1968 Homework

1.​ Describe the New Left. Who were the leaders of this movement? What did they advocate? The New Left advocated for civil rights, women's rights, LGBTQ rights, and other minorities. They were very critical of the soviet union, strongly opposed the Vietnam war, and were mainly made up of college students. Key leaders of the movement were Herbert Marcus and Tom Hayden. 2.​ What was the SDS? What was the Weather Underground? Why were they opposed to the Vietnam War? The SDS was the Students for a Democratic Society. They believed that individuals should have direct control over the decisions that affect their lives. They advocated for civil rights, economic justice, and other progressive social causes, challenging the status quo of inequality, racism, and capitalism, and strongly opposed the Vietnam War. The Weather Underground came from the SDS and adopted more violent tactics in its pursuit of social change. They viewed the US’s involvement in Vietnam as the government's failure to live up to its values of democracy and justice. 3.​ Where did the Free Speech Movement begin? Who led this movement? The Free Speech Movement began at the University of California, Berkeley in 1964. It was led by students such as Mario Savio, Jack Weinberg, and Bettina Aptheke. 4.​ Who was Eugene McCarthy? What impact did he have on the election of 1968? He was a Senator from Minnesota. He was a democrat and had strong Anti-Vietnam War beliefs which he often expressed. He was a strong critic of President Lyndon B. Johnson's handling of the Vietnam War. He impacted the New Hampshire primary and publicly challenged President Johnson. He gained 42% of the vote in the primary. This led Johnson to announce that he would not run for reelection. Robert F. Kennedy then entered the race and became McCarthy’s main competitor. The nomination ultimately went to Hubert Humphrey. 5.​ Describe Bobby Kennedy's campaign for the presidency. If he had not been assassinated, do you think he would have won the election? Explain. Kennedy addressed anti-war beliefs, the civil rights movement, and focused on poverty and economic justice. He called for the end of American involvement in Vietnam. He worked closely with Civil Rights leaders and advocated for the end of segregation. His economic proposals focused on addressing poverty and improving education and healthcare for minorities. I think that he would have won the election because of his strong appeal and support from the democratic party. Kennedy had the potential to attract not only liberal and progressive voters but also many working-class and moderate voters 6.​ Who shot Bobby Kennedy? Where was he when he was killed? Bobby Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan as he was leaving a campaign event in Los Angeles. 7.​ Describe the events both inside and outside the 1968 Democratic Convention. Who were the leaders of the protests? What happened on the streets of Chicago as the nomination process was beginning? (Video clips below) The convention was very competitive and some nominees felt that it was biased and favored Humphrey. : The Democratic Party was split between the anti-war wing and the establishment wing. This divide was further split after Bobby Kennedy’s assassination.It negatively affected the reputation of the party. Outside, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden, and David Dellinger led protests against the convention. Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Chicago, mostly to protest the war. This resulted in Police brutality. The leaders of the protests were arrested and charged with conspiracy and inciting riots. 8.​ How did the Democratic nominee respond to the events outside the convention? (Video clips below) Humphrey initially did not respond to the protests. He focused on trying to maintain the unity of the Party and keep the focus on the need for a strong Democratic government. Following the Riots, Humphrey condemned the actions of the participants. 9.​ How did the Democratic party within the convention hall react to what was happening outside the convention? Why were the Democrats divided over the issue of Vietnam? (Video clips below) The democrats reacted with concern and alarm. Delegates were deeply concerned about the impact of the violence on the party's image. They feared that they would be associated with the disorder and radicalism of the protesters. Those that shared the same feelings as the protesters were frustrated that they were still under the leadership of those such as Humphrey and Johnson. The party was very concerned about the spread of communism and critical of the Soviet Union. A generation gap began to appear in the party, with younger democrats supporting more anti-war policy and believed that the war was disproportionately affecting minority groups. To others, Vietnam was a distraction from Civil Rights Issues. Others felt like they had to be loyal to Johnson and support his Great Society. 10.​What role did Mayor Daley play at the convention? (Video clips below) Daley was responsible for overseeing the convention’s logistics and maintaining order. He ordered a heavy police presence against protestors and encouraged Police Brutality and deployed National Guard units. His actions contributed to the growing division within the Democratic Party, as many anti-war protesters and more progressive members of the party felt alienated by his aggressive tactics 11.​Who were the Chicago 7? What happened at their trial? The Chicago 7 were seven anti-war activists arrested for protesting during the convention. The group later began representing the clash between the counterculture and the establishment. The 7 were Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden, David Dellinger, Rennie Davis, John Froines, and Lee Weiner. They were charged with conspiracy and inciting a riot for their roles in organizing the protests that turned violent outside the Democratic convention. There were originally 8 defendants, but Bobby Seale, the co-founder of the Black Panther Party, was separated after heated arguments with the Judge. 12.​ Who was the Democratic nominee in 1968? How did LBJ impact his candidacy for the presidency? Hubert Humphrey was the Democratic nominee. He served as LBJ’s Vice President. The association of Johnson’s Vietnam War policies made it difficult for him to gain the full support of the democratic party, leading to his loss in the election. 13.​ Evaluate the "new" Richard Nixon in 1968. How was he a different candidate from 1960? What were his two major campaign themes? Nixon became much more conservative than before. He shifted from "Eastern Establishment" to the "Silent Majority". He used the phrase the “Silent Majority” to describe the working-class Americans, and middle class Americans who felt alienated by radical changes in society. He embraced a tougher stance on law and order, and resonated with voters who were concerned about the rising violence and disorder. He believed in easing tensions with China and the Soviet Union. 14.​ What impact did George Wallace have on the campaign? What Americans did he represent? What party did he run under? He ran as a third party candidate, and split the vote. He attracted many votes from both parties, but specifically Southern states and among working-class white voters. He won five states- Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Arkansas-and 46 electoral votes. He split the conservative vote, which mostly affected Nixon. He averted votes away from Hubert Humphrey in the South and among working-class voters. 15.​What were the results of the 1968 election - electoral vote/popular vote? Electoral: Nixon-301 Humphrey-191 Wallace-46 Popular: Nixon-31,785,480 votes Humphrey-31,271,839 votes Wallace-9,901,118 votes