The 1960 Election

1. The 1960 Election The Election of 1960 marked a major change in the way Americans participated in politics. Politics became a televised event. John Fitzgerald Kennedy Long established Massachusetts family Wealthy from selling alcohol during Prohibition Irish-Catholic, attended private schools, including Harvard Served in U.S. Navy during Korea Earned medals for valor and purple heart

2. JFK’s Politics • Elected to Congress as a Democratic Representative for Mass. • Represented the young Baby-Boomer generation • Promoted Liberal ideas: • Government should work for the people

3. Richard Milhous Nixon • Gained experience as McCarthy’s right-hand man during HUAC trials • Chosen as Eisenhower's’ Vice President • Represented the “Old Guard” conservative Republican • Long established Republican politician from California • Pushed for strong political and economic conservatism • Small government • Traditional morality • Tax cuts • Strong on stand against Communism

4. The 1960 Campaign • Would be a very close election, decided by a few thousand votes • Firsttelevised debates in history • On the radio • JFK Seemed less experienced with the issues • Nixon seemed More experienced with issues • On the TV • Nixon lost: Looked sweaty, uncomfortable, and awkward • JFK won: Looked relaxed, poised, affable and charismatic

5. The Issues • Kennedy’s position: • U.S. faced serious issues abroad and at home • Needed to spend money to protect and help American interests, especially in Cuba • Nixon’s position • U.S. was just fine, after 8 years of Eisenhower/Nixon • Needed to cut spending, because domestic spending was too expensive

6. The Age of Camelot • JFK won by narrow majority • Youngest president inAmerican history (until Obama) • First Catholic president • JFK brought a distinctive style of leadership, • Attempted an overhaul of the inner-cities. • Organized a young, ambitious Cabinet • many Harvard grads • Brother, RFK was Attorney General • Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense

7. The New Frontier Bold, new domestic programs • Education • Welfare • Health Care • Elderly Assistance • Inner-Cities • Continue FDR’s social reform • Small Democratic majority in Congress • Barely won the presidency • Congress didn’t support policies • Christian Southern Conservative Democrats didn’t like him • Battled high inflation • Global crises in Cuba, Berlin, Russia, and Vietnam • Most legislation would NOT pass

8. The Warren Court • Gideon v. Wainwright (1963): Provide Counsel to defendants • Escobedo v. Illinois (1964) and Miranda v. Arizona (1966): the right to remain silent, anything said can be used in a court of law, right to lawyer • Engel v. Vitale (1962): No prayer in schools • Griswold v. Connecticut (1965): Overturns ban on birth control • JFK nominated Conservative judge for Chief Justice • Became an activist judge • Took a stand on a number of important social issues Protect the citizen, the police department, protect the Constitution: Basic civil rights

9. JFK’s Foreign Policy JFK asked for a flexible response to make America safe Challenged Eisenhower’s idea of “massive retaliation” State commits itself to retaliate in much greater force in the event of an attack Pushed for the use of conventional weaponry and military to combat Communism U.S. couldn’t rely on nuclear arsenal to protect itself

10. The Bay of Pigs • Considered JFK’s first major foreign policy issue • Intended to overthrow Fidel Castro, who had become too cozy with Soviet Union’s Khrushchev • Eisenhower, before leaving office, had approved CIA training of Cuban exiles JFK Invades Cuba (April 17, 1961) • JFK hopes to start a revolution, authorizes invasion • Total Failure: • 1,400 armed Cubans, called La Brigada • Runs aground on a coral reef • JFK cancels air support, keep America’s involvement secret • Castro captured or killed almost all of La Brigada • Exposed American covert operations

11. The Berlin Wall(August 1961) • Immediately following the Bay of Pigs fiasco • JFK and Khrushchev meet in Berlin • Discuss East German refugees escaping to West Berlin • JFK promises to continue support to refugees • Khrushchev orders the construction of the wall

12. The Cuban Missile Crisis(Oct. 12, 1962) • American spy plane discovers the construction of missile launching sites in Cuba • Khrushchev had offered nuclear missiles to Cuba • Tries to force JFK’s concessions in Berlin • Began 13 days of an intense stare down • JFK pushes for naval blockade • Goal: • Seize any ships going into/out of Cuba • Force the immediate removal of missiles • The Problem: • A direct attack on Soviets would be an act of war • The existence of the missiles in Cuba were an act of war

13. The Fallout(Oct. 28, 1962) • Soviet Union removes missiles from Cuba • U.S. removes missiles from Turkey • Quarantine ends, but Cuban embargo begins • The Problems: • Khrushchev forced from office • Kremlin begins nuclear expansion • U.S. and Soviet Union agree to test Nuclear ban treaty • Establish direct communication link: • The red phone

14. The Peace Corps • JFK’s call for American international volunteerism • The commitment: • Spend 2 years in developing nations • Specialize in education, agriculture, irrigation, sewage treatment, or health care • Promote democracy and American influence • Remains one of the most lasting legacy’s of JFK’s presidency

15. The Space Race • JFK promised to be the first to the moon • 1962: NASA sends John Glenn • First American in space • Used Saturn V rocket to propel out of Earth’s orbit • 1969: Saturn V rocket launches Apollo 11 • First, and only, successful moon landing • 60s -70s Space Technology • 1962: • Telstar: • Commercial communication satellite • Relay phone signals across world • 1973: • Cellphones: • Original had a talk time of 35 minutes • Took 10 hours to charge

16. Global Position Systems (GPS) • Network of Satellites: • Orbit the earth at fixed positions • Beam down signals to receivers • Used to pinpoint exact location • Operated by Department of Defense • Used at first so nuclear subs could quickly find location when surfacing • Used for rocket targeting • Used for accurate positioning and navigation of ground forces

17. The Vietnam War • During the Cold War, the U.S. was committedtocontainingcommunism • The U.S. was effective in limiting communist influence in Europe • The spread of communism in Asia was spreading quickly • Led the U.S. to become involved in a civil war in Vietnam • Involvement in Vietnam from 1950 to 1973 proved to be America’s longest & most controversial war

18. Domino Theory • The theory that communism spreading to one country will cause communism to spread to neighboring countries • Like a falling domino causing an entire row of upended dominoes to fall.

