New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

Opposition to the Vietnam War in the US

I can explain why opposition to the war grew.

New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

Opposition to the Vietnam War in the US

I can explain why opposition to the war grew.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Americans protested against the Vietnam War for a variety of reasons.
  2. These reasons included the cost in American lives, racism and inequality, expense of the war and how unethical it was.
  3. Protests took a variety of forms, such as marches and burning draft cards, but were predominantly peaceful.

Keywords

  • Unethical - if something is unethical then it is morally wrong

  • Veteran - a veteran is a person who has served in the armed forces

  • Protest - a protest is a statement or action expressing disapproval of or objection to something

  • Sit-in - a form of protest in which demonstrators occupy a place, refusing to leave until their demands are met

  • Teach-in - an extended meeting usually held on a college campus for lectures, debates and discussions to raise awareness of or express a position on a social or political issue.

Common misconception

Everyone who joins the armed forces does so willingly and supports the actions of the government.

Conscription is common around the world, and many people are forced to join the armed forces against their will.

If possible, play students examples of protest songs from this period in order for them to get a greater sense of the public mood at this time, examples include Bob Dylan's 'Blowin' in the Wind' and Creedence Clearwater Revival's 'Fortunate Son'.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
How long after he became president did it take Nixon to open peace negotiations with North and South Vietnam?
1 day
Correct answer: 5 days
2 weeks
1 month
Q2.
Complete the sentence: the Ho Chi Trail enabled North Vietnam to move troops and equipment into South Vietnam.
Correct Answer: Minh, minh
Q3.
Roughly how many miles did the jungle paths that linked North Vietnam with South Vietnam stretch for?
Correct Answer: 12 000, 12 000 miles, 12,000 miles, 12,000, 12000
Q4.
When did the US and South Vietnam invade Cambodia?
Correct answer: March 1969
March 1970
March 1971
March 1972
Q5.
Nixon ordered that the US troops should limit their invasion of Cambodia to within a limit of how many miles?
10 miles
Correct answer: 19 miles
32 miles
45 miles
Q6.
By the end of the Easter Offensive in 1972, what percentage of South Vietnamese land did North Vietnam control?
Correct Answer: 10%, 10, ten per cent, ten %, 10 %

6 Questions

Q1.
How many US soldiers lost their lives in Vietnam?
21 000
32 000
46 000
Correct answer: 58 000
Q2.
What were two other issues that people in America were protesting about alongside the Vietnam War?
anti-gun laws
Correct answer: civil rights
high taxes
wealth inequality
Correct answer: women's rights
Q3.
Roughly how much was the US spending on the Vietnam War per year?
$10 million
$150 million
$1 billion
Correct answer: $20 billion
Q4.
Match the keyword to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:unethical,morally wrong

morally wrong

Correct Answer:veteran,a person who has served in the armed forces

a person who has served in the armed forces

Correct Answer:protest,a statement or action expressing disapproval of something

a statement or action expressing disapproval of something

Q5.
Complete the sentence: Agent was a chemical used to destroy jungle terrain.
Correct Answer: Orange, orange
Q6.
Which high profile boxer was convicted of draft-dodging?
Correct Answer: Muhammad Ali, Ali

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