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Start after death of Kennedy

Protesters clashed early in LBJ's administration

Clergy - Catholics were anti communist and Rabbis were afraid LBJ might abandon Israel
Other Christians/Protestants were also divided

Communist menace and college campus debates

Patriotic Americans vs. protesters
Draft card burners - The Resistance

October 1967 - March on the Pentagon
civil disobedience
55,000 demonstrated - mainly students

Voters looked towards McCarthy in New Hampshire in Democratic primary in 1968

RFK assassination 2 months after MLK

And then the Democratic Convention in Chicago - Humphrey was assured of the nomination

Weakened the anti-war movement
Nixon capitalized on the "law and order" topic

Promised to "end the war with honor"

Take movement "off the campus" and into the community.  Had to use moderate language and be in moderate events that common Americans could relate to.

Moratorium had 50,000 in Washington and N.Vietnam Pham Van Dong sent a message of friendship to the organizers

Nixon had given Nov 1 deadline to NVA and Moratorium had put that in jeopardy.  On Nov 3, Nixon address the "silent majority" on television.

"only Americans can humiliate the U.S."

Kissenger - majority of population supported Nixon administration.  Anti-war movement never got a majority of the population

Vice President Spiro Agnew attacked the media as complicit with demonstrations.

My Lai Massacre photos published in U.S.

Nixon on Cambodia - the U.S. as a helpless, pitiful giant

Kent State massacre 4 days later - Nixon calls protesters "bums"
Kissenger says Nixon didn't treat protesters generously or with compassion.

The heartland remained conservative

Some returning soldiers took issue with the war.  Demonstration in D.C. in 1971
Soldier casualties were winding down at this time.