19. America’s Commitment to Vietnam • Since 1887, France controlled the colony of Vietnam in SE Asia • By 1945, Communist leader Ho Chi Minh led a war of independence against France for Vietnam • Truman & Eisenhower feared the spread of communism in Asia& sent aid to France

20. America’s Commitment to Vietnam • Vietnam won independence in 1954 but was divided along the 17th parallel • Ho Chi Minh gained control of communist North Vietnam • Ho Chi Minh’s communist supporters in the North were called the Vietminh • In South Vietnam, a group of communists called the Vietcong were formed to oppose Diem & unify Vietnam • Ngo Dinh Diem became democratic president of South Vietnam • He was corrupt and treated the Buddhist population oppressively

21. America’s Commitment to Vietnam • Presidents Eisenhower & Kennedy supported Diem despite his growing unpopularity • In 1963 President Kennedy recognized that Diem had lost control of Vietnam & gave approval for the assassination of Diem • Diem’s assassination led to chaos in South Vietnam

22. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, 1964 • In 1964, a North Vietnamese gunboat attacked the USS Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin • Congress responded with the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which gave Lyndon Johnson broad powers to “defend Vietnam at any cost”

23. The Escalation of the Vietnam War • In “Operation Rolling Thunder,” the U.S. military began bombing North Vietnam • In an effort to contain the spread of communism into South Vietnam, LBJ began sending U.S. troops in 1965 • By 1968, over 500,000 U.S. soldiers were fighting in Vietnam

24. Fighting the War in Vietnam • The goal of U.S. military was to defeat the Vietcong & support democracy in South Vietnam: • But,theVietconglivedamongthe civilians in Vietnamese in cities & villages • (who is the enemy and who is not?) • TheVietcongusedguerillatactics tocombatU.S.militarysuperiority • Jungles made fighting difficult

25. The military used napalm to destroy villages & pesticides (Agent Orange) to destroy crops • Agent Orange: Operation Ranch Hand • Defoliant • Goal was to defoliate rural/forested land, depriving guerrillas of food, cover and clearing • Napalm: • Flammable liquid • Mixture of a gelling agent and gasoline (petrol). • It sticks to skin and causes severe burns when on fire The U.S. militarytactics in Vietnam

26. The U.S. militarytactics in Vietnam • The Airforce bombed villages & supply lines (Ho Chi Minh Trail) • Soldierswere sent on deadly “search&destroy” missions into the jungles to find the Vietcong

27. Despite overwhelming military superiority, the U.S. could not win in Vietnam • The war became unpopular at home • TV broadcasts reported body counts, atrocities, declining troop morale, & lack of gains in the war

28. “My Lai Massacre” 1968 • Mass killing of 347-504 unarmed civilians • American soldiers brutally killed majority of the population of My Lai • Including women, children and the elderly were killed • High-ranking U.S. Army officers covered up the events of that day • Led to a special investigation into the matter.

29. “My Lai Massacre” 1968 • Led to a special investigation into the matter. • In 1970, a U.S. Army board charged 14 officers of crimes related to the events at My Lai • Only one was convicted. • The brutality of the My Lai killings and the cover-up exacerbated growing antiwar sentiment in the United States • Further divided the nation over the continuing American presence in Vietnam.

30. The Tet Offensive, 1968 • 1968: Vietcong launched the Tet Offensiveagainst U.S. forces in South Vietnam • The attack was against media reports that U.S. was winning the Vietnam War • The Tet Offensive was a turning point in War • American attitudes towards the war changed & anti-war movement grew • President Johnson began to question whether the war could be won • LBJ announced that he would not seek re-election

31. General Westmoreland & the Credibility Gap “There is a light at the end of the tunnel” “The U.S. has never lost a battle in Vietnam” “Vietcong surrender is imminent” • The military continued to draft more young men to fight in Vietnam • The American public believed there was a “credibility gap” between what the gov’t was saying & the reality of the Vietnam War

32. Protesting the Vietnam War • U.S. troops had been in Vietnam since 1965 • 1968 was the height of the Vietnam War & the year of the disastrous Tet Offensive • As more men were drafted into the war, the larger the anti-Vietnam protests became more heated

33. Protesting the Vietnam War • Students protested the killing of civilians & the draft • Especially the large numbers of African Americans, Hispanics, & high-school dropouts

34. Protests and Kent State • Americans found out about Nixon’s attacks on Cambodia & Laos • Set off the largest protest in U.S. history 250,000 people • Mostly students on college campuses, protested the war & some protests turned violent • 4 students died when the National Guard shot into a crowd of violent protestors at Kent State University in 1970

35. Richard Nixon & the Election of 1968 • LBJ’s decision not to run for re-election & the assassination of Robert Kennedy left the Democrats divided for the election of 1968 • Republican Richard Nixon took advantage of the divided Democrats & won the 1968 election

36. Nixon wanted “peace with honor” in Vietnam • The idea that we can