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On this two-sided flyer, the Dayton Peace Committee urges local citizens to join a nationwide “Moratorium on Business as Usual” in protest of the Vietnam War. The front side announces May 5 as a day for students and workers to step away from their daily routines—schools, workplaces, and commercial activities—to participate in rallies, “rap sessions,” music gatherings, and a city commission meeting. The back side features the “Joint Treaty of Peace Between the People of the United States, South Vietnam and North Vietnam,” also known as the “People’s Peace Treaty,” which outlines a grassroots vision for ending the war through mutual respect, immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces, and international cooperation.
A Local Spin on a National Movement
By early 1970, antiwar protests had taken many forms across the United States—campus strikes, mass marches, draft resistance, and local teach-ins. Dayton’s flyer clearly reflects this broader climate, adopting the language of “No Business as Usual” to challenge apathy and underscore the urgency of action. The Moratorium movement, which began in late 1969, encouraged everyday people to suspend normal life in favor of public demonstrations and community-led dialogues on the war.
Strategy and Themes
- Hand-Drawn Aesthetics: The large, sketchy lettering of “MAY 5” and the peace symbols give the flyer a disarmingly personal feel, suggesting a bottom-up, inclusive movement rather than a distant, impersonal campaign.
- Schedule of Events: The listed activities—from a vigil for peace and midday leaflet distribution to evening rap sessions—signal a day-long engagement that encourages participants to commit wholeheartedly.
- People’s Peace Treaty: The second page provides a formal outline of demands for ending U.S. involvement in Vietnam, emphasizing principles of self-determination, immediate troop withdrawal, and mutual respect. This grassroots “treaty” sought to bypass official government channels, appealing directly to citizens and soldiers as moral agents capable of shaping foreign policy.
Historical Context
By May 1970, the United States had expanded the conflict into Cambodia, fueling indignation among antiwar groups. College campuses became hotbeds of protest, culminating in the tragedy at Kent State University on May 4, just one day before this planned Moratorium. In Dayton and other Midwestern communities, local peace committees coalesced around the need for both urgent action and constructive dialogue—urging neighbors, city officials, and civic groups to take a stand.
Language, Imagery, and Efficacy
The language of the flyer is direct, encouraging a break from routine as an act of protest. Hand-lettered peace symbols and slogans like “End the War—U.S. Out Now” convey a raw immediacy that resonates with grassroots activism. By tying a practical schedule of events to the loftier goals of the People’s Peace Treaty, the committee created a cohesive message of both local engagement (e.g., city commission meeting) and broader societal transformation.
Despite lacking professional design elements or mass distribution resources, this flyer’s simplicity was its strength. It facilitated community organization, inviting concerned citizens to “set up Peace Assemblies in their schools” and to attend a culminating session where the People’s Peace Treaty would be presented to Dayton’s city authorities. While the immediate outcome of such petitions varied, the Moratorium and People’s Peace Treaty movements contributed to a mounting public pressure that helped shift national sentiment over time.
Lasting Significance
This combination of local activism and a people-driven peace proposal underscores how community groups could take the broader antiwar movement into their own hands, influencing city-level discourse and encouraging public officials to grapple with citizen demands. As a historical artifact, the flyer exemplifies the texture and tone of grassroots protests in Middle America, reminding us that national movements often achieve traction through countless small-scale, personal initiatives—like a day-long moratorium in Dayton, Ohio.
Special thanks to the USC Digital Imaging Lab for their support in digitizing this item.
