Directions
Read through the New York Times articles to familiarize yourself with the Cooper-Church Amendment, and the letters from Kentucky citizens who either supported or did not support the amendment. Answer the following questions based on your reading.
1. Who are the narrators of these items? Under what conditions and circumstances are they writing?
2. Describe the points of view, conflicts, or biases that you find.
3. How do these sources change or inform your understanding of the Vietnam War in Kentucky?
Letters from Kentucky Constituents
- Pro Amendment: Selected Letters from Constituents to Senator John Sherman Cooper (April-August 1970)John Sherman Cooper Papers (80M1), Boxes 456-458
- Con Amendment: Selected Letters from Constituents to Senator John Sherman Cooper (April-August 1970)John Sherman Cooper Papers (80M1), Boxes 459-461
- Full set of scans from John Sherman Cooper Papers (80M1)This dropbox link will take you to the folders with all the scans of every single letter in all 6 manuscript boxes of Kentucky letters regarding the Church-Cooper Amendment in the John Sherman Cooper Papers, accession # 80M1.
Cooper-Church Amendment - New York Times Articles
- Escalation in Indochina30 Apr 1970, New York Times
Abstract: President Nixon, who was elected on a pledge to bring peace in Vietnam, has instead escalated the war into Cambodia in a rash move that has the gravest implications for the United States. - Senator Byrd's Loophole24 June 1970, New York Times
Abstract: Efforts to restore Congressional responsibility in the war-making process and to limit Presidential expansion of the war in Indochina have been unwisely weakened by the latest modification of the Cooper-Church amendment in the Senate. - LONG DEBATE ENDS1 July 1970, New York Times
WASHINGTON, June 30 -- The Senate, moving to reassert the war-making powers of Congress, today adopted the long-debated Cooper-Church amendment to limit Presidential action in Cambodia. - In The Nation: One-Two Punch in the Senate2 July 1970, New York Times
WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Seldom if ever has a President suffered the sort of one-two punch with which the Senate smote Mr. Nixon on Tuesday passing the Cooper-Church amendment on Cambodia and overriding the President's veto of the health aid bill, 76 to 19. - Senate Acts To Curb Nixon on Power to Wage War5 July 1970, New York Times
WASHINGTON -- The Senate has taken what may prove to be a historic step in redressing the balance of warmaking powers between the Presidency and the Congress, in an era of undeclared wars. - House Plans a Test Today On Cooper-Church Curb9 July 1970, New York Times
WASHINGTON, July 8 (AP) -- House leaders decided late today to schedule for tomorrow the first test of the Senate imposed limitation on Presidential action in Cambodia. - HOUSE THWARTS EFFORT TO ADOPT WAR FUNDS CURB10 July 1970, New York Times
WASHINGTON, July 9 -- With the Nixon Administration's support, the House leadership thwarted an attempt by antiwar Representatives today to force an immediate vote on the Senate's Cooper-Church amendment restricting future military operations in Cambodia. - CONGRESS URGED BY NIXON'S AIDES TO KILL WAR CURB15 July 1970, New York Times
WASHINGTON, July 15 -- The Nixon Administration strongly urged Congress today to drop the Senate's Cooper-Church amendment restricting military action in Cambodia, on the ground that, if enacted, it would infringe on the President's "lawful responsibilities" as Commander in Chief. - President vs. Cooper-Church18 July 1970, New York Times
Abstract: From the time of the framing of the Constitution it has been the generally accepted view of the American system of checks and balances that "the President proposes, the Congress disposes." Curiously, for a man who has served in both houses of the legislative branch, President Nixon appears to favor a much narrower interpretation of the role of Congress.
John Sherman Cooper
b. 1901, d. 1991
KY House of Representatives, 1928 - 1930
Judge of Pulaski County, Ky., 1930 - 1938
Board of Trustees of UK, 1934 - 1946
KY U.S. Senator, 1946 - 1949, 1952 - 1973
Ambassador to the German Democratic Republic, 1974 - 1976