HIST 1025 Lecture Notes - Lecture 30: Gulf Of Tonkin Resolution, Spiro Agnew, Lyndon B. Johnson
April 25
Prince: 1958-2016
The Nixon Era
1. The early Nixon years: 1969-1972
○ Polarization-society was splitting apart, Nixon wanted to draw more white,
middle class voters into the Republican Party
○ Sun Belt politics-states that run along the southern rim of the US starting
in North Carolina to California.
○ Kent State University
○ Jackson State University
2. The sixties: legacies
● You can organize yourselves, you can speak truth to power, made it more
difficult to be a racist or warmonger.
Spiro Agnew- Nixon’s VP, verbally the most open VP, sought to split US society and
send dissenters outside.
New York City, 1970: construction workers vs. anti war protestors.
“All in the Family” (1971-1979)- main character dislikes the same people that Nixon and
his administration do (hippies, liberals, blacks, protesters, and others).
Weatherman faction of SDS- left wing organization, bombed corporate bathrooms and
American banks with international ties
Tonkin Gulf Resolution (1964)-Lyndon Johnson got congress to give the President the
power to do whatever he saw fit in war times, almost exclusive war-making power was
given to the President.
War Powers Act (1973)-effort to limit the ability of the President to wage war and
declare war.
Kent State University (May 4, 1970)- students gather for a rally, ROTC building on
campus had been built, National Guard had been called, N.G. fired tear gas at the
students and then shot at the demonstrators, 13 people hit, 4 killed, 1 paralyzed. 400
campuses were shut down
Jackson State University (May 14, 1970)-white police officers opened fire on a women’s
dormitory, rumors of snipers in dorm, 2 innocent black men were killed.
Agnew quits Vice Presidency admits tax evasion
1972- first election year where 18 year olds could vote
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