KEY TERMS Key Terms and People to Know for the Regents Exam
Vietnam War
The US fought against North Vietnam and the Vietcong (Communist rebels in South Vietnam) to contain the spread of communism in Asia. The Tet Offensive in 1968 revealed that the war was not under control, and LBJ declined to run for reelection.
Vietnam Protests
Many Americans (especially college students and "hippies") protested the war and the draft because they thought the war was unjust. Major protests occurred on college campuses (Berkeley, Kent State) and at the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago.
The Draft
During the Vietnam War, the US used a draft to enlist enough soldiers to fight the war. Many people viewed the draft as unjust because it was involuntary and because the poor and the working-class were more likely to be drafted than the wealthy (who were often in college, which meant they could defer their service if they were drafted).
Kent State Shootings
Students at Kent State University protested the Nixon’s escalation of the war in 1970. The National Guard was called in to keep order, but some of the soldiers fired on the protestors, killing four and wounding nine.
Pentagon Papers
These classified reports were leaked to the press by Daniel Ellsberg, and revealed that the govt had consistently lied about the Vietnam War. In NY Times v. US, the Supreme Court ruled that the 1st Amendment allowed the publication of the secret reports.
War Powers Act
In 1973, as a result of the Vietnam War, Congress passed this act to limit the Presidents power to send troops overseas without full Congressional approval or a formal declaration of war.