Question

Why did President Johnson seek the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?

Answer 1

It allowed him to bypass Congressional support for declaring war.

Explanation:

The Resolution was based on allegations that US ships had been subjected to an unprovoked attack by North Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964.

All but two Congressmen supported Johnson's demands and it gave him, in effect a carte blanche in terms of military escalation.

It also set the tone for much of the US government's involvement in Vietnam, namely lack of control and accountability. This was reflected in massacres such as My Lai and the subsequent cover ups, illegal bombing of Cambodia, clandestine operations including the overthrowal of the Cambodian government and the unleashing of 20th century technology in the shape of napalm and Agent Orange.