Turning Points
in Wisconsin History
Vietnam and Opposition at Home
During the Vietnam War, more than 58,000 Americans died and more than 300,000 were wounded. The United States entered the war incrementally between 1950 and 1965, when President Lyndon Johnson began aggressively bombing North Vietnam and sent U.S. Marines to defend South Vietnam. The U.S. became involved in the war for a number of reasons, many of which evolved over time. Increased U.S. involvement was matched by a rise of antiwar protest in the 1960s, as dissenting groups formed at many of the nation's universities, including University of Wisconsin campuses. In the early 1960s, however, the majority of Americans supported... more...
Original Documents and Other Primary Sources
 | Engine fragment from the van used in the Sterling Hall bombing, 1970 |
 | A guide to forming antiwar organizations |
| Letters home from Wisconsin men and women serving in Vietnam |
| Photos of musicians who played at Sound Storm, the Midwest's first major rock festival, in April 1970. |
 | Vietnam War photographs by Dickey Chapelle |
 | War veterans advocate for peace |
 | Madison's First Underground Newspaper, 1967-1969 |
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