Final answer:
The Vietnam War was the conflict in Southeast Asia that led to widespread protests in the US, particularly from the hippie counterculture movement. High-profile incidents such as the Kent State shootings intensified opposition to the war, with groups like Students for a Democratic Society playing a significant role in organizing demonstrations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The war in Southeast Asia that US involvement sparked significant protests was the Vietnam War. In the 1960s and early 1970s, the war deeply divided the American public. On one side, many saw the war as a necessary fight against the spread of communism, while on the other, a vocal opposition emerged, including the counterculture movement known as the 'hippies.' These groups held massive anti-war demonstrations, which were a hallmark of the era's social unrest.
One of the major student organizations that mobilized against the war was Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). As the war progressed, even as Presidents Johnson and Nixon assured the public of an imminent end to US involvement, operations expanded secretly into neighboring countries like Laos and Cambodia, exacerbating public outcry.
The culmination of anti-war sentiment was notably marked by tragic incidents such as the shooting of students by police and National Guard troops at Jackson State University and Kent State University in 1970. These events not only intensified protests but also amplified the nation's attention to the anti-war movement, casting further doubt on the war's justification and the government's transparency in its conduct.
Protests were particularly robust on college campuses, such as the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the national media provided stark imagery of the war's toll on both Vietnamese civilians and American troops. The televised coverage brought the war directly into living rooms, leaving an indelible mark on public consciousness and shaping political discourse for decades to come