Civil Rights and Vietnam Conflict

What was the Domino Theory?

The US belief that if one nation fell to communism, neighboring countries would likely become communist as well.

For the Vietnamese people, what was the core issue of the war?

A struggle of nationalism versus imperialism (fighting for independence against foreign control).

Who were the Vietminh and the Vietcong?

Both were groups that helped and fought for the communist side.

What was the Gulf of Tonkin incident?

A naval confrontation off the coast of Vietnam that served as the primary justification for escalating US military involvement.

What power did the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution give President Johnson?

It gave him all the power to conduct a full-scale war without needing any further approval from Congress, called the Blank Check.

What were the primary root causes of the Vietnam Conflict?

1. Decolonization: Vietnam's fight for independence from French colonial rule.

2. The Cold War & Containment: The US desire to stop the global spread of communism.

3. The Domino Theory: The US belief that if Vietnam fell to communism, neighboring Asian nations would follow.

4. Division of the Country: The 1954 splitting of Vietnam into a communist North and a capitalist South, which triggered a civil war.

Why did President Lyndon B. Johnson decide not to run for re-election in 1968?

Because of the extreme unpopularity of the Vietnam Conflict and the growing anti-war protest movement.

Who was the "Silent Majority"?

The large group of Americans who President Nixon believed quietly supported his Vietnam policies and law-and-order agenda, unlike the loud anti-war protesters.

What was President Nixon's stated goal for ending the war in Vietnam?

"Peace with honor"—withdrawing US troops while maintaining South Vietnam as an independent, non-communist ally.

What did the War Powers Act (1973) do?

It limited the President's power to conduct war by requiring Congress to be notified of troop deployments, and capping their stay at 90 days without explicit Congressional approval.

How did the War Powers Act (1973) directly respond to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?

It reversed the "blank check" era, taking away the President's unlimited war-making power and restoring constitutional checks and balances to Congress.

How did President Nixon build public support for his "peace with honor" policy in Vietnam?

He appealed to the "silent majority"—the large numbers of mainstream Americans who he believed quietly supported the war effort and disliked the disruptive anti-war protests.

What happened at Kent State and Jackson State universities during the Vietnam War?

Student protesters who were demonstrating against the Vietnam conflict were shot and killed by law enforcement/National Guard members.

What was the public reaction to the student killings at Kent State and Jackson State?

It deeply enraged the American public, heavily fueling the anti-war movement and intensifying criticism from people who already opposed US involvement in Vietnam.

How could young men legally defer (delay) being drafted during the Vietnam War?

By enrolling in college or receiving a medical exemption.

Why did the draft system lead to the passage of the 26th Amendment, and what did it do?

It lowered the voting age to 18. The rationale was that if 18-year-olds were old enough to be drafted and die for their country, they were old enough to vote.

In the context of the Vietnam War, what was the difference between "Doves" and "Hawks"?

Doves: Opposed US involvement and supported peace.

Hawks: Supported the war and favored using stronger military action.

Why did Martin Luther King Jr. oppose the Vietnam War draft?

He believed it was deeply unfair that African Americans were being sent to fight and die for a country that still discriminated against them and denied them basic civil rights at home.

What were the long-term political outcomes of the Vietnam War inside the US?

1. The military abolished the draft (moving to an all-volunteer military).

2. Many Americans lost faith in the government, a distrust heavily fueled by the leaking of the Pentagon Papers.

What was the final geopolitical outcome for Vietnam after the war ended?

US troops withdrew, South Vietnam fell, and the entire country was united under a communist government.

What were the Pentagon Papers?

A top-secret Department of Defense study leaked to the media in 1971 that detailed the history of US political and military involvement in Vietnam.

What was the main goal of Johnson’s Great Society?

To eliminate poverty and racial injustice by providing federal assistance programs to help the poor and minorities.

Name three major assistance programs created under the Great Society.

