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The anti-war movement had two main effects on American society.
First, the movement helped to erode support for the war. This led to a decrease in American involvement and the eventual withdrawal of US forces in 1973.
Second, the movement helped lead to a major split in American society. The anti-war movement was part of the broader counterculture that changed American society. It helped to create a split between Americans who believed in traditional moral values and traditional ideas of patriotism (Richard Nixon's "Silent Majority") and those who wanted to move to newer and more liberal ways. This split continues to affect American society today.
The antiwar movement affected American society in the 1960s. As more and more people protested the war effort, it had a big effect on the American people.
Prior to the Vietnam War, the American people generally trusted the government. People had respect for the government and believed the information that the government was telling them. Because of the protests and the actions in the war, a credibility gap developed. People began to realize the government wasn’t being honest with them. As a result, Americans began to doubt the government.
Other people became very disrespectful toward the government. Many Americans refused to register for the war, and some refused to serve if drafted. There was open defiance toward our laws regarding the draft and serving if drafted.
People also became concerned about the police powers the government had. There was concern over the shootings at Kent State, and people became increasingly uneasy about the government's use of force. Many people were also arrested protesting the war.
American society saw a complete change in its outlook due to the antiwar movement and the way the war was going for Americans. To fight a war on foreign soil the US committed a large force, the maintenance of which required a lot of capital. The draft system was introduced to build up the military force. It was observed that South Americans and Africans were given more combat duties compared to Caucasians. When the war started, Americans were supportive of the war, but the growing body count, increasing expense and the realization that war was being fought to overthrow a democratic government turned the public against the government and large-scale antiwar protests took place. This antiwar movement changed the perception of people towards the war and introduced them to more liberal ways of dealing with the situation (and refraining from fighting someone else's war at personal expense).
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