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The purpose of this essay is to evaluate whether or not the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement indeed contributed to the social and political turmoil during the time period of 952-1975 that changes American society in a major way. The Civil Rights Movement is considered to have started in the 1 sass, when an open battle began against racial segregation and discrimination. The social factors that contributed to it were the growth of the urban black middle class, and the lasting impression of freedom offered to black soldiers during World War II.
The political factors were the political manipulation of northern blacks, which dominated the Democratic Party at this time. After the Cold War ended, many white Americans joined the movement because they felt hat the racial injustice was becoming an embarrassment to a country that wanted to be perceived by other nations as a model nation. People that played an important role were labor unions with substantial black membership, ministers, educators, students at black colleges, and other professionals.
It was officially kicked off when the United States Supreme Court decided on May 17, 1 954 to announce its decision to the Brown v Board of Education in Topeka. This decision declared that segregation of public schools utilizing any method based on race was considered unacceptable ender the eyes of the law. This decision came with much tension, and also helped to bring awareness to many other issues of segregation in the South.
When Rosa Parks decided to not give up her seat for a white passenger in 1955, it was answered in response by the Supreme Court ruling again that segregating public transportation was also to be illegal. One of the most known leaders of the Civil Rights Movement was Martin Luther King, Jar. His nonviolent methods of protesting racial injustice allowed for many people to ion the cause due to the high moral approach that he utilized (Brinkley, p. 745-749. ) The Civil Rights Movement contributed to the major changes in American society.
The reason that this is statement is validated is because the efforts of this turmoil during this period is realized today. They accomplished their goals, which were to end racial segregation and stand for equality for all American citizens. While Martin Luther King didn’t live to realize his accomplishments himself, he left behind a legacy that showed many that goals can be accomplished through nonviolent methods. The political changes are that laws were put into place to ensure the goals of Civil Rights activists are upheld.
The social changes are that in most cases people are treated equally in regards to race. The Vietnam War, once called “the most disastrous of all America’s undertakings over the whole 200 years of history by George Keenan (Brinkley, p. 773) was a war where the United States entered to support South Vietnam. The goal was to help South Vietnam maintain an anticommunist government. What began as providing aid, turned into intervention, and then lull-fledged involvement.
In the beginning, few Americans protested America’s involvement in the war, however this drastically changed as time contain dude. Peace marches took place in several major cities, including Washington, D. C. And New York. The Vietnam War was a huge factor in the turmoil of the time period. The turning point was the Et Offensive, where the American people actually were able to see through news footage, the devastation that was occurring in Saigon, among other places in South Vietnam (Brinkley, p. 773-779).