1. Medicaid: Low-income health insurance.

2. Food Stamps: Nutrition assistance for low-income individuals.

3. Welfare: Financial support for people unable to work.

What were two major fiscal and political consequences of the Great Society programs?

1. It significantly increased the size and scope of the federal government.

2. It required higher taxes to fund the new programs.

Why has the number of Americans over the age of 65 steadily increased since the mid-20th century?

Because of major advances in medical care and public health that have significantly increased life expectancy.

What did major advances in medical care and public health do?

The number of Americans over the age of 65 has steadily increased.

Who was Rosa Parks and what event did she spark?

A civil rights activist who refused to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama (1955). Her arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

What was the core strategy of Martin Luther King Jr.’s approach to civil rights?

Non-violent civil disobedience—peacefully breaking unjust laws to highlight moral corruption, while requiring participants to accept the consequences (such as jail time) to win public sympathy.

What do the civil rights acronyms CORE, SCLC, and SNCC stand for?

1. CORE: Congress of Racial Equality

2. SCLC: Southern Christian Leadership Conference (led by MLK)

3. SNCC: Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee

Did CORE, SCLC, and SNCC always agree on how to fight for civil rights?

No. While they all shared the same ultimate goal of racial equality, they often used different approaches, strategies, and philosophies to achieve it.

What was the Montgomery Bus Boycott and how long did it last?

A 13-month mass protest by African American residents in Montgomery, Alabama, who refused to ride city buses to protest segregated seating. It lasted from December 1955 to December 1956.

Why did Malcolm X appeal to many people within the Civil Rights Movement?

Because he appealed to those who felt Martin Luther King Jr.’s non-violent strategies were moving too slowly to achieve real change.

What was Malcolm X’s core message regarding the fight for equality?

"By any means necessary"—meaning that while violence wasn't the preferred first choice, it was acceptable to use for self-defense if necessary.

What was the Black Panthers' stance on defense and violence?

They believed in armed self-defense and sometimes advocated for violence, specifically as a response to counter police harassment in Black communities.

Besides self-defense, what three core concepts did the Black Panthers believe were vital to achieving equal rights?

1. Community development (e.g., free breakfast programs for kids)

2. Black Power

3. Black Nationalism

How do Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education demonstrate the role of the Supreme Court in American life?

They show that the Supreme Court can heavily shape and determine public policy (such as integrating schools even when society might not have been fully ready to accept it).

What was the ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)?

It established the "separate but equal" doctrine, legally permitting racial segregation in public facilities.

What was the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954)?

It overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, ruling that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal" and ordering the desegregation/integration of public schools.

Who was Thurgood Marshall and what was his major achievement before joining the court?

He was the leading civil rights lawyer who successfully argued the Brown v. Board of Education case before the Supreme Court.

What historic milestone did Thurgood Marshall achieve later in his career?

He became the first African American to serve as a Justice on the US Supreme Court.

What did the Montgomery Bus Boycott demonstrate about the African American community?

It showed their immense economic power, as the loss of their business forced the bus company to integrate, a trend that soon followed in other cities.

What was the primary goal of the Sit-in movement?

To integrate public facilities like lunch counters, restaurants, bathrooms, and water fountains by peacefully occupying spaces reserved for white people.

What risks did civil rights participants face during sit-ins?

They frequently faced severe harassment (verbal and physical abuse) and jail time for deliberately protesting unjust segregation laws.

What was the major political impact of the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

It removed barriers to voting for African Americans, which led to a massive increase in Black voter turnout and a surge in the number of Black elected officials.

What did the passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act reveal about President Lyndon B. Johnson?

They illustrated that President Johnson was a strong, effective advocate for civil rights, using his political skill to push landmark equality legislation through Congress.

What is the difference between De Jure segregation and De Facto segregation?

De Jure: Segregation created and enforced by laws (e.g., Jim Crow laws).

De Facto: Segregation that exists by customs, traditions, and economic factors, rather than by law.