1968 & Nixon Presidency

A TIME OF TURMOIL

LBJ Decides Not To Run

• Tragedy of the Johnson Administration…– Felt forced into Vietnam…real dream to end poverty– Great Society

• Ambitious plan to pass legislation that would end poverty and racial injustice

• Never received adequate funding due to Vietnam War

– Major strides in Civil Rights overshadowed by Vietnam

• 1968: LBJ Announces he won’t run for re-election

U.S.--1968• MLK JR. ASSASSINATED IN

MEMPHIS– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6mxL2cqxrA

• ROBERT KENNEDY ASSASSINATED– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilZuAnBXeM8

• 1968 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION– Riots break out at 1968 Dem. Nat’l

Convention– Creates feeling fighting in Vietnam had

come to streets in U.S.– Pushes more Amer. Against the war

1968 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

Paris Peace Talks Begin• October 31, 1968:

– Lyndon Johnson Halts Bombing of N. Vietnam– N. & S. Vietnam Meet at Negotiation Tables

• November 1, 1968:– Nixon Officials Contact S. Vietnam’s president Nguyen van

Thieu– Did Nixon Sabotage the Negotiations?

• November 2, 1968:– Thieu and S. Vietnamese Walk-Out on Peace Talks

• November 5, 1968:– Nixon Wins Election by Less Than 1 %

VIETNAM 1969-1970• NIXON BEGINS SECRET

BOMBING OF CAMBODIA

• NIXON ANNOUNCES VIETNAMIZATION– Plan to gradually turn

fighting over to S. Vietnamese military

– So-called, “Peace w/ Honor”

• HO CHI MINH DIES

U.S. 1969-1970

• WOODSTOCK– RICHIE HAVENS PERFORMANCE– SANTANA PERFORMANCE– JOE COCKER– THE WHO– JIMI HENDRIX

• LARGEST POLITICAL PROTEST IN HISTORY (11/15/69) D.C.– 500,000 ANTI-WAR

DEMONSTRATORS (BPP)

“OHIO”—NEIL YOUNG• Tin soldiers and Nixon's coming,

We're finally on our own.This summer I hear the drumming,Four dead in Ohio.

•Gotta get down to itSoldiers are gunning us downShould have been done long ago.What if you knew herAnd found her dead on the groundHow can you run when you know?

La la la la la la la laLa la la la la la laLa la la la la la la laLa la la la la la la.

• Gotta get down to itSoldiers are gunning us downShould have been done long ago.What if you knew herAnd found her dead on the groundHow can you run when you know?

Tin soldiers and Nixon's coming,We're finally on our own.This summer I hear the drumming,Four dead in Ohio.

Four dead in Ohio

Four dead in Ohio.

KENT STATE—MAY 4, 1970• FRIDAY, MAY 1, 1970

– NIXON ANNOUNCES INVASION OF CAMBODIA– STUDENTS LEAVE BARS…BREAK WINDOWS…CURFEW SET/NAT’L GUARD CALLED

IN

• SATURDAY, MAY 2, 1970– ROTC BUILDING SET ON FIRE…STUDENTS CUT FIRE HOSES

• SUNDAY, MAY 3, 1970– GOVERNOR CONDEMS PROTESTS…STUDENTS TEAR GASSED

• MONDAY, May 4, 1970 – 2000 STUDENTS V. 150 GUARD MEMBERS– STUDENTS CHASED FROM THE HILL W/ TEAR GAS…28 SOLDIERS FIRE GUNS, 61

BULLETS SHOT INTO THE PARKING LOT– SHOT 13, KILLED 4 (CLOSEST VICTIM 97 YARDS AWAY!)– SOLDIERS NOT TRAINED IN CROWD CONTROL

KENT STATE

Vietnam 1971-1972

• SECRET PEACE TALKS BETWEEN US AND N. VIETNAM

• US INCREASES BOMBING OF HANOI AND HAIPHONG– WHY?

U.S. 1971-1972• PENTAGON PAPERS

ARE PUBLISHED• BREAK-IN AT

WATERGATE HOTEL

WHAT IMPACT DO THESE TWO EVENTS HAVE ON THE U.S. AND THE GOVERNMENT?

Growing Distrust of GovernmentPentagon Papers (1971)• Classified study of U.S.

involvement in Vietnam done by Dept. of Defense

• Leaked to NY Times/Wash. Post by Def. Official, Daniel Ellsburg

• Revealed govt. consistently lying to public about involvement in war– Plan to halt 56’ Elections– Role in assassination of Diem– Questions surrounding Gulf of Tonkin

Incident– Cover up of My Lai Massacre

Nixon & Watergate (1972)• A scandal in Nixon Admin. during the

1972 Pres. Election• Agents working for the CREEP, the org. to

help re-elect Richard Nixon caught breaking into the Dem. National Headqtrs.

• Pres. Nixon orchestrated a cover up, as Sr. White House officials authorized break-in

• Caused growing public cynicism about government

• Nixon forced to resign• Nixon pardoned by Ford

VIETNAM/U.S. 1973-1974

• CEASE FIRE SIGNED

• FINAL US TROOPS BROUGHT HOME (1973)– 58,195 killed

• NIXON RESIGNS

Vietnam--1975• N. Vietnamese Army

takes control of S. Vietnam…ending the war

• LAST AMERICANS EVACUATE AS SAIGON FALLS

• IMPACT ON US POLICY?

Nixon Presidency• Slowing Civil Rights

– Southern Strategy• Republican Plan to win white vote in

South• Further fuels movement of minorities

to supporting Democrats

• Foreign Policy– Détente

• Relaxing of tensions b/n U.S., Soviets, & Chinese

• SALT I Treaty

– Visits China