Political, Social, and Economic Issues of 1968 The United States seemed to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown and going full swing into the Revolution. Assassinations, riots, protests, and war were tearing at the fabric of our society. (Weekend America) Events were crashing against the American population faster and faster causing a year of rage. In 1968, the United States was marred by political warfare, civil rights injustice, and an expanding economy that would not quit. Political warfare was definitely a burden on the United States in 1968.
Every night American family saw graphic pictures of Zippo raids, bombings and killings. Almost every town and village in the America faced the problem of their young men being either killed or wounded in Vietnam * Others faced physiological problems such as post-traumatic stress * President Johnson ordered heavy air force bombing raids which led to deaths of thousands of Vietnamese civilians including women and children * More than 11 000 died in 1967 a further 16 500 died in 1968 ( American soldiers) * The My Lai massacre resulted in the murder of 397-504 civilians mainly women, children and the elderly. Many of the victims were raped and tortured * The horror of death maiming, burning, terror and unthinkable destruction of a small country on the evening news, coupled with the threat of the draft made it feel like nothing
However, these riots drastically changed the fundamental ideas and goals of the gay rights movement. When one looks closely at the Stonewall incidents as well as the history surrounding it, it is clear to see that the riots were a culmination of the events and attitudes that had manifested themselves in society prior to Stonewall. The aftermath of World War II still left a bitter
When that didn’t work and it became clear that they were not going to disperse, at around 12:24 pm 77 National Guard members fired 67 rounds from M1 Garand rifles into the croud killing 4 and wounding 9 others, thus violently ending the protests. What’s even worse is that two of the students killed had not even been involved in the protest they were just walking to class and had gotten caught in the crossfire. This had a major impact on other campuses and nation wide. It caused an estimated 450 other campuses to stop protesting worldwide and it also got world wide press, their was even a song written about it. it was a tragic event that happened to people who only stand up against what they believed was wrong and tried to make a
The 1960’s was an era full of political turmoil that led to the development of a variety of social movements aiming to upset the perceived injustices of American politics, society, and life. Many of these groups were formed and flourished on college campuses. Students for a Democratic Society, SDS, was one such group, representing of the New Left. SDS was disturbed by a political system waging an unconstitutional war in Vietnam, viewed as imperialistic in nature, and critical of domestic policies that harbored racism and economic inequality. As SDS grew, the Vietnam War and American social strife raged on with progress seeping in at a nearly undetectable rate.
1968 With Tom Brokaw When people look back on past years and decades, they usually do so in a manner that summarizes how particular events helped define those years. People will often have says for each decade such as the Roaring’ Twenties, the GI Generation for the forties, and the 60’s may just have an endless list. One year in the 60’s though stood out from the rest; 1968 was quite possibly one of the most influential years in American History. A counter-culture tore through classic American Traditions, a controversial war segregated the population, protests, assassinations, and riots were front page news every couple of months. These were times of trouble yet growth in the American culture, and we are still feeling the effects of them today.
Seemingly the most significant event to my Dad, the Kennedy assassination consumed the majority of the conversation. In the days following Kennedy’s death, he expressed the country to be in a stand still. The mere thought of a president being assassinated seemed to be such an absurd idea that the nation was in shock. Church memorials and the transportation of the President’s body across the country seemed to consume the media for the next few weeks. However, as the United States was recovering from the devastation, they began to worry about their future under Lyndon Johnson.
The Cold War was a time in the world in which multiple social and political changes had taken place. During this time America went through military conflicts such the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and other fights to prevent the spread of Communism. America also experienced a lot of change socially, such as the Civil Rights Movement, the unionizing of Latino Workers in the Southwest United States, and the rise of the Hippy Movement. This is also a time of social turmoil in the United States. Everywhere in America, from college campuses to Hippy Communes, there were protestors over Civil Rights, Latino Rights, Women’s Rights and Environmental Protection.
We had been living in the south for about thirty years. I am married and have 4 children. My husband was a teacher and also a soldier because at that time my country need teacher to change to soldier. There was a big war again and many people died by the bomb. We couldn't count them, and the communist killed many people, and many houses burned.
Many stated after that they, one day would like to go back to Vietnam and help rebuild the country that the helped destroy. Even though America was and still is seen as one of the world’s most prevailing superpowers, the withdrawal from Vietnam was inevitable. There was no clear way for the military to secure their victory in the War without having to lose thousands of soldiers. The War ended with the exact opposite of what all soldiers had spent the majority of their life fighting for. Vietnam succumbed to the communist rule and the rest of the world watched in