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North Vietnamese patrol boat fired on USS Maddox
The captain of the USS Maddox believed that the Vietminh was going to attempt to go to war with their ship. -
USS Maddox fired on the Vietminh
American ships reported that they were under attack and for hours. They fired at North Vietnamese boats which caused two of them to sink. -
Tonkin Gulf Resolution
This granted broad military to President Johnson without declaring war. It also authorized President Johnson to take any measures he believed were necessary to promote international peace and security in southeast Asia. -
My Lai Massacre
A company of American soldiers brutally killed the majority of the population of the South Vietnamese. 500 people including women, children and the elderly were killed in the My Lai Massacre. The people were helpless and had nothing to defend themselves. -
Kent State Massacre
President Richard Nixon appeared announced the need to draft 150,000 more soldiers for an expansion of the Vietnam War effort. This caused massive protests on campuses throughout the country. At Kent State University in Ohio, protesters launched a demonstration that included setting fire to the ROTC building. -
26th Amendment
This amendment gave people with the age of 18 or older the opportunity to vote.
"The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age." -
War Powers Act
A federal law intended to check the president's power to commit the United States to an armed conflict without the consent of the U.S. Congress. It stipulated that a president must inform Congress within 48 hours of sending forces into a hostile area without a declaration of war.
