Vietnam Protest Music

The Foundation of Disapproval The initial causes for anti-war feelings amongst the men and women of the United States were few. Most people were terrified of the spread of Communism and supported an active stance preventing its spread. The occasional dissident either found fault in this foreign policy: desiring peaceful means for isolating Communism or was swayed by the media’s portrayal of nonviolent protest in Southern Asia.

The initial causes for anti-war feelings amongst the men and women of the United States were few. Most people were terrified of the spread of Communism and supported an active stance preventing its spread. The occasional dissident either found fault in this foreign policy: desiring peaceful means for isolating Communism or was swayed by the media’s portrayal of nonviolent protest in Southern Asia.

As the war drew on, more dissent accumulated while American morale dropped following the Tet Offensive and the expansion of the war into Cambodia. President Nixon’s Vietnamization Plan seemed to be a complete failure and many could no longer see reason for war. The movement turned to music as a number of significant artists began openly criticizing the war. Locations such as Haight-Ashbury Street were meccas for musical innovation and protest. Growing Resistance

As the war drew on, more dissent accumulated while American morale dropped following the Tet Offensive and the expansion of the war into Cambodia. President Nixon’s Vietnamization Plan seemed to be a complete failure and many could no longer see reason for war. The movement turned to music as a number of significant artists began openly criticizing the war. Locations such as Haight-Ashbury Street were meccas for musical innovation and protest.

While “Eve of Destruction” by Barry McGuire had been the most noticeable inspiration for musical protest, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young earned terrific success with their song “Ohio” which objected to the killings of four unarmed students at Kent State. Other famous songs such as “Peace Train” by Cat Stevens, “Masters of War” by Bob Dylan, and “War” by Edwin Starr were instrumental in the musical portion of Vietnam dissent during the 1960’s. The Movement Reaches its Zenith

While “Eve of Destruction” by Barry McGuire had been the most noticeable inspiration for musical protest, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young earned terrific success with their song “Ohio” which objected to the killings of four unarmed students at Kent State. Other famous songs such as “Peace Train” by Cat Stevens, “Masters of War” by Bob Dylan, and “War” by Edwin Starr were instrumental in the musical portion of Vietnam dissent during the 1960’s.

Bibliography Abc Clio. &quot;Kent State Report.&quot; American Government (1970). 17 May 2007. <http://www.americangovernment.abc-clio.com/home/default.aspx>. Path: Site Search- Vietnam Protest; Documents; Kent State Report. &quot; Assimilation of the Counterculture in the 1970s .&quot; DISCovering U.S. History . Gale Research, 1997. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/HistRC/>. &quot;Blowin in the Wind.&quot; You Tube . 09 May 2007. 20 May 2007. Path: www.youtube.com; Search: Blowin in the Wind Vietnam Filo, John. Unarmed Anti-War Kent State University Student Alan Canfora Takes a Stand Against the Ohio National Guard . 1970. Best Internet Kent State 1970 Links . 23 May 2007 <http://www.may4.org/?q=node/6>. Filo, John. Vecchio Kneeling Over the Body of Jeffrey Miller . 1970. Mary Ann Vecchio . 16 May 2007 <http://www.answers.com/topic/mary-ann-vecchio>. &quot; Hippies and 1960s Counterculture .&quot; DISCovering U.S. History . Gale Research, 1997. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/HistRC/>. Kisseloff, Jeff, and Barry Melton. Generation on Fire . Lexington: The UP of Kentucky, 2007. 194-210. Law, Lisa. Easter Sunday Love In . 1968. Malibu. American History . 22 May 2007 <http://americanhistory.si.edu/lisalaw/photoind.htm>. Quang Doc, a Buddhist Monk, Burns Himself on a Saigon Street . 1963. Saigon. Suicide Protest in Vietnam . British Broadcasting Corporation. 17 May 2007 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/asia-pacific/1527055.stm>. &quot;Radicals and Reactionaries: The Media Assimilation of the Counterculture (1970s).&quot; American Decades CD-ROM . Gale Research, 1998. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/HistRC/ Sabis, Chris. &quot;Backround of Popular War Music of the 1960's.&quot; Through the Soldiers' Ears . 2000. University of Rochester, NY. 17 May 2007 <http://www.geocitie s.com/afvn3/historybac.html>. Schifferes, Steve. &quot;Vietnam: the Music Protest.&quot; British Broadcasting Corporation . 01 May 2005. 22 May 2007 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4498011.s tm>. &quot;The Late 1960s and Early 70s—Rock's Golden Age.&quot; Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia . 2007. 19 May 2007 <http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/ent/A0 860766.html>. &quot;Vietnam-Era Antiwar Movement.&quot; History in Dispute, Vol. 6: The Cold War, Second Series. Edited by Dennis E. Showalter and Paul DuQuenoy. St. James Press, 2000. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/HistRC/>. &quot;Vietnam Protest.&quot; American Government . ABC Clio. 21 May 2007 Path: <http://www.americangovernment.abc-clio.com/login>; Search: Vietnam Protest Vietnam Protest in Washington . San Francisco. Baby boom proves economic power . University of California Berkeley. 18 May 2007 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2 /hi/business/5241346.stm>. &quot;War by Edwin Starr.&quot; You Tube . 28 Mar. 2007. 20 May 2007. Path: www.youtube.com; Search: Edwin Starr War

