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The 1960s

The 1960s. Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon’s Administrations. Election of 1960. Democrat Kennedy v. Republican Nixon First time presidential debates are on national television Kennedy wins!!!. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address.

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The 1960s

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  1. The 1960s Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon’s Administrations

  2. Election of 1960 • Democrat Kennedy v. Republican Nixon • First time presidential debates are on national television • Kennedy wins!!!

  3. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address • Promised the American people a “New Frontier” with proposals focusing on the economy, aid to the poor, and the space program • He pledged that the U.S. would “pay an price, bear any burden, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and success of liberty.” • “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

  4. Kennedy’s Domestic Policy • Tax cut proposal to help the poor • Developed the Peace Corps and Head Start • More money to NASA to put a man on the moon • Slowly began to actively support the civil rights movement after Martin Luther King, Jr. is jailed in Birmingham

  5. Kennedy and the Cold War • Alliance for Progress - The Marshall Plan of Latin America; devotes billions of dollars in economic aid to L.A. to make sure communism does not take over governments • Sends 16,000 military advisors to South Vietnam to help train their army against Communist North Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh

  6. Kennedy and Cuba • Bay of Pigs - April 17, 1961 - Planned invasion of American-supported Cuban rebels who were supposed to overthrow Castro; invasion failed and was a disaster which only pushed Cuba and Castro closer to the USSR and Khrushchev

  7. Cuban Missile Crisis 1962 • U.S. discovers that the USSR is storing nuclear weapons in Cuba • JFK gives an ultimatum that the missiles be removed or the U.S. would go to war. He orders a naval quarantine so that no more Soviet missiles could arrive in Cuba • The whole world watches for days as Soviets carrying missiles headed towards Cuba but then turned around • Khrushchev negotiates with JFK: Soviets will remove their missiles from Cuba if U.S. would remove theirs from Turkey

  8. Virginia and the Cold War • The heavy military expenditures benefited VA’s economy proportionately more than any other state, especially in Hampton Roads which is home to several large naval and air bases, and Northern VA which is home to the Pentagon and numerous private companies that contract with the military.

  9. JFK Assassination • Assassinated November 22, 1963 while riding in a parade in Dallas • Alleged assassin was Lee Harvey Oswald who was later killed by Jack Ruby • Warren Commission is set up to investigate his assassination and find that Oswald acted alone

  10. Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society • Cut taxes which resulted in a decrease in unemployment and inflation remained in check • Developed Medicare to provide healthcare to the elderly • Immigration Act of 1965 eliminated the quotas system of naturalization; resulted in an increase in immigration from Latin America and Asia • Does more for Civil Rights than any other president…to be continued

  11. LBJ War on Poverty • The Great Society rests on abundance and liberty for all. It demands an end to poverty and racial injustice.” LBJ 1964

  12. LBJ’s Foreign Policy • Panama • Authorized discussions that would soon give Panama control of the Panama Canal • Dominican Republic • Sends 20,000 marines to protect US citizens from rebels; helped promote stability in the country • Vietnam • Greatly increases US involvement….

  13. South Vietnam Resisted: • U.S. assisted South Vietnam by sending military advisors under JFK. • This role expanded under LBJ after 1963 to include troops. • American containment policy now included battle. Napalm bombs explode on suspected Viet Cong structures south of Saigon in South Vietnam.

  14. Increasing Involvement: • Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (passed by Congress in 1964) gave LBJ right to expand the war effort. • Involvement steadily increased through the 1960’s (escalation) under LBJ • Many Americans supported these efforts in the early 1960’s. • Even though LBJ would have preferred to build the “Great Society”, he was bound to not allow the U.S. to actually lose its first war.

  15. The Tet Offensive: 1968 Helicopters airlift soldiers during a search and destroy mission by the 25th Infantry Division, northeast of Cu Chi, South Vietnam. • A strong attack by Vietcong (communist) forces • Even though U.S. troops held, it proved the war was not nearly over • Turned many Americans against the war effort

  16. We were forced to fight a limited war-- not to engage civilians or leave certain regions Ho Chi Minh was a very popular communist man, with popular reforms The Ho Chi Minh Trail supplied Vietcong by running through Laos and Cambodia (both neutral nations) We could not identify the enemy Many soldiers were not “spirited” to fight (low morale) Our Problems Fighting this War:

  17. NIXON’S PLAN FOR VIETNAMIZATION: • Nixon elected in 1968 (LBJ refused to run again and Bobby Kennedy was assassinated) • Goal to return the fight to people of Vietnam (Vietnamization) • Nixon increased bombing, invaded Cambodia… • U.S. drew up peace accords with North Vietnam in 1973 (“Peace with honor”) Nixon’s campaign in 1968 focused on peace with honor in Vietnam and law and order at home

  18. Hawks: Pro War Containment of Communism Domino Theory Must Win!!! Doves: Anti-War Anti-war movement (mostly on college campuses) Not our business Destroying the people and society Too much cost 54,000 men lost A Bitter Division at Home:

  19. OHIO TIN SOLDIERS AND NIXON'S BOMBING WE'RE FINALLY ON OUR OWN THIS SUMMER I HEAR THE DRUMMING FOUR DEAD IN OHIO GOTTA GET DOWN TO IT SOLDIERS ARE GUNNING US DOWN SHOULD OF BEEN DONE LONG AGO WHAT IF YOU KNEW HER AND FOUND HER DEAD ON THE GROUND HOW CAN YOU RUN WHEN YOU KNOW FOUR DEAD IN OHIO FOUR DEAD IN OHIO FOUR DEAD IN OHIO FOUR DEAD IN OHIO A song by Neil Young This photograph was taken during a student protest at Kent State University, in Ohio. The National Guard opened fire on a demonstration, killing four and wounding nine. This violence made the nation realize that there was a war raging in the U.S. as well as in Vietnam.

  20. Legacies of Vietnam: • U.S. pulled out of Vietnam in 1973. • By 1975 Vietnam had been reunited under Communist rule. • Cambodia and Laos also fell to communism in the early 1970’s (domino theory). • Nixon was forced to resign due to the Watergate scandal. • American faith in government diminished. • Opposition to war was reflected onto the treatment of veterans returning home.

  21. 1970s • Nixon visits China starting better relations with the East (Communism) or Détente • Watergate Scandal • Nixon Resigns his Vice President becomes president of the U.S.

  22. 1970s • GERALD FORD (1974-1977) • Gerald Ford pardons Nixon. • American more than even distrust Government. • Energy crisis - OPEC • JIMMY CARTER (1977-1981) • Fuel shortage 1979 • Camp David Accords steps towards peace in the Middle East • USSR Invasion of Afghanistan • Iran Hostages

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