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)
INTERPRET THE EVIDENCE
What are Senator Richard Russell’s reservations about a deeper commitment in Vietnam (Document 26.1)? Why does President Johnson feel the United States has to maintain its presence there? What role does Vietnam play in the larger international Cold War?
How does President Johnson try to generate sympathy for the South Vietnamese (Document 26.2)? What criticism is he responding to, and how does he address those concerns?
What argument is Herbert Block making about the Johnson administration (Document 26.3)? What does the cartoon suggest about President Johnson’s feelings about the war?
How do SNCC activists compare their civil rights struggle with the struggle for freedom in Vietnam (Document 26.4)? In what ways do they charge the government with hypocrisy? On what grounds do they argue that the United States should get out of Vietnam?
Why would Robert Kennedy admit that he had been wrong about the conflict in Vietnam in 1962 (Document 26.5)? Does he believe it is possible to win in Vietnam? How does he characterize the South Vietnamese government?
PUT IT IN CONTEXT
Why did the Vietnam War lead the American people to distrust their government? How did the war shape how Americans understood the Cold War?
Thinking through Sources forExploring American Histories, Volume 2Printed Page 207