Ep 1. Winter

1968: The Year That Changed America is a docuseries that takes a deep dive into the events that occurred in America during the year 1968. The first episode of the season, named Winter, explores the events that happened in the winter of 1968 in America that gave an inkling of what was to come for the rest of the year.

The first scene of the episode highlights the Tet Offensive by the Viet Cong in Vietnam, which records a significant victory for the North Vietnamese. This event changed the way people saw the war and brought the war directly into American living rooms. President Lyndon B. Johnson's ratings, which dipped below 30% earlier, dropped even further after this event, reflecting the country's declining support for the war.

The episode also delves into the Civil Rights movement, showing how the movement split, and there were differences regarding methodology and tactics. Civil rights leader Martin Luther King had lost momentum, and there was a growing interest in a more militant approach. The Black Panthers, an organization founded in 1966, demanded a stop to police brutality and advocated for armed self-defense. In the winter of 1968, news covered the arrest of prominent civil rights leader Huey Newton, the founder of the Black Panther Party. He was accused of killing a police officer, and the nation paid attention to his trial, which later resulted in his acquittal.

The episode also looks at the state of the youth in America, who were becoming more politically active. In the winter of 1968, the student protests against the Vietnam War reached a new peak. They protested against the drafting of young men to fight in a war they did not believe in. The Selective Service draft lottery, which was introduced by the government to remove the perception of unfairness, only added fuel to the fire by turning the war into a lottery game.

The episode also deals with an event that shook the nation—a fire broke out in the makeshift residence of singer-activist, Joan Baez. The fire consumed the cabin, but everyone survived. The authorities initially suspected that the fire was caused by a careless cigarette. However, soon, the Hanrahan bombing incidents came to light, and the authorities discovered that the cabins' occupants were under FBI surveillance. The FBI had a file on Baez for her involvement in various protests and was monitoring her movements.

Winter, the premiere episode of 1968: The Year That Changed America, effectively sets the stage for what's to come in the rest of the series. It shows how America was at a turning point in the year, and the events that took place in the winter of 1968 predicted the nationwide political unrest that followed throughout the year. The episode is well-researched and provides insights into lesser-known but significant events of the time. It features interviews with historians, eyewitnesses, journalists, and some of the individuals who participated in the events covered. Overall, Winter is an engrossing and compelling start to a series that leaves viewers eager to know what really changed America in 1968.