Vietnam War Opposition

The Vietnam War divided the United States, leaving cultural scars that persist today. As the war
raged, protests erupted at hundreds of college campuses, and tens of thousands of people marched
on Washington demanding an end to the conflict. What made the Vietnam War so contentious? In this
lesson, students investigate images of the war, study a timeline of opposition to it, and read anti-war
speeches to determine why so many Americans opposed the war in Vietnam.

Using the timeline why do you think people opposed the Vietnam War? (4-5 sentences)
In the beginning of the war the amount of American troops was around 180,000, later on the troop amount
was increased to 500,000. More Americans were stationed in Vietnam which mean there was a higher risk of
America's casualties. In January of 1968 Americans watched the Tet Offensive ambush live from their living
rooms, they were horrified to see the Americans caught off guard. The Lai Massacre occurred on March
1969, Americans heard of when U.S. troops brutally attacked 300-500 Vietnamese, mostly women and
children. Knowledge of the incident sparks public outrage.

Document A
H:Martin Luther King speech opposing the current vietnam war, along with the civil rights movement.
I:The people of America
P:To show that the Vietnam war is attacking the fight to help the poor.
P: The point of view of the poor people
O: The poor people of America were being shipped to Vietnam to help the war effort, money and the
attention was taken from the poor people when the war started.

Document B
H:The Vietnam war is happening, The Lai Massacre might just have happened.
I:The people of America
P:The point of view of the U.S troops that were sent to Vietnam to fight for war efforts.
P:To show that the troops are doing what's necessary to help The United States be better again.
O:The people of America learned about The Lai Massacre and what the troops had done.

Why did many Americans oppose the Vietnam War? (2 paragraphs)

Many Americans opposed the Vietnam War for many crucial reasons. The Reasons being The Lai
Massacre and The Tet Offensive. The Vietnam War started in 1955, in 1965 180,000 American troops were
sent to Vietnam to support the war effort. In 1967 500,000 troops were sent to Vietnam. The Tet Offensive
happened on January 1968, it was a Surprise attack on South Vietnamese cities by Vietcong and North
Vietnamese forces. The Americans watched on TV and were shocked and horrified that the U.S. was caught
off guard by the vietnamese troops.
The My Lai Massacre occurred on November 1969. The My Lai Massacre was a massacre that would
shock America. Americans first hear of the My Lai massacre, when U.S. troops brutally attacked 300-500
Vietnamese, mostly women and children. The knowledge of this event left American in shock and fear.