'hard Hats' And 'silent Majority' Flashcards
How did Patriotism influence the Vietnam war?
Many Americans supported the war due to patriotism and believed in obeying authority. This meant when the government said they had to take part in the war, they willingly did so. They were taught to be loyal to their country and felt that not fighting would be seen as a betrayal of what the country stood for.
What did many Americans feel would happen to US if they didn’t win the war against communism?
US would ‘lose face’
When was the ‘hard hat’ riot?
1970 in New York City after the Kent State University shooting
What was the hard hat riot?
Construction workers (the ‘hard hats’) charged out during their lunch break, wearing hard hats, ans beat up anti-war protestors. They broke through a police line to get to protestors but the police did little to stop the beatings. Rioters moved to City Hall where they protested the mayors decision to fly the Amercian flag at half-mast for the dead students, accusing him of not being tough enough on anti-war protestors and communists
What happened with hard hats on 20th May 1970?
Leader of the riot, Peter J. Brennan, led a pro-war rally outside City Hall
What group did Nixon support in a televised speech in 1969?
‘The great silent majority’
Who were the silent majority?
Americans who mainly supported Nixon’s policies on Vietnam war but didn’t actively campaign for of against it
How did polls reveal the truth on the silent majority?
77% of people supported Nixon’s policy
How was it clear that Nixon’s idea of the silent majority was supported?
Over 30,000 letters and 50,000 telegrams of support flooded into the White House
What is a significant effect of the public approval of the silent majority?
Both the House of Representatives and Senate passed resolutions of Nixon’s conduct of war
What did the public support for Nixon mean he could show North Vietnam?
He had support from the public and the money-providing congress. This mean the USA was well placed to hold out for a gradual withdrawal and an ‘hnourable peace’.
What did White House administrations expect support from and what really happened?
They expected support from their party when they were in power. However, some Democrats who supported the war (hawks) under Johnson became opponents of the war (doves) under Nixon, due to party politics
What encouraged hawks to become doves under Nixon?
As they were Democrats so were the party in opposition to the president. This was balanced by the fact that no politician wanted the USA to appear defeated by communist North Vietnam, and those who wanted to end the war didn’t want S. Vietnam to become communist
Why was political support and opposition to war complex?
Politicians had competing goals such as:
. Wanting to end the war
. Increasing their popularity
. Avoiding the US by losing face
How was support for the war from Congress initially?
Initially, the Gulf of Tonkin resolution was passed unanimously in the House of Representatives and with only two votes against it in the Senate, due to a supposed attack on US ships and lack of knowledge on the cost of supporting the South Vietnamese government
