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Why 1968 Was The Turning Point

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Why 1968 was the Turning Point for the United States When people hear about the sixties, they automatically think about hippies. Completely blocking out the year of 1968. This was a year full of cutting-edge events and crisis. Crisis as in an unstable and indecisive changes. It wasn’t the whole globe that was suffering, just American society. From the Tet Offensive to the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. and then the Civil Rights protests and riots. The year was definitely a year of catastrophe for American society. The Vietnam War started in 1961 in an attempt to stop the spread of communism. The biggest attack was in 1968 when the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese suddenly launched their strongest offensive. This offensive was carried out on the Vietnamese New Year's holiday called, "Tet." The Viet Cong and North Vietnamese attacked over one hundred cities …show more content…

Kennedy is shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after winning the California presidential primary. Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan. The bullet didn’t kill him immediately, but wounded him and he died a day later. Sirhan stated that he was furious at Kennedy for pledging support to Israel against the Palestinians. Even though Sirhan claims to this day, that he was not mentally aware that he shot RFK or having any plans to shoot Kennedy. Although the assassination of Kennedy isn’t the only one in 1968. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed on April 4, 1968, only three months before Kennedy. He was also shot, but by a sniper while standing on the second-floor balcony at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was murdered because someone disagreed with his and knew he was rising up, gaining power and influence. Another reason was because he was African-American, fighting for freedom and equal rights. When King's death spread, violent riots broke out in African-American neighborhoods. This really gave the push to more civil right

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