Confronting the War Machine

Draft Resistance during the Vietnam War

Nonfiction, History, Military, Vietnam War, Asian, Americas, United States, 20th Century
Cover of the book Confronting the War Machine by Michael S. Foley, The University of North Carolina Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Michael S. Foley ISBN: 9780807862438
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press Publication: November 20, 2003
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press Language: English
Author: Michael S. Foley
ISBN: 9780807862438
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Publication: November 20, 2003
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Language: English

Shedding light on a misunderstood form of opposition to the Vietnam War, Michael Foley tells the story of draft resistance, the cutting edge of the antiwar movement at the height of the war's escalation. Unlike so-called draft dodgers, who left the country or manipulated deferments, draft resisters openly defied draft laws by burning or turning in their draft cards. Like civil rights activists before them, draft resisters invited prosecution and imprisonment.

Focusing on Boston, one of the movement's most prominent centers, Foley reveals the crucial role of draft resisters in shifting antiwar sentiment from the margins of society to the center of American politics. Their actions inspired other draft-age men opposed to the war--especially college students--to reconsider their place of privilege in a draft system that offered them protections and sent disproportionate numbers of working-class and minority men to Vietnam. This recognition sparked the change of tactics from legal protest to mass civil disobedience, drawing the Johnson administration into a confrontation with activists who were largely suburban, liberal, young, and middle class--the core of Johnson's Democratic constituency.

Examining the day-to-day struggle of antiwar organizing carried out by ordinary Americans at the local level, Foley argues for a more complex view of citizenship and patriotism during a time of war.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Shedding light on a misunderstood form of opposition to the Vietnam War, Michael Foley tells the story of draft resistance, the cutting edge of the antiwar movement at the height of the war's escalation. Unlike so-called draft dodgers, who left the country or manipulated deferments, draft resisters openly defied draft laws by burning or turning in their draft cards. Like civil rights activists before them, draft resisters invited prosecution and imprisonment.

Focusing on Boston, one of the movement's most prominent centers, Foley reveals the crucial role of draft resisters in shifting antiwar sentiment from the margins of society to the center of American politics. Their actions inspired other draft-age men opposed to the war--especially college students--to reconsider their place of privilege in a draft system that offered them protections and sent disproportionate numbers of working-class and minority men to Vietnam. This recognition sparked the change of tactics from legal protest to mass civil disobedience, drawing the Johnson administration into a confrontation with activists who were largely suburban, liberal, young, and middle class--the core of Johnson's Democratic constituency.

Examining the day-to-day struggle of antiwar organizing carried out by ordinary Americans at the local level, Foley argues for a more complex view of citizenship and patriotism during a time of war.

More books from The University of North Carolina Press

Cover of the book America's Culture of Terrorism by Michael S. Foley
Cover of the book Jean Anderson's Preserving Guide by Michael S. Foley
Cover of the book Long Past Slavery by Michael S. Foley
Cover of the book The Life and Times of Sir Archie by Michael S. Foley
Cover of the book North Carolina's Barrier Islands by Michael S. Foley
Cover of the book Days of Hope by Michael S. Foley
Cover of the book Southern Cultures: The Help Special Issue by Michael S. Foley
Cover of the book A City and Its Universities by Michael S. Foley
Cover of the book I Rode with Stonewall by Michael S. Foley
Cover of the book God's Almost Chosen Peoples by Michael S. Foley
Cover of the book The Imagined Civil War by Michael S. Foley
Cover of the book Nortin Hadler's 4-Volume Healthcare Omnibus E-Book by Michael S. Foley
Cover of the book The American Union and the Problem of Neighborhood by Michael S. Foley
Cover of the book A New Voyage to Carolina by Michael S. Foley
Cover of the book The Social Origins of the Urban South by Michael S. Foley
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy