The significance of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution is that it marked the beginning of major American activity in Vietnam. The resolution was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1964, giving President Lyndon B. Johnson the authority to take military action in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war. This paved the way for the escalation of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was passed in response to reported incidents involving U.S. Navy ships in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of North Vietnam. It granted broad powers to the President to use military force in Vietnam, leading to a significant increase in American troop levels and resources being committed to the conflict.
Overall, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was a crucial turning point in the Vietnam War, as it allowed for the deployment of more American troops and resources, shaping the course of the war and intensifying U.S. military involvement in Vietnam.