Anti-Vietnam Movement in the U.S
Anti-Vietnam Movement in the U.S.
The antiwar movement against Vietnam in the US from 1965-1971
was the most significant movement of its kind in the nation 's history.
The United States first became directly involved in Vietnam in 1950
when President Harry Truman started to underwrite the costs of
France 's war against the Viet Minh. Later, the presidencies of Dwight
Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy increased the US 's political, economic,
and military commitments steadily throughout the fifties and early
sixties in the Indochina region. Prominent senators had already begun
criticizing American involvement in Vietnam during the summer of
1964, which led to the mass antiwar movement that was to appear in the
summer of 1965. This antiwar movement had a great impact on policy and
practically forced the US out of Vietnam.
Starting with teach-ins during the spring of 1965, the massive
antiwar efforts centered on the colleges, with the students playing
leading roles. These teach-ins were mass public demonstrations,
usually held in the spring and fall seasons. By 1968, protesters
numbered almost seven million with more than half being white youths
in the college. The teach-in movement was at first, a gentle approach
to the antiwar activity. Although, it faded when the college students
went home during the summer of 1965, other types of protest that grew
through 1971 soon replaced it. All of these movements captured the
attention of the White House, especially when 25,000 people marched on
Washington Avenue. And at times these movements attracted the interest
of all the big decision-makers and their advisors (Gettleman, 54).
The teach-ins began at the University of Michigan on March 24,
1965, and spread to other campuses, including Wisconsin on April 1.
These protests at some of America 's finest universities captured
public attention. The Demonstrations were one form of attempting to go
The antiwar movement against Vietnam in the US from 1965-1971
was the most significant movement of its kind in the nation 's history.
The United States first became directly involved in Vietnam in 1950
when President Harry Truman started to underwrite the costs of
France 's war against the Viet Minh. Later, the presidencies of Dwight
Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy increased the US 's political, economic,
and military commitments steadily throughout the fifties and early
sixties in the Indochina region. Prominent senators had already begun
criticizing American involvement in Vietnam during the summer of
1964, which led to the mass antiwar movement that was to appear in the
summer of 1965. This antiwar movement had a great impact on policy and
practically forced the US out of Vietnam.
Starting with teach-ins during the spring of 1965, the massive
antiwar efforts centered on the colleges, with the students playing
leading roles. These teach-ins were mass public demonstrations,
usually held in the spring and fall seasons. By 1968, protesters
numbered almost seven million with more than half being white youths
in the college. The teach-in movement was at first, a gentle approach
to the antiwar activity. Although, it faded when the college students
went home during the summer of 1965, other types of protest that grew
through 1971 soon replaced it. All of these movements captured the
attention of the White House, especially when 25,000 people marched on
Washington Avenue. And at times these movements attracted the interest
of all the big decision-makers and their advisors (Gettleman, 54).
The teach-ins began at the University of Michigan on March 24,
1965, and spread to other campuses, including Wisconsin on April 1.
These protests at some of America 's finest universities captured
public attention. The Demonstrations were one form of attempting to go
Bibliography: Brown, McAfee, et al. Vietnam: Crisis of Conscience. New York: Association Press, 1967 Gaullucci, Robert L. Neither Peace Nor Honor. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1975. Gettleman, Marvin E. Vietnam and America: A documented history. New York: Grove Press, 1985. Lewis, Lloyd B. The Tainted War. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1985. Meyerson, Joel D. Images of a Lengthy War. Washington, DC: Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data, 1986. Schlight, John. Indochina War Symposium. Washington DC: US Government Printing Office, 1986. Small, Melvin. Johnson, Nixon, and the Doves. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1988.