1968- Year of Infamy

Tet- (Review) Height of American Troop involvement General Westmoreland had misled the public ‘the end begins to come into view’ Tet Holiday- end of January

70,000 VC and NVA launch massive attacks U.S. embassy in Saigon City of Hue Attacked more than 100 towns

___________ victory for the U.S., but a ________________nightmare!

New Info- Art Buchwald and Walter Cronkite (famous TV news anchors) turned against the war. - ‘it is unwinnable’ LBJ’s popularity slipped

1968 was also an election year… Robert Kennedy Eugene McCarthy

LBJ Decided Not to Run for Reelection Anti-war democratic senator Eugene McCarthy almost won the first primary (New Hampshire) Why so startling? This encouraged anti-war senator Robert Kennedy to enter the race LBJ announced his decision not to seek the 1968 democratic presidential nomination http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-FibDxpkb0 (start at 4:15) Hubert Humphrey (LBJ’s VP, LBJ light) kinda anti-war, but not really Challenge against an incumbent from within his own party - not really a good image to give your party- ‘We’ve mangled things so badly that we need to change course in the middle’ – hands election to Nixon

As the 1968 Campaign Continued, America Descended Into Chaotic Hell 1960s Civil Rights Assassinations Anti-war Protests The 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago

Civil Rights 50s and 60s were an explosive time in the African American struggle for equal rights Prompted by distinguished black service in WWII Tuskegee Airmen Benchmarks Rosa Parks Brown v Board of Education Watts Riots Civil Rights Act of 1964 March on Washington I have a dream Rioting in Selma and Montgomery Black children killed in a firebombing of a church in Birmingham (more on Civil Rights in a later unit)

Civil Rights in 1968 (cont.) Orangeburg Massacre Police broke up a protest at an all-white bowling alley in South Carolina 3 black students were killed Howard University shut down by black militants Claim ‘America is the black man’s battleground’ Double burden

Civil Rights (cont.) Shootout in Oakland between police and Black Panthers Black militants shoot it out with police in Cleveland, Ohio Black American Olympians stripped of medals after ‘black power’ salute

Assassinations

MLK assassinated Led to riots throughout the country

Robert Kennedy Assassinated

Anti-War Protests Swelled

Riots on Columbia Campus Protests against University ties to Military-Industrial Complex (making napalm, etc.)

Vietnam War Protests (cont.) The Catonsville Nine entered Selective Service offices Maryland, took dozens of draft records, and burned them with napalm

Democratic Convention in Chicago

Democratic National Convention- Context It became clear that the Democratic Convention was going to become a flash point for pro-anti Vietnam War sentiment Convention would be selecting either a pro-war candidate (Humphrey) or an anti-war candidate (McCarthy) It was expected that hundreds of thousands of protestors would make their way to Chicago

Denied permits to protestors Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley publicly criticized the cautious handling of the riots that followed King's assassination. He said he was giving the police specific instructions "to shoot to kill any arsonist and to shoot to maim or cripple anyone looting.“ Denied permits to protestors Protestors came anyway

Cointelpro FBI program to keep tabs on ‘dissidents’ Tapped MLK and tried to blackmail him into stopping his marches Infiltrated anti-war groups Sometimes even inspired them to MORE radical action. Does this makes sense? Gives police an excuse to crack down on protest

Violence at the Convention is Caught on Cameras

Humphrey (LBJ’s VP) is Nominated The Convention showed that the Democratic Party was in poor shape. Nixon won the election in Nov.

Nixon Nixon campaigned on a "law and order" theme appealed to many voters afraid of the far left (goddamned hippies!) and concerned about the riots and demonstrations that had accompanied the Civil Rights movement and the anti-war movemen Nixon also said that he had a secret plan to end the Vietnam War ???

Hansen. Name ___________________ Vietnam. 1968- Year of Infamy Hansen Name ___________________ Vietnam 1968- Year of Infamy! Note-taking Guide Tet Review Art Buchwald and Walter Cronkite (______________________) turned against the war. - ‘it is _____________’ LBJ’s _____________________________ LBJ Decided Not to _____________________________ Anti-war democratic senator ___________________ almost won _____________________ (New Hampshire) Why so startling? _________________________ _________________________________________ This encouraged anti-war senator ___________________ to enter the race LBJ _______________________________________ not to seek the 1968 democratic presidential nomination Why so startling? ________________________ ______________________________________ Hubert Humphrey (LBJ’s VP, _______________) ____________________________________ As the 1968 Campaign Continued, America Descended Into _____________________________________ 1960s Civil Rights Assassinations Anti-war Protests The 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago Civil Rights _______________________________________________ time in the African American struggle for equal rights Prompted by distinguished black service in ________ _________________Airmen Benchmarks Rosa Parks Brown v Board of Education Watts Riots Civil Rights Act of 1964 March on Washington I have a dream Rioting in Selma and Montgomery Black children killed in a firebombing of a church in Birmingham Orangeburg Massacre Police broke up a protest at an all-white bowling alley in South Carolina ________________________________________ Howard University shut down by _______________ Claim ‘_________ is the black man’s battleground’ Double burden - ___________________________ Shootout in ________ between police and Black Panthers Black militants shoot it out with police in ______________ Black American _______________________________ after ‘black power’ salute Assassinations MLK assassinated ___________assassinated Anti-War Protests Swelled Riots on _________________________________ Protests against University ties to ____________ ___________________ (making napalm, etc.) The Catonsville Nine entered Selective Service offices Maryland, took dozens of draft records, and ___________ ____________________________________________ Democratic National Convention- Context It became clear that the Democratic Convention was going to become a __________________for pro-anti Vietnam War sentiment Convention would be selecting either a _________ candidate (Humphrey) or an __________ candidate (McCarthy)

It was expected that hundreds of thousands _____ ________________ would make their way to Chicago Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley publicly criticized ______ _____________________________________________ ______________________________________________. He said he was giving the police specific instructions "to shoot to kill any arsonist and to shoot to maim or cripple anyone looting.“ ___________________________________________ Protestors came anyway Cointelpro FBI program to keep tabs ____________________ ________________________________________ _____________________ and tried to blackmail him into stopping his marches Infiltrated anti-war groups Sometimes even inspired _____________ _____________________________. Does this makes sense? Gave police __________________________ ___________________________________ Violence at the Convention is Caught on _________ ________________________________ Nominated at Convention The Convention showed that the Democratic Party was ___ _______________________________________________ _________________ won the election in Nov. Nixon Nixon campaigned on a “______________________" theme appealed to many voters afraid of the far left (_________________________!) and concerned about the ____________________________ that had accompanied the Civil Rights movement and the anti-war movemen Nixon also said that he had ________________ _____________________ to end the Vietnam War ??? - _________________________________ ______________________________________