1960s Social Change

The Vietnam War began as a civil war in a country far away from the United States. North Vietnam and South Vietnam began a conflict when the communist North Vietnam engaged in efforts to take over the free South Vietnam, supported by the United States. In 1964 the North Vietnamese attacked U.S. ships in the Gulf of Tonkin and President Lyndon Johnson asked Congress for authorization to fight back. In 1965, the conflict was escalated into a full blown military action and lasted until 1975. Over 3 million U.S. Soldiers served in the region and 58,000 were killed in action. Many Americans protested the war. Draft dodgers refused to be enlisted in the military. Protesters did not believe in what the government was fighting for and felt strongly the war was illegal and must be stopped. Young people and college students organized peaceful protests and anti-government marches. These beliefs split the country and caused much conflict in peoples homes and in public. Each night, the TV news chronicled the death toll from battles in Vietnam, and highlighted the governments position for the war, as well as the protesters fight against the war. The Vietnam war was the first time Americans had watched the reality of battle on TV, the first time that the opinion of the public was split on action by the Armed Forces. Protesters called the government, criminals. The government called the protesters, anti-American.

Vietnam War Novels in RLMS Library