were critical in helping motivate people into active dissent, protests, and opinions opposing the Vietnam war. The Cold War and the Vietnam War, among other political events, sparked opposition and protest which fueled the 1960s counterculture movement in America.
Many social movements were taking place in the US while the Vietnam war going on. In early 1960 black college students in Greensboro, North Carolina sat in on a “white’s only” lunch counter, as similar sit-ins began to happen in other southern cities too. One year later the Freedom Rides that supported integration in transportation, started taking place on buses. In late 1963, men and women gathered in Washington DC for a “March on Washington” protest where they fought for freedom, justice and equality, and expressed concerns over
The Vietnam War was one of the bloodiest wars in the history of Vietnam. Vietnam use to be a peaceful country until the idea of communism started spreading across Vietnam. Many wanted to stay democratic but saw what happened to the Germans and started to lean towards communism. Many also wanted to stay democratic and still had it hopes high that it will soon get their lives and economy back on track.
In 1969, there was a series of global disruptions caused by people’s dissatisfaction with governments that hadn’t lived up to their promises, and a rise in police brutality to control these disruptions led to an animosity that separated the people and their leaders. These protests were often made possible by institutions of higher education, as these allowed young people to mobilize. For instance, in Berkeley, a diverse college population allowed student leaders like Mario Savio, and newspapers like the Berkeley Barb to mobilize people (Suri 168-69). Organizations like the Black Panther Party turned these protests violent, which became a common theme worldwide. In West Berlin, the Free University mobilized students who feared that the violence
Blood, gore, intense combat, little sleep, death. These are some words that describe the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War had 240 days of combat in one year. World War II had forty days of combat in four years(Interesting Facts). That statistic shows how rough the Vietnam War was. The fighting was constant between the two sides. This war was fought over politics and had many gruesome battles.
The antiwar movement became a mass crusade in which millions of Americans participated. It involved people of all ages, organized in hundreds of diverse local and national groups, including the National Mobilization to End the War in Vietnam, Clergy and Laymen Concerned about Vietnam, Women Strike for Peace, Resistance, American Friends Service Committee, and Business Executives Move for a Vietnam Peace. Among student groups, the SDS played a vital role. While antiwar activists came from all elements of American society, most were white, middle class, and well educated. Colleges and universities were among the most important sites of antiwar activism.