The Vietnam War and Anti-War Protests

Flashcards about the Vietnam War, anti-war protests, and counterculture movements in the United States

What was the 'Free Speech Movement' led by Mario Savio at UC Berkeley protesting?

Restrictions on political leaflets and student expression.

What action did students at the University of Kentucky take to protest the war?

They set the ROTC building on fire.

What was the Daily Illini's demand regarding the ROTC at the University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana?

Immediate abolition of the ROTC.

What happened after students at the University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana disrupted classes and broke windows?

The National Guard arrived, a curfew was established, and 70 students were arrested.

What action initiated in 1970 led to students firebombing ROTC buildings at multiple universities?

The invasion of Cambodia.

What was a common target of student protests related to the Vietnam War?

ROTC buildings on college campuses.

How did Southern colleges and universities generally compare to other institutions in terms of anti-war involvement?

They tended to be less involved and more moderate in their approach to activism.

What did Duke Professor Jack Preiss lament about his students?

That they were too constricted and unwilling to express their opinions.

What message did Timothy Leary promote to students?

'Turn on, tune in, drop out,' advocating for psychedelics and rejection of political discussions.

What was California Gov Ronald Reagan's stance on anti-war protesters?

He expressed disapproval and favored expelling students and withdrawing federal student loans.

What tragic event occurred at Kent State University on May 4, 1970?

The National Guard shot into a crowd of student protestors, killing some.

What demographic groups were overrepresented in the Vietnam War?

Blacks (23% of soldiers, but 11% of the population)

What did the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) produce at the University of Michigan?

The Port Huron Statement, which called for reform within existing social and political structures.

What were some characteristics of communes during the Vietnam era, as exemplified by Drop City?

Anarchy, pacifism, voluntary poverty, sexual freedom, and psychedelic drugs.

What is 'polyfidelity,' as practiced by the Kerista commune?

Faithfulness to a group in which sleeping partners were rotated on a fixed schedule.

What was a common ideal shared by many communes, even if rarely achieved?

Classlessness.

What is one possible explanation for the rise of communes during the Vietnam era, according to Brooks (2012)?

Dissatisfaction with materialism, arbitrary house rules, and escalating school achievement expectations among adolescents.

What is sociologist David Brooks's view on the effect of the Counterculture upon society and politics?

Negligible