Abc Clio. &quot;Kent State Report.&quot; American Government (1970). 17 May 2007.

<http://www.americangovernment.abc-clio.com/home/default.aspx>. Path:

Site Search- Vietnam Protest; Documents; Kent State Report.

&quot; Assimilation of the Counterculture in the 1970s .&quot; DISCovering U.S. History . Gale

Research, 1997. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington

Hills, MI: Gale Group. <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/HistRC/>.

&quot;Blowin in the Wind.&quot; You Tube . 09 May 2007. 20 May 2007. Path: www.youtube.com;

Search: Blowin in the Wind Vietnam

Filo, John. Unarmed Anti-War Kent State University Student Alan Canfora Takes a

Stand Against the Ohio National Guard . 1970. Best Internet Kent State 1970

Links . 23 May 2007 <http://www.may4.org/?q=node/6>.

Filo, John. Vecchio Kneeling Over the Body of Jeffrey Miller . 1970. Mary Ann Vecchio .

16 May 2007 <http://www.answers.com/topic/mary-ann-vecchio>.

&quot; Hippies and 1960s Counterculture .&quot; DISCovering U.S. History . Gale

Research, 1997. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington

Hills, MI: Gale Group. <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/HistRC/>.

Kisseloff, Jeff, and Barry Melton. Generation on Fire . Lexington: The UP of

Kentucky, 2007. 194-210.

Law, Lisa. Easter Sunday Love In . 1968. Malibu. American History . 22 May 2007

<http://americanhistory.si.edu/lisalaw/photoind.htm>.

Quang Doc, a Buddhist Monk, Burns Himself on a Saigon Street . 1963. Saigon. Suicide

Protest in Vietnam . British Broadcasting Corporation. 17 May 2007

<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/asia-pacific/1527055.stm>.

&quot;Radicals and Reactionaries: The Media Assimilation of the Counterculture

(1970s).&quot; American Decades CD-ROM . Gale Research, 1998.

Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale

Group. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/HistRC/

Sabis, Chris. &quot;Backround of Popular War Music of the 1960's.&quot; Through the Soldiers'

Ears . 2000. University of Rochester, NY. 17 May 2007 <http://www.geocitie s.com/afvn3/historybac.html>.

Schifferes, Steve. &quot;Vietnam: the Music Protest.&quot; British Broadcasting Corporation .

01 May 2005. 22 May 2007 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4498011.s tm>.

&quot;The Late 1960s and Early 70s—Rock's Golden Age.&quot; Columbia Electronic

Encyclopedia . 2007. 19 May 2007 <http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/ent/A0

860766.html>.

&quot;Vietnam-Era Antiwar Movement.&quot; History in Dispute, Vol. 6: The Cold War,

Second Series. Edited by Dennis E. Showalter and Paul DuQuenoy. St.

James Press, 2000. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington

Hills, MI: Gale Group. <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/HistRC/>.

&quot;Vietnam Protest.&quot; American Government . ABC Clio. 21 May 2007 Path:

<http://www.americangovernment.abc-clio.com/login>; Search: Vietnam Protest

Vietnam Protest in Washington . San Francisco. Baby boom proves economic power .

University of California Berkeley. 18 May 2007 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2 /hi/business/5241346.stm>.

&quot;War by Edwin Starr.&quot; You Tube . 28 Mar. 2007. 20 May 2007. Path: www.youtube.com;

Search: Edwin Starr War