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1968

1968. America tears itself apart. Tension Building. “Doves” vs.. “Hawks”. Vietnam Antiwar movement becomes more popular Martin Luther King, Jr Robert Kennedy Eugene McCarthy. The Tet Offensive. January 1968 NLF and DRV launch coordinated attacks against major SV cities

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1968

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  1. 1968 America tears itself apart

  2. Tension Building “Doves” vs.. “Hawks” • Vietnam • Antiwar movement becomes more popular • Martin Luther King, Jr • Robert Kennedy • Eugene McCarthy

  3. The Tet Offensive • January 1968 • NLF and DRV launch coordinated attacks against major SV cities • NLF wants to convince US to come to bargaining table

  4. US Troops fight off Viet Cong at Hue Tet Offensive • January 1968: 60% of Americans support the war • March 1968: Only 41% • Johnson losing the war at home TV Journalist Walter Cronkite at Hue

  5. My Lai • March 18, 1968 • US Soldiers massacre 347 villagers • After Tet offensive • Soldiers on high alert • Considered revenge killings for Tet Offensive • Initially covered up, but when story broke support for war diminished sharply

  6. LBJ Withdraws “LBJ, LBJ, How many kids did you kill today?” - Popular Protest Chant • March 31, 1968 • Eugene McCarthy had just won New Hampshire primary with 42% of vote • LBJ announces “de-escalation” • Also announces that he will neither seek nor accept the nomination for a second term

  7. Tension Building • Counterculture • Hippies • Recreational drugs • Music • “Drop Out”

  8. Tension Building • Civil Rights • Race riots in Newark and Detroit • Many new civil rights leaders begin to advocate: • Use of violent protest • Black-only movements • Black Panthers

  9. King Assassination “When white America killed Dr. King, she declared war on us.” - Stokely Carmichael • April 4, 1968 • Martin Luther King, Jr. killed • James Earl Ray is suspected assassin • Stokely Carmichael leads riot in Washington, DC King shortly before assassination King family at MLK’s coffin James Earl Ray

  10. Students Occupy Columbia • April 23, 1968 • Mark Rudd • Chairman of Columbia Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) • Police crack down • 150 protesters injured, 700 arrested

  11. RFK Assassination • June 5, 1968 • Robert Kennedy wins California primary • After victory speech is shot by Sirhan Sirhan • To protest US support for Israel • RFK dies the following day Kennedy giving victory speech Americans become disenchanted and cynical –maybe some things will never change? Kennedy wounded after shooting Sirhan Sirhan

  12. Yippie Movement “Sacred cows make the tastiest hamburger” - Attributed to Abbie Hoffman • Abbie Hoffman • Youth International Party • Guerilla Theatrics – “Groucho Marxists” • Hoffman announce Yippies going to Chicago to protest Democratic Convention

  13. Democratic Convention • August 28, 1968 • Yippies “Festival of Life” • Mayor Richard Daly orders crackdown on protests • Hoffman and others tried for conspiracy – found innocent • Hubert Humphrey becomes Democratic nominee “With George McGovern as President we wouldn’t have Gestapo tactics in the street of Chicago” - Sen. Abraham Ribikoff

  14. Nixon Elected • November 5, 1968 • Richard Nixon (Republican) • 43.4% • Hubert Humphrey (Democrat) • 42.7% • George Wallace (Independent) • 13.5%

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