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The Liberal Era

The Liberal Era. Chapter 28. The Kennedy Presidency 1960-1963. Personified self-confident liberal Believed activist state could improve life at home and confront the communist challenged abroad From a wealthy, political family Served in WWII, Navy Despite bad back Always sick

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The Liberal Era

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  1. The Liberal Era Chapter 28

  2. The Kennedy Presidency 1960-1963 • Personified self-confident liberal • Believed activist state could improve life at home and confront the communist challenged abroad • From a wealthy, political family • Served in WWII, Navy • Despite bad back • Always sick • Served in Congress, Senate 1958 • Won Pulitzer Prize for “Profiles in Courage” • Believed in “The New Frontier”

  3. 1960 Election • Televised debates • Downfall of Nixon • Pale and haggard vs. the tanned and dynamic JFK • Most imp. factor of election • Election • Closest since 1884 • Only separated by 120,000 popular votes • Inauguration • “New Frontier” • Surrounded himself with intellectuals • JFK • Benefitted from recession • VP Southern Protestant Lyndon B. Johnson • Religion an issue • Nixon • Better known • More experience • Middle road Republican • Unanimously elected at Republican convention • Eisenhower’s VP • Stood up to Khrushchev in the “Kitchen debate”

  4. Kennedy’s Domestic Record • Little significant social legislation • New Frontier programs: • Education, health care, urban renewal • Civil rights • New liberalism held back by Congress • All would be passed later by Johnson • Economic growth key to liberal agenda • Economic success • Faced down steel executives over inflationary prices and achieved rollback • Doubled rate of economic growth with defense spending, low-cost energy, and technical innovation • Accomplishments • Increased nuclear stockpile • Increased defense budget • Established Green Berets • Guerilla warfare • “race to moon” • $25 billion • Federal aid to education • Medical care to elderly • Urban renewal • Clean Air Act 1963 • Inspired by Rachel Carson • Regulated auto and industrial emissions

  5. Kennedy’s Domestic Record • Civil Rights • Lot of rhetoric = little action • Focus on foreign affairs, then economy • Straddled race issue • Balanced unprecedented # of African-Americans to federal jobs with appointment of racist judges • Kennedy “forced” to enforce desegregation of buses only after “Freedom Ride” of 1961 • “forced” again to deal with issue after Birmingham embarrassment June 1963 • Women • Established Presidential Commission of status of Women

  6. Kennedy’s Foreign Policy • Cold War Activism • Launched a major buildup with military arsenal • Foreign policy top priority • Congressional for liberal programs of economic assistance for third world • 1961 Peace Corps • Missionaries of Democracy • Young volunteers to give technical aid to developing countries • 1961 Alliance for Progress • Organized to promote land reform and economic development in Latin America • Trade Expansion Act of 1962 • Passed by Congress authorized tariff reductions with Western European countries • Laos • Created by Geneva agreement 1954 • Civil war b/w US forces and Laos rebels • Compromise in July 1962 • Restored neutralist government • Face-saving, about to lose to Communists • Cuba • Spring 1961: Bay of Pigs • 1st major foreign policy • Gave CIA approval • 1500 exiles stormed Cuba • DISASTER • Failed to set off uprising • Surrendered on beach • JFK takes blame • Gave Castro more power

  7. Kennedy’s Foreign Policy • Brink of Cold War • Summer 1961 • JFK met Krushchev in Vienna • Soviet Union wanted US troops out of Berlin, Kennedy refused • August 1961- Berlin wall built • JFK reassured West Germany of U.S support • Oct. 1962 • Aerial photographs of missile bases in Cuba • Kennedy’s Response • Remove missiles • “quarantine” Cuba until missiles gone • Naval blockade • Tense movements • 180 US ships in Caribbean • 250,000 troops in FL • “I think the other fellow just blinked” • Most tense moment, Oct. 25, 1962 • Missiles out if US doesn’t invade Cuba • Darkest Hour • Russia changes and adds Turkey • US spy plane shot down over Cuba • Compromise • October 27, 1962 • Original offer accepted • “Hot-line” established • Signaled “détente” • New phase in Cold War • Set off new race for missiles and warheads • Result of Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

  8. The Thousand Day Presidency • JFK Assassination • Nov. 22, 1963 • Dallas, TX • Legacy • New Frontier, Liberalism • “held back” by Congress • Barely existed for environment, women, or slowing business • Mixed International Record • Signed 1st nuclear-test-ban treaty, yet initiated build up • Compromised on Laos, but deepened Vietnam involvement • Increased power of executive branch • Publicly • Fired imagination of Americans • Gave liberals new hope • Challenged young • Stimulated social and political activism • Consequences • Assassination shattered illusions • Warren Commision • Increasing # of Americans to lose confidence in government

  9. Liberalism Ascendant, 1963-1968 • Lyndon B. Johnson • Substantial political assets • Served in Washington since 1932 • Lots of political experience • Determined to prove himself • And did! • Handled transition • Landslide election in 1964 • LBJ’s Liberalism • Tax Cut • $10 billion tax reduction • Surge in capital investment and personal consumption • Shrank the budget deficit • Sparked increase in jobs, consumer spending, period of economic expansion • Civil Rights • Memorial to JFK • “The Other America” • Book written by Michael Harrington • 40 million in poverty • LBJ created Office of Economic Opportunity 1964 • Economic Opportunity Act 1964 • Wanted to offer a hand UP not a hand OUT • War on Poverty • Job Corps • Domestic peace corps • VISTA • Volunteers in Service to America • Project Head Start • Community Action Program • Vision of a “Great Society” • Horrified conservatives • Wanted to end poverty AND racial injustice • Will lead into Election of 1964

