1. The Vietnam War at Home and the counterculture
Chapter 31 Sec 3

2. Student Activism
In the 1960’s more kids were able to go to college rather than having to get a job.
Younger people started to rebel more against their parents and society causing the generation gap.
Young people formed the New Left that wanted radical changes in America.

3. The Generation Gap
The 1950’s was a time of community where the 1960’s was about the individual.
The Hippies became the icon of the 60s. They valued peace, freedom and love over all else.
They dressed different, were open with sexual relationship and used recreational drugs. They created a counterculture.

4. Woodstock
The most famous gathering of the counterculture movement. Held in a field in New York rock bands played for the crowd of over 400,000.
The police did not enforce drug or nudity laws and no real violence occurred in Woodstock.
However at Altamont another Woodstock like festival the Hells Angels (motorcycle gang) beat a man to death who tried to come to the stage with a gun.

6. The Free Speech Movement
In colleges such as Berkley students began to protest more and demand more from society.
In Berkley students rebelled when they were not allowed to hand out political pamphlets.
They took over the school administration office and surrounded police cars blocking them from moving.

7. Objection to War
When a draft was called for males between the ages of a small number refused to go.
Teach ins were called to discuss the war although the doves dominated the conversation.
A select few Americans refused to go to the war even when drafted they called themselves conscientious objectors.

8. Who could be drafted?
Males between the ages of could be drafted.
If you were in college you could receive a deferment or official postponement before you had to go.
If your grades were too low you lost your deferment.

9. Right to Protest?
The 1960’s saw a huge increase in protests especially at colleges.
The question is how much was too much?
In 1968 student protestors at Colombia University took over the Presidents office and refused to let him in. The police were called and they still refused to leave. Many were arrested and the school was forced to close early.

10. LBJ decides not to run
After the Tet Offensive most American’s objected to the war and LBJ’s handling of it.
Two democrats announced they would run against LBJ and force a primary including the popular Robert Kennedy.
Robert Kennedy was shot before the primary and democrat Hubert Humphrey won.

11. Nixon wins the white house
After losing to Kennedy in 1960, Richard Nixon finally won the Presidency bringing it back to the Republican Party.

12. Nixon looks to end the war
Richard Nixon called for peace negotiations with Vietnam. The Paris Peace Talks began in May 1968.
In 1969 Nixon started his Vietnamization plan where he pulled out American troops and South Vietnam troops would take their place.
Nixon bombed Cambodia because they were hiding and helping the Viet Cong.

13. The Protest grow out of control
Nixon promised to bring back Law and Order to the U.S and fight back against the over the top protestors including: The Weathermen.
Dressed in hard hats this lawless group took the street and using clubs, bats, chains and rocks attacked police officers and other public figures.
Two more violent protests took place in Kent and Jackson State. Both ended in deaths.

14. America withdraws from Vietnam
Nixon when running for a second term announced he was pulling the U.S troops out.
A deal was made where they agreed to keep the 17th Parallel.
However agreement was not kept and North Vietnam took over the South.

15. Legacy of the War Over 58,000 Americans died during the war.
300,000 wounded.
Over 2,500 men were listed as either of POW (prisoner of war) and MIA (Missing in Action)
When the troops came home they were not welcomed by those in the counterculture movement.

16. Vietnam Memorial