By 1969, more than a decade of American involvement in the Vietnam War had claimed over 40,000 lives. Despite the insistence of numerous politicians that the conflict was essential for preventing Communism from spreading deeper into Asia, both the war itself and the draft fueling it were profoundly unpopular throughout the country.
When Richard Nixon took office on January 20, 1969, there was widespread hope among Americans that he would steer the nation toward peace in the region. In reality, though, much of what he did in practice closely mirrored the unpopular escalation pursued by Lyndon B. Johnson before him.
Organizing
Several key realizations among anti-war activists gave rise to the Moratorium movement. First, they understood that a coordinated national day of action could pressure President Nixon into de-escalating the war. Second, there was a deliberate effort to project respectability, since anti-war demonstrators were widely stereotyped as hippies. Third, the action needed to be truly nationwide rather than concentrated in a single location. Initially, organizers called for a general strike, but they ultimately settled on the word 'Moratorium' as a better fit.
October 15 was the date the activists selected.
Day of Action
The exact number of participants in the Vietnam Moratorium remains unknown. Marches took place across many major cities that day, and it's estimated that roughly a quarter of a million people joined Coretta Scott King for a march through Washington, DC.
Response
Unfortunately, the impact fell short of what organizers had envisioned. President Nixon refused to let the demonstrations sway his position, viewing the protests as an undermining force against US efforts to stabilize the region. His response came in the form of his famous silent majority speech — a phrase that has endured in the political lexicon ever since.