American History: A Survey (Brinkley), 13th Edition

U.S. Elections | Patterns of Protest | Vietnam War

U.S. Elections


Thomas Jefferson won the Presidency in 1800 in what has been called a political revolution for the new Republic. The election was the first in which two parties faced one another in a presidential election, and demonstrated that Americans could peacefully change their government through the electoral process. Jefferson, after narrowly defeating John Adams in the electoral college, pledged in his inaugural address to unite the country, "We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists." The two-party system that was born in this election persists until the present.

1			The election of Thomas Jefferson brought to power a new political party, the Democratic-Republicans. Was this party a national organization, representing the U.S. as a whole, or sectional party, representing only the South? What evidence is there for each position?
2			Why did a two-party system arise in the election of 1800? What effect did this system have on American political history? Was this a healthy or unhealthy development for American political life?
3			Write a diary as an observer from France in the United States during the Election of 1800. What are your views of the election? What do you think the election reveals about American political life? Compare America's peaceful transition to Democratic-Republican rule with political life in post-revolutionary France? How do you explain the differences?

Patterns of Protest


This map shows the national patterns of protest and civil rights marches that occurred throughout the United States from 1960-1968. Civil Rights demonstrations, such as the Freedom Rides in May 1961, where 13 people rode an integrated bus throughout the South, the youth of the United States ushered in decades of activism that brought down racial walls, protested the war in Vietnam, and advanced the civil rights of women and Native Americans. As this map clearly demonstrates, protest activities increased as opposition to the Vietnam War grew, helped in part by protesters on college campuses across the nation. As passions grew, however, so did violence with riots erupting in major cities and college campuses from 1966-1968. Perhaps the most widely know riot is the Watts Riot of 1965, where thousands of African Americans clashed with police, resulting in 34 deaths. By 1968, African Americans had grown frustrated with non-violent protest measures, instead turning to violent methods under the leadership of men such as Malcolm X. By that same year, the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders stated that such violence was sparked by whites' racist attitudes toward African Americans.

4			Why would the escalation of the Vietnam War affect the Civil Rights Movement?
5			Consider the locations of the various types of protests and demonstrations. Are there any noticeable correlations?
6			Which cities in the United States saw the highest number of demonstrations? Why might that be?

Vietnam War


The Vietnam War was America's longest foreign war as well as its most divisive. This map traces the major battles, bases, ethnic groups, and communist controlled areas from the collapse of the French colonial government after 1955 to the withdrawal of American troops and the Communist take-over by 1975. As this map suggests, the war also impacted Vietnamese society sharply. The dislocation and displacement of thousands of Vietnamese people reorganized the countryside of the small nation. The US military demonstrated its might throughout the war, yet it was the loose network of fighters scattered throughout the jungles of the nation that remained impenetrable by US forces. The turning point for the war, especially in the eyes of the American public, was the Tet Offensive in the winter of 1968. Coordinated nation-wide attacks on American military targets demonstrated that this war was, most likely, "unwinnable" on traditional military terms.

7			When did major fighting in Vietnam begin? Who was fighting and where were the battles located?
8			When did American forces begin to play a significant role in the conflict? Where were they concentrated? Why?
9			What was extraordinary about the Tet Offensive? How did the United States respond in the following year?
10			Did the war affect any neighboring countries? If so, does the map give a clue as to why?