Curated and Reviewed by
Lesson Planet
This Primary Source Worksheet: Clark Clifford, Letter to Lyndon B. Johnson worksheet also includes:
Vietnam War did indeed turn into a quagmire. Students of history will gain much from a close reading of this 1965 prophetic letter from the Secretary of Defense, Clark Clifford to President Lyndon B. Johnson, advising the president to limit the ground war in Vietnam.
2 Collections
64 Views
59 Downloads
Concepts
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
- Ask groups to compare Clifford's views with those of Secretary of State Dean Rusk
- Ask groups to compare the American involvement in Vietnam with the Middle East
- Use the document at the beginning of a study of American involvement in Vietnam and have class members chart troop buildups as the war continued
Pros
- The 1965 letter reveals Clifford's views at the beginning of the Vietnam conflict
- The provided reading questions are designed to encourage a close and careful reading of the letter
Cons
- The questions and the suggested activity provide little insight into the importance of Clifford's advice and the consequences of subsequence policy