Objectives:
1.  Explain
how
the
Tet
Offensive
increased
antiwar
sentiment.
2.  Explain
the
impact
of
the
assassinations
of
Martin
Luther
King,
Jr.
and
Robert
Kennedy.
3.  Describe
the
impact
of
the
1968
Democratic
convention
on
the
year’s
presidential
election.
Main
Idea
The
year
1968
was
a
turbulent
and
painful
time
for
the
country
that
resulted
in
the
election
of
Richard
Nixon
as
president.
Antiwar
Sentiment
Increases
• The
Vietnam
War
protest
movement
reached
its
peak
during
1968.
• The
two
main
reasons
for
this
was
the
Tet
Offensive
and
the
highest
U.S.
troop
involvement
(543,000).
• The
Vietnam
War
appeared
to
be
over
when
North
Vietnam
launched
the
Tet
Offensive,
causing
the
war
to
last
another
Xive
years.
• Because
of
the
attack,
President
Johnson
increased
the
number
of
U.S.
troops
in
Vietnam.
• The
U.S.
had
been
Xighting
in
Vietnam
for
over
four
years
and
many
Americans
were
tired
of
the
war
increasing
the
antiwar
movement.
1968
Antiwar
Protesters
Dr.
King’s
Assassination
• Martin
Luther
King,
Jr.
was
planning
another
march
on
Washington
D.C.
called
the
Poor
People’s
Campaign.
• 
To
gain
support
for
the
movement,
he
traveled
to
Memphis,
Tennessee
to
support
striking
garbage
workers.
• A
day
after
speaking
to
the
strikers,
King,
Jr.
was
assassinated
outside
his
hotel
room.
• King’s
assassination
set
off
riots
in
124
cities,
killing
45
people,
and
took
over
5,500
troops
to
stop
the
violence.
• Many
Americans
wondered
if
nonviolence
change
could
work.
Robert
Kennedy
Assassination
• Lyndon
Johnson
decided
not
to
run
for
reelection
in
1968
due
to
the
Vietnam
War.
• Robert
Kennedy
was
campaigning
to
be
the
Democratic
party
candidate
for
president,
when
he
was
assassinated.
• R.
Kennedy
had
just
won
the
California
primary
and
was
shot
after
giving
his
victory
speech,
he
died
the
next
day.
• This
left
the
Democratic
nomination
up
to
Eugene
McCarthy,
George
Wallace,
and
Hubert
Humphrey.
• Humphrey
will
win
the
nomination
due
to
his
role
as
Vice
President.
Democratic
National
Convention
• Unfortunately
violence
will
continue
to
plagued
the
Democratic
party
at
their
convention
in
Chicago.
• Chicago’s
mayor
refused
to
have
protests
during
the
convention
and
ordered
the
police
to
break
up
protesters.
• The
violence
was
shown
on
TV
for
all
America
to
see,
hurting
the
Democrats
chances
of
winning
the
presidential
election.
• The
party
will
also
split
as
George
Wallace
will
run
as
an
Independent.
1968
Presidential
Election
 The
Republican
party
nominated
Richard
Nixon.
 Nixon’s
campaign
was
well
Xinanced
and
run.
 Humphrey
and
Wallace
took
votes
from
each
other
allowing
Nixon
to
win
a
very
close
election.
• Nixon
barely
won
the
popular
vote
43.4%
to
42.7%
(500,000
votes).
Republican
Nixon
43.4%
Popular
Vote,
301
Electoral
Vote
Democrat
Humphrey
42.7%
Popular
Vote,
191
Electoral
Vote
Independent
Wallace
13.5%
Popular
Vote,
46
Electoral
Vote