11. The Vietnam War and Anti-War Protests
The Vietnam War era in the late 1960s and early 1970s was marked by profound national division. The U.S. military’s expansion into Cambodia in 1970 intensified anti-war sentiment, leading to widespread protests across college campuses. On May 4, 1970, at Kent State University in Ohio, National Guardsmen opened fire on unarmed students protesting the war, resulting in four deaths and nine injuries. This tragedy galvanized the anti-war movement, with millions of students participating in strikes and demonstrations nationwide. The Kent State shootings, along with other incidents, underscored the deep generational and ideological rifts within the country, challenging its unity and identity (britannica.com).
