Antiwar Movement in the US (1964-1973)

Research Table
a. Name, date (or time period) and location/s of protest or protest movement.
Name: Antiwar movement
Time Period: 1964–1973
Location: United States (US)
b. Organiser/s or instigator/s of the protest: (Who started the protest or protest movement? If it was started by a group of people, name the
group/organisation or groups.)
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)
c. Reason for the protest or protest movement: (Why did the protest start? What event or situation instigated or catalysed the protest?)
When the bombing of Northern Vietnam became more intense, student demonstrations erupted. In 1965, on college campuses, protests against the war's
legitimacy arose, with teachers and students staging ‘teach-ins’, in which antiwar seminars took the place of regular classes (History.com, 2018). The
conflict's devastation and violence outraged the students. Some rejected the struggle because it lacked defined goals and appeared incapable of being won,
while some contended that it was a war opposing self-determination of the Vietnamese or amounted to meddling in a foreign civil conflict.
d. Description of what happened during the protest: (How was the protest carried out? What did the protesters do? What did the authorities (law
enforcement/government, etc.) do in response? Was there violence involved? If so, who carried out the violent acts? Etc.)
Most individuals believe that the US launched an unjustified war that caused the deaths of many unfortunate people. Even though the goal may have been
to restrain communism, the US invested far too much time and effort, with a dismal result. One of the most intense student rallies of the 1970s was the
antiwar campaign. The nonviolent riots that began in 1964 swiftly evolved into the blowing up of ROTC sites, the burning of draft cards, and the removal
of antiwar music albums (Israel, 2021). These violent acts were carried out by students to push the government to end the conflict in Vietnam.
e. Original, general or intended aim/s of protest: (What did the protesters hope to achieve through their actions? What was/is their main goal/s?)

The objective of the antiwar movement was to promote nonviolence and seek an end to military action in Vietnam. SDS members opposed military
conscription and refused to be drafted into the military. The military draft resulted in compulsory military service in the US Army (History.com, 2010). In
essence, antiwar activists used protests and other grassroots tactics to try to persuade the US government to end the Vietnam War.
f. Public or political reaction/s to the protest: (How did the public/government/authorities respond to the protest or protest movement, at the time
of the protest and since the protest ended? If the protest is on-going, how are the public and/or authorities continuing to react/respond?)
Although some Americans remained sympathetic, public perception started to evolve against US intervention as citizen reports from the ground became
more readily accessible. Others believed that their authorities had misled them by failing to be forthright about the fight. As a result, popular pressure
mounted on the government to end the fighting (Moyn, 2020).
g. Actual or perceived outcomes/successes/failures of the protest at the time and/or since: (What happened as a result of the protest or protest
movement? Was it considered a success or failure? Were any laws changed or legislations introduced as a result? Has the protest or protest
movement raised public awareness of the issues? If so, in what way/s and how widely?)
Antiwar demonstrators employed a range of strategies throughout the course of the movement to affect public perception and, eventually, government
ministers' behaviour. According to a Gallop poll taken in August 1968, 53% of Americans believed that sending troops to Vietnam was a mistake.
Furthermore, the antiwar movement in Vietnam was effective, as it compelled the US administration to negotiate a peace settlement, remove its loyalist
troops, and end enlistment in early 1973 (Engler, 2018).
h. Paraphrased summary of research in criticism of protest: (Find two sources that CRITICISE protest; these sources can discuss this specific
protest or protest movement, or the act of protest more generally.)
Source 1: In his book entitled Rethinking the American Anti-War Effort, Simon Hall (2012) presents a complete lesson on the history of the American
campaign to end the Vietnam War. It provides the audience with a concise account of the important personalities and situations that shaped the campaign
to end the American war in Vietnam. Throughout his book, Hall (2012) condemns the antiwar campaign for failing to shorten the war's duration.
Although the protests that occurred during the invasion of Cambodia did not have an impact on President Richard Nixon's White House, this does not rule
out the possibility that protest played a role in the conclusion of the Vietnam War. The author contends that it is probable that the populace was simply fed
up with the war's length and horrific cost to human life. As a result, according to Hall (2012), the protests were an indicator, never a cause, of a deeper
shift in public sentiment about the war in Vietnam. As the public's endurance was being seriously challenged by the war's injustices, the White House only
paid attention to the antiwar campaign (Hall, 2012).