Essay Questions for Thinking through Sources 26

Document Links:

Document 26.1 Telephone Conversations between Lyndon Johnson and Senator Richard Russell (May 27, 1964)

Document 26.2 LYNDON JOHNSON, “Peace without Conquest” Speech at Johns Hopkins University (April 7, 1965)

Document 26.3 HERBERT BLOCK, “Our Position Hasn’t Changed at All,” Washington Post (June 17, 1965)

Document 26.4 STUDENT NONVIOLENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE, Statement on Vietnam (January 6, 1966)

Document 26.5 ROBERT F. KENNEDY, “Vietnam Illusions” (February 8, 1968)

Essay Questions for Thinking through Sources 26

Imagine a Conversation: How might the creators of these sources have responded to one another if they had all met over dinner in 1968? Would they have been able to find common points of agreement, and if so, what would those points have been? What differences might have arisen in the conversation? Would some of the individuals have been more able to conduct a civil debate than others? Which ones would have clashed most intensely?

Place Sources in Context: In what ways was each of these sources accepting or reacting against the conventional Cold War wisdom of its time? How was each document shaped by the particular social and political circumstances in which it was created?

Consider Morality: What do these documents suggest about the roles morality and ethics played in their creators’ arguments as they wrestled with questions regarding the wisdom and necessity of the Vietnam War? What was each author/creator’s moral position, and how did it differ from those of the other authors?

Notice What’s Missing: What perspectives on the war are NOT reflected in these five sources? Among what groups of people might you expect to find these additional perspectives? What types of sources would you consult to find them and where would you look for them?