1968 Life Essays - Vietnam War, Counterculture Of The 1960s

1968 Life Essays - Vietnam War, Counterculture Of The 1960s 1968 Life Analysis of Life for 1968 The year 1968 was a time of war, civil rights movements, and riots. Many big events took place during 1968. Many lives were changed by these events. Out if the 1960s, 1968 stands out the most. In January of 1968 the United States thought that the Vietnam War was coming to a close, but President Johnson made a statement that changed the direction of Vietnam. President Johnson said the South Vietnamese could not win. This caused the South Vietnamese could not win. This caused the South Vietnamese to launch the Tet Offensive. This shocked the United States, and caused the war to linger on for several more years. The Tet Offensive spread from the cities of Mekong Delta, to Saigon, and north to the highlands. In February of 1968 major politicians spoke against the Vietnam War. New York senator Robert Kennedy, a Democrat, showed a blistering attack on the war by charging that there was not any prospect for victory. Another senator Jacob Javits, called military victory illusory he said, it is time to end the Americanization of the war. Vietnam caused many disagreements, and it broke up families due to men and women losing their lives to serve their country. During 1968 there were many questions about the presidency. On March 31, 1968 in a decision that stunned political friends and many others, President Johnson announced that he would not seek, nor would he accept the nomination of his party for president. Johnson said he was withdrawing in the name of national unity. This sparked many questions throughout the nation. People wondered who would become the next president of the United States. Their questions were answered very soon. In August of 1968, Richard Nixon, the old pro of the Republican Party, was nominated for president. On November 6, 1968 Richard M. Nixon was elected President of the United States. On April 5, 1968 the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. The death of the 39 year-old civil rights leader sent shock waves throughout much of the city and the nation. His death enraged the nations black society, triggering riots in major cities. Some people said that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was a nonviolent man who drew violence to himself. Later on in 1968 the blacks were gaining more and more attention. Black females were beginning to get involved in politics. On November 5, 1968 for the first time in American history a black female by the name of Shirley Chisholm, defeated James Farmer in the 12th Congressional District in Brooklyn for a seat in the House of Representatives. This encouraged many black females to become interested in politics. It also gave them hope to become something greater. Nineteen sixty-eight was also a time for the Summer Olympics. The Olympics were held in Mexico. They survived student riots, the banning of black militant demonstrations, and other obstacles. The American athletes brought home forty-five gold medals, twenty-eight silver, and thirty-four bronze medals. The United States continued its domination of basketball, but this time against stiff odds. This showed the United States that America could overcome any type of adversity to win. During 1968 there were many advertisements just as there are today. There were advertisements for cars, cigarettes, and beer. Today there are advertisements for the same things. A Chevrolet Tri-level, which looked like a station wagon, was popular in 1968. Today, instead of driving a station wagon people drive SUVs or mini-vans. Another type of car that was widely advertised was the wide track 1968 Pontiac. The wide track car was made popular again in the nineties. There were many different types of cigarette advertisements. One type was the Bull Durham, which was a slow burning type of cigarette. Today this type of cigarette is no longer around. Another type that appeared often in advertisements was the Paul Mall brand. A type of beer that was popular in 1968 and is still popular today is Miller Beer. Nineteen sixty-eight was also when TV dinners became popular especially Swanson frozen dinners. Women were beginning to leave the home for the workforce and this caused the number of f rozen dinner companies to