  10. 1964 Election • Republicans • Barry Goldwater • Product of 20th century West • Outsider of Washington • Staunch conservative • Anticommunist • Proponent of individual freedom • Platform • Opposed big government • Deficit spending • Racial liberalism • Social welfare • Opposed liberalism • Wanted to end welfare, Social Security, and TVA • Wanted to use Nucs with Cuba and Vietnam • Attacked Liberals “no-win” strategy • Support • Southern segregationists • White backlash to civil rights • Blue-collar workers in Northern cities • LBJ • VP: Hubert Humphrey • Depicted Goldwater as an extremist • Had a clearly liberal agenda • Election • 43 million votes to 27 million • Landslide victory • 61% of popular vote • Democrats gained control of Congress • Consequences • Goldwater launches modern Republican conservative movement • GOP became conservative, Southern and Western party • Mobilized support for future leaders like Ronald Reagan • New “Southern Strategy”

  11. Triumphant Liberalism • 89th Congress • “Congress of fulfillment” • Enlarged war on poverty • Milestone Civil Rights • Ironic from Southern President • Enacted Medicare and Medicaid • Funds for public education, housing, redevelopment of Appalachia, and revitalizing inner-city neighborhoods • Created new departments • Transportation • Housing • Endowment for Humanities • New immigration law • Abolishes Nat’l Origin Act 1924 • Increase of Asian and L.A. immigrants • Environment • 1964 Nat’l Wilderness Preservation Act • Inspired by Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” 1962 • Lady Bird Johnson’s “Beautify America Campaign” • Safety standards • Highway Safety Act • Thanks to Ralph Nader’s “Unsafe at any Speed” 1965 • Results • Improved lives of millions • Poor down from 22% to 13% by 1969 • IMR down by 1/3 • Head start reaches 2 million children • African-American poverty down from 40%-20% • Critics • MLK Jr. • “War on Poverty shot down over the battlefields of Vietnam” • 22% more spent on War than poverty • Election 1966 • Democrats lost 47 seats in House • Sealed Liberalism’s fate

  12. Civil Rights Movement • Core • Spring 1961 organized freedom rides in South to dramatize violence • Kennedy forced to send in Federal marshals • SNCC • Student Nonviolent Coordinating committee • Encouraged sit-ins Fall 1961 • 1962 • University of Mississippi • James Meredith • Use of troops • Bombingham • Police commissioner of Birmingham Bull Connor • “blood would run in streets before segregation allowed” • Letters from a Birmingham jail- MLK Jr. • Water hoses, violence • Vicious attacks horrified nation • August 28, 1963 • March on Washington, D.C. • “I have a dream speech”

  13. Civil Rights Act 1964 • Most significant C.R. legislation in US history • What it does: • Banned racial discrimination and segregation in public facilities • 24th amendment = ended poll tax • Outlawed bias in federally funded programs • Created EEOC • What it doesn’t: • Address voting rights • CORE, SNCC • Campaign to register African-Americans • “Freedom Summer” 1964 • Voting Rights Bill passed August 1965 • Only after George Wallace violence • Selma to Montgomery March led by MLK Jr. • “we shall overcome”

  14. Riots and Black Power • Civil rights movement did not revolutionize race relations • August 11, 1965 • 5 days after voting rights signed • Watts, LA • 6 days, 50,000 participated • 34 dead, 900 injured • 4000 arrested • Looting, fire-bombing white shops • Summer 1966 • Riots in Northern ghettoes • Response to brutal police • Summer 1967 • 150 racial skirmishes, 40 riots • Most intensive and destructive period in US history • 1964-1968 • 200 dead, 7000 injured • 40.000 arrested • $500 million in damage

  15. Rise of new leaders • “too little, too late” • 1966 “Black Power” • Malcolm X • “wake up, clean up, and stand up” • Be proud of blackness, roots • Critical of MLK Jr. • Called him “Uncle Tom” • “If ballots won’t work, bullets will” • Assassinated Feb. 1965 • By Nation of Islam • Cassius Clay • Converted to Islam 1964 • Muhammad Ali • Draft evasion

  16. Black Panthers • Founded Oakland, Cali 1966 • Huey Newton, Bobby Seale • “strike at night, spare no one” • “get whitey”, “burn baby burn” • Significant influence • Black studies at colleges • Community groups • Black voters, candidates • Encourage black pride • “black is beautiful” • Rise of Jesse Jackson

  17. Warren Court of the 1960’s • Impact comparable to John Marshall • Supported and promoted liberal agenda • Acted to expand individual rights to a greater extent • Johnson appoints 1st African-American justice: Thurgood Marshall • Major rulings: • Prohibiting bible and prayer in school • Limiting local power to censor books and films • Overturned state ban on contraceptives • One person, one vote • Rights of the accused • Criticism: • Miranda v. Arizona 1966 • People called for his impeachment

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