Running head: THE IMPACT OF THE VIETNAM WAR ON AMERICAN CULTURE
1
The Impact of the Vietnam War on
America NAME
DeVry University
Professor
DATE
This study source was downloaded by 100000829216747 from CourseHero.com on 02-14-2022 02:05:22 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/9514687/HUMN-303-Week-7-Course-Project/
, THE IMPACT OF THE VIETNAM WAR ON AMERICAN
CULTURE
2
The Impact of the Vietnam War on American
Culture
The Vietnam War was the longest war in the history of the United States, with our
involvement in the region spanning twenty five years. Our participation began in 1950 with the
United States providing financial support and troops to France during the first Indochina War
and ended in 1975 with the last of our troops returning from Thailand. Over 58,000 U.S.
soldiers died as a result of this conflict (Britannica, 2011). This war had a large and sustaining
impact on American Culture resulting in an anti-war movement at its peak during the 1960's that
caused great unrest amongst students and other anti-war protesters who claimed the resulting
draft constituted a class war in the U.S.
This period gave rise to a growing social faction known as the free love or hippie
movement. Prior to the Vietnam War, this group primarily comprised of youths was simply
described as beatniks or hipsters that occupied San Francisco's Haight-Asbury district and New
York's Greenwich Village. The anti-war protests allowed the movement to become more
recognized and organized which empowered the hippie subculture giving it a central issue with
which to voice its member's anti-establishment views and opinions on the current conservative
culture. It was soon considered the most powerful counter-culture movement in our history as its
influence and principles permeated mass media and preempted a political and social change in
most of the western world. The hippie movement identified a new way of thinking that was
echoed in the music and fashion of that time.
The citizens of the United States did not understand our involvement in the affairs of the
countries in Indochina and not believe we had any interest in a conflict in the region. U.S.
politicians believed that if Vietnam fell to communist rule there would be a “domino effect” in
the surrounding countries and give rise to communism in the region. This belief led our
This study source was downloaded by 100000829216747 from CourseHero.com on 02-14-2022 02:05:22 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/9514687/HUMN-303-Week-7-Course-Project/
1
The Impact of the Vietnam War on
America NAME
DeVry University
Professor
DATE
This study source was downloaded by 100000829216747 from CourseHero.com on 02-14-2022 02:05:22 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/9514687/HUMN-303-Week-7-Course-Project/
, THE IMPACT OF THE VIETNAM WAR ON AMERICAN
CULTURE
2
The Impact of the Vietnam War on American
Culture
The Vietnam War was the longest war in the history of the United States, with our
involvement in the region spanning twenty five years. Our participation began in 1950 with the
United States providing financial support and troops to France during the first Indochina War
and ended in 1975 with the last of our troops returning from Thailand. Over 58,000 U.S.
soldiers died as a result of this conflict (Britannica, 2011). This war had a large and sustaining
impact on American Culture resulting in an anti-war movement at its peak during the 1960's that
caused great unrest amongst students and other anti-war protesters who claimed the resulting
draft constituted a class war in the U.S.
This period gave rise to a growing social faction known as the free love or hippie
movement. Prior to the Vietnam War, this group primarily comprised of youths was simply
described as beatniks or hipsters that occupied San Francisco's Haight-Asbury district and New
York's Greenwich Village. The anti-war protests allowed the movement to become more
recognized and organized which empowered the hippie subculture giving it a central issue with
which to voice its member's anti-establishment views and opinions on the current conservative
culture. It was soon considered the most powerful counter-culture movement in our history as its
influence and principles permeated mass media and preempted a political and social change in
most of the western world. The hippie movement identified a new way of thinking that was
echoed in the music and fashion of that time.
The citizens of the United States did not understand our involvement in the affairs of the
countries in Indochina and not believe we had any interest in a conflict in the region. U.S.
politicians believed that if Vietnam fell to communist rule there would be a “domino effect” in
the surrounding countries and give rise to communism in the region. This belief led our
This study source was downloaded by 100000829216747 from CourseHero.com on 02-14-2022 02:05:22 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/9514687/HUMN-303-Week-7-Course-Project/
