In 1968, dissatisfaction with the existing order of things spread to various social strata and took the forms of student unrest, workers’ strikes, guerrilla wars, and national liberation revolutions. The Cold War had already split the world, and the foundations of both socialist and capitalist states were shaken overnight. Today, 1968, without any doubt, appears before us as a turning point in American history of the second half of the twentieth century – both culturally and in terms of domestic and foreign policy.
All the changes associated with this date were directly related to the entry into the active life of those who were called the “baby boomer generation.” Children born immediately after the war turned twenty-one or twenty-two in 1968. They affected the occurrence of revolts and became the leaders of civil rights movements. The other occasion that impacted the stability happened in 1964, when Lyndon Johnson, having defeated Barry Goldwater in the election, became the president of the country (Locke and Wright, “The Sixties”). The United States seemed united as never before, and the Democratic Party seemed to be confidently directing the fate of America. In 1968, Nixon was chosen as a president who stood for traditional values. This led the state to conservatism as the only direction of development and forced the civilian population to preserve traditions, which caused protests.
However, in 1968, Republicans returned to power and regained influence. It made Democrats lose more than 25% of the votes collected earlier by Johnson (Locke and Wright, “The Sixties”). The civil rights movement that emerged in 1964, immediately after the legislative formalization of equality of black and white Americans, acted as a consolidating force and was split in 1968 (Locke and Wright, “The Sixties”). In its ranks, the voices of extremists prevailed, destroying America’s hopes, and the murder of Martin Luther King only aggravated this process. Outraged and frightened by the Vietnam War, the youth subjected their country to a critical assessment and found it unsatisfactory. Meanwhile, the fighting in Southeast Asia was in full swing.
The consequences of 1968 for US foreign policy took longer to mature but turned out to be increasingly radical. The Vietnamese defense did not become the event that marked the beginning of the withdrawal of American troops – it was launched only a year and a half later (Locke and Wright, “The Unravelling”). The Vietnam experience made it noticeably more difficult for future presidents to send American troops abroad, and the United States did not wage major foreign wars until 1991.
Republicans have profited greatly from these events since they have remained in power. In addition, the elections demonstrated that their influence helped to establish the southern part as a conservative state (Locke and Wright, “The Sixties”). It also meant that most of the American territories were Republican. Such changes meant a change in the politics, economy, and social order of the country. Regardless of these events, both parties still had the right to nominate their candidates in the elections.
In conclusion, 1968 was the turning point in American history that changed the course of political, social, cultural, and other systems. The protests have led to alterations in the political order. In addition, having regained power, Republicans heated the mass revolts, causing an increase in the fight for extended rights. Even though the year was dooming, it has brought America to where it is now.
Works Cited
Locke, Joseph, and Ben Wright, editors. “The Sixties.” The American Yawps, n.d., Web.
Locke, Joseph, and Ben Wright, editors. “The Unravelling.” The American Yawps, n.d., Web.