Unleashed: John Lindsay and the Vietnam War

Abstract

This thesis examines New York City Mayor John Lindsay’s calculated decision to side with the Vietnam anti-war movement as part of his re-election strategy in 1969 and how that stance influenced the pro-war movement’s role in the Hardhat Riots in May of 1970. Through examining New York City-based newspapers, particularly the Daily News, and the New York Times, as well as other periodicals written at the time such as Time Magazine, the research focused specifically on Mayor John Lindsay’s order to lower all American flags atop municipal buildings on October 15, 1969—Moratorium Day—and how the pro-war movement exploited that decision to further their own efforts to support President Richard Nixon’s foreign policy. This thesis concludes that the pro-war movement exploited Lindsay’s flag edict by manipulating his motive for issuing the order. Lindsay’s edict enabled his enemies to consolidate support for Nixon and his Vietnam War policy in a way that undermined Lindsay’s tenure, and emboldened the pro-war movement to take violent measures against those they saw as a threat to American values. It also made it easier for pro-war advocates to change the narrative in a way that made conservatives look and sound more positive and patriotic, which served to undercut the growing anti-war movement.