1968 in American politics

1968 in American politics
Year	1968
President	Lyndon B. Johnson (until Jan 20, 1969)
President party	Democratic
Vice president	Hubert Humphrey (from Jan 20, 1969)
Vice president party	Democratic
Congress	90th
Senate majority	Democratic
House majority	Democratic
Senate president	Hubert Humphrey (until Jan 20, 1969), Spiro Agnew (from Jan 20, 1969)
House speaker	John William McCormack
Events start	Tet Offensive
Events end	Apollo 8
Election	1968 United States presidential election
Election winner	Richard Nixon

1968 in American politics was a year of profound upheaval and transformation, marked by seismic political events, a tumultuous presidential election, and intense social conflict. The nation grappled with the escalating Vietnam War, the assassinations of major political figures, and widespread civil unrest that challenged the political establishment. The year's events fundamentally reshaped the Democratic Party, propelled Richard Nixon to the presidency, and left an enduring legacy on the nation's political and cultural landscape.

Major political events

The political year was defined by a series of crises that shattered national confidence. The Tet Offensive, launched by the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army in January, dramatically contradicted optimistic reports from the Johnson administration and turned U.S. public opinion decisively against the war. In March, President Lyndon B. Johnson stunned the nation by announcing he would not seek nor accept his party's nomination for another term, a decision heavily influenced by the strong anti-war challenge from Senator Eugene McCarthy in the New Hampshire primary. The summer witnessed the chaotic 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where police clashed violently with thousands of anti-war protesters outside the International Amphitheatre, an event broadcast nationally and symbolizing the deep fractures within American society.

Presidential election

The 1968 United States presidential election was a three-way contest reflecting the nation's divisions. Former Vice President Richard Nixon secured the Republican nomination after a comeback, campaigning on a platform of "law and order" and a secret plan to end the Vietnam War. The Democratic convention nominated Vice President Hubert Humphrey, who struggled to distance himself from the unpopular policies of the Johnson administration. Former Alabama Governor George Wallace capitalized on white backlash against the civil rights movement by running on the American Independent Party ticket, winning five Southern states. Nixon narrowly defeated Humphrey in the Electoral College, benefiting from Wallace's siphon of Democratic votes in key states.

Civil rights and social movements

The civil rights movement faced a pivotal and tragic year. The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in April by James Earl Ray triggered a wave of grief and riots in over 100 cities, including Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Chicago. King's death accelerated the fragmentation of the movement, with groups like the Black Panther Party advocating more militant approaches. Concurrently, broader social movements gained momentum, including the feminist movement, which protested the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, and the Chicano Movement, which saw the formation of the La Raza Unida party. The Poor People's Campaign, initiated by King, established a protest encampment known as Resurrection City on the National Mall.

Vietnam War and foreign policy

The Vietnam War dominated foreign policy and domestic dissent. Following the Tet Offensive, General William Westmoreland requested 200,000 more troops, a request rejected after a crisis of confidence within the administration known as the "Wise Men" meeting. Peace talks began in Paris in May between the U.S. and North Vietnam. The war's brutality was underscored by the My Lai Massacre, which began to surface later in the year, and by growing draft resistance, exemplified by public demonstrations where protesters returned their draft cards. The Prague Spring and subsequent Warsaw Pact invasion also captured global attention, but U.S. foreign policy remained overwhelmingly focused on Southeast Asia.

Assassinations and political violence

Political violence reached a horrifying peak with two major assassinations. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed on April 4 in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was supporting a sanitation workers' strike. Just two months later, on June 5, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, a leading Democratic presidential candidate, was shot by Sirhan Sirhan in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after winning the California primary; he died the following day. These murders, following the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, created a pervasive sense of national trauma. Other violent incidents included the Orangeburg massacre in South Carolina and ongoing clashes between police and activists.

Cultural and legislative impact

The year's turmoil spurred significant, though often overshadowed, legislative action. President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act) in April, a final major piece of civil rights legislation. Culturally, the year was a watershed, with television bringing the chaos of the Democratic National Convention and the Vietnam War into living rooms, fueling a "credibility gap." Films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and music from artists like The Beatles (The White Album) reflected societal fragmentation. The political realignment begun in 1968, with the Southern Strategy and the rise of the New Right, would define American politics for decades.

Category:1968 in American politics Politics Category:20th century in American politics