Dustin Paugh



Dustin Paugh

Froehlich

English 15

26 January 2008

Love, War, and Change.

The year was 1968, a year of critical, dangerous events and decisions. It started on Monday, January 1st and ended on Tuesday, December 31st. 1968 enveloped a fury of violence and hatred, as well as some groundbreaking decisions and events. It also enveloped movements of love and peace, and pushed for everyone to love one another. The Civil Rights Movement, numerous battles of the Vietnam War, the “race to space”, and the controversies of the American government are just a few of many pieces of the complex puzzle of 1968. Exploring the details of this fundamental year, it will be possible to see all of the history and importance of it and how it applies to today. 1968 was a necessary year that was a catalyst to the required change of America and the rest of the world.

A great movement in America that was absolutely needed was the Civil Rights Movement. Originating from the years of oppression of various minorities in the Americas and other countries, the anger of this oppression finally reached its boiling point. There were many angry and violent protesters such as the Watts riot previously in 1963, but one man rose up in peace and understanding. Dr. Martin Luther King was one of the best-known speakers, writers, and motivators towards civil rights. Unfortunately, he was brutally murdered on April 4th on the balcony of his hotel room. Lawrence Van Gelder of the New York Times wrote the day after the horrendous incident:

Most major Negro organizations and Negro leaders, lamenting Dr. King’s death, expressed hope that it serve as a spur to others to carry on in his spirit of non violence. But some Negro militants responded with bitterness and anger. Roy Wilkins, executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said his organization was “shocked ad deeply grieved by the dastardly murder of Dr. Martin Luther King.” (1)

A sea of confusion and emotion rolled and stirred across the nation. In his tragic death, continued protesting and violence spread throughout the cities and towns of America. The millions upon millions of voices crying out to the public and the government finally began to spark change. President Lyndon B. Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1968 on April 11th, creating an equal environment that we all enjoy to this day unlike the crazy times in 1968.

The Vietnam War was a long, treacherous war that swallowed up much of America’s attention and power from about 1950 to 1975 that reached its pinnacle of protest in 1968. It was a battle of democracy vs. communism, a battle that the world has witnessed before. It was also a controversial war, one that was not too readily agreed upon by most. Most lost support during the turning point of the war, the Tet Offensive. This brutal and hostile attack from the Viet Cong and People’s Army of Vietnam lasted from the 30th of January to the 23rd of September 1968. Over one hundred cities in Southern Vietnam were maliciously attacked, killing thousands upon thousands of innocent lives. Bruce Palmer speaks to us from his book the 25 Year War, “But, as during Tet of 1968, the domestic repercussions at home resulted in a major political and psychological set back for the administration. The Cambodia operation triggered massive antiwar sentiment and civil disorders in the United States…” (102) Passed on from president to president, the United States morale and hope seemed to sink deeper and deeper, like the mud and soil our troops trampled through during their years of struggle and strain. Protests, rallies, and conventions filled the streets of America with one common plea, and that was to bring home our loved ones peacefully. Young Americans in 1968 were concerned for what was taking place across the Pacific, and felt the need to voice their opinions. Although there may not have been an end of the Vietnam War in sight during 1968, sure enough the conflict would come to a close in several years.

Although the United States was fighting a war in Southeast Asia, there was another ‘war’ taking place. The Cold War was a tense competition between the United States and the Soviet Union. It covered a huge span of time, ranging from the mid 1940’s to the early 1990’s. Racing to be more powerful, technological, and stronger, conflict arose in the areas of nuclear warfare, industrial expansion and space technology. A huge piece of the Cold War was this ‘space race’. This essentially was the struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union to get their spacecraft into the sky first, and to be successful with their efforts. Fear would be on the shoulders of the opponent who was ‘not as advanced’, because of the power to ‘lurk’ in the skies above with the ominous power of weapon advances. On April 4th, 1968, the Apollo-Saturn mission 502 (Apollo 6) was launched. This was the last step that was needed for Americans to be in the skies above the Soviet Union. Following were the Apollo 7 and 8, respectively later in the year of 1968. This was a morale booster for many, and so many people were proud to be living in America during that time period. “I can still recall the day I discovered that the first American men had been launched into space. What a country we live in, I thought, that we actually have the power and technology to do something so incredible. (McEvoy) The confidence that ensued because of America’s advancements into space jettisoned the population’s morale into the stars that NASA’s spacecrafts were cruising by.

The great technological advances that allowed these men to rocket into space were beginning to trickle down into the ‘everyday’ consumer market. The television had readily become a common household item among the middle class, along with some other fads and interests that came about right around 1968. A new modern movement was sweeping the nation. The space-age look was taking over homes in America, no matter how tacky or out of the ordinary the item was. This new theme was readily accepted due to the quickly advancing technology and science of the day. Smooth, stackable plastic chairs soon replaced older more traditional chairs. Vehicles were fitted with electronic amenities such as power locks and windows. Large ‘pure-form’ glass skyscrapers were accepted within businesses, and symbolized the new set of higher American values that dwelled within the minds of those who experienced this change first hand. (Tompkins 2).

So many changes, so many opinions, and so many different values wrap around the substance of 1968, creating a beautiful yet robust image of the future for America. So much of the complex happenings and circumstances of this incredible year influences the decisions and situations that we live through everyday. What would America be like without the influential and bold speeches of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King? Certainly a vastly different society would inhabit our country today. Could this society have been further influenced by the previously tense relations with the Soviet Union? So many possibilities could have ensued from 1968. This year truly caused change for the United States, and nudged the nation in the direction that would lead us to our nation today. 1968 was definitely the catalyst to commence change and reform in the land of the United States, and we can still see the effects of this influential year today.

Works Cited

Carruth, Gorton. American Facts and Dates. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997.

McEvoy, James. Telephone Interview. 27 January 2009.

Palmer, Bruce. The 25 Year War: America’s Military Role in Vietnam. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky, 1984.

Reis, Raul. “1968: The Year that Rocked the World.” Rev. of 1968: The Year that Rocked the World, Mark Kurlansky. Brazilian Journalism Research 1.2 (2005): 441.

“The 1960s: Fashion Overview.” American Decades. Ed. Vincent Tompkins. Vol. 7 1960-1969. Detroit: Gale, 2001. 10 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. CIC Penn State University. 25 Jan. 2009. .

Van Gelder, Lawrence. “Dismay in Nation: Negros Urge Others to Carry on Spirit of Nonviolence.” New York Times. 5 April 1968: 26.

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