Vietnam Protests

Unit Objective To understand the causes and impact of the protest movement nationally and in Wisconsin through discussion

The Peace Movement Most protestors were white, middle class Group that became protestors for the first time over Vietnam: COLLEGE STUDENTS

-Why do you think protests were more successful with that group?

Were college deferments unfair? Many African Americans considered college deferments (exemptions from the draft) to be unfair because most African Americans could not afford to go to or stay in college

Arguments against further U.S. involvement in Vietnam

Tactics of the Movement:

UW-Madison October 1967 Student protests against DOW Chemical Company (made Napalm) and the Army Recruiting Center that was on campus Gained national attention

UW-Madison Sterling Hall, 1970 Army Math Research Center was bombed by four people with a truck bomb Impact:

Sterling Hall

Karl Armstrong was arrested in February, 1972 in Toronto and was sentence to 23 years in prison; He served seven years of his sentence; He runs a juice cart in Madison today Dwight Armstrong was arrested in Toronto in April, 1977; Sentenced to seven years in prison and served three; Died of lung cancer in June, 2010 at the age of 58

David Fine fled to Canada and later returned to the U. S David Fine fled to Canada and later returned to the U.S.; He was arrested in San Rafael, CA in January, 1976; Sentenced to seven years in prison and served three Leo Burt fled to Canada with Fine, they separated; He has never been captured

Kent State May, 1970 Ohio college students were protesting the invasion of Cambodia and National Guard troops fired into the crowd killing four and wounding nine There had been recent violence associated with the protests The actual reason the Guardsmen opened fire is still debated Some Guardsmen were indicted but charges were dismissed; Ohio did settle a lawsuit for wrongful death

Kent State

Kent State

Events that led to an increase in protests of the war My Lai Massacre (Nov. 1969): Led many Americans to turn on the soldiers and call them “baby killers” Tet Offensive (Jan. 1968): Major offensive by the Vietcong into S. Vietnam at a time the U.S. government said the war was almost over—The offensive failed (U.S. troops pushed the Vietcong back), but it increased the “Credibility Gap” (people did not believe what the government said about the war)

Nixon’s invasions into Cambodia (April 1970): Illegal because they were not authorized by Congress and crossed into sovereign nations not involved in the war Release of the Pentagon Papers (1971): Former government worker Daniel Ellsberg released papers that proved the government had been lying to the people about Vietnam