Aftermath of the Vietnam War
Prompt:
In the aftermath of the Vietnam War, the United States entered a period of cultural, economic, and political fracture. More Americans were distrustful of government than ever before, escalating tensions with Soviet allies in the Middle East caused the American economy to struggle, and progressive groups and Christian evangelicals initiated the culture wars. In your essay response, discuss how Jimmy Carter framed his foreign policy as one centered on human rights. How did Carter’s definition of human rights relate to his definition of what it meant to have freedom? How did Jerry Falwell’s understand the concept of freedom in this period? Did it differ much from Carter’s? Finally, discuss the debates between pro-environmentalists and those seeking to curb the environmentalist movement in this era. How did each group believe their policies would benefit America?
Documents:
Jimmy Carter on Human Rights (1977)
Jerry Falwell, Listen America! (1980)
Barry Commoner, The Closing Circle (1971)
James Watt, “Environmentalists: A Threat to the Ecology of the West” (1978)
Answer preview to aftermath of the Vietnam War
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