Legislation1964
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
The USS Maddox reported a second attack by North Vietnamese torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin. Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution four days later, giving President Johnson broad authority to escalate military involvement in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war.
Why It Matters
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution demonstrated the dangers of granting broad war powers to the executive branch and directly led to the War Powers Resolution of 1973, reshaping the constitutional balance of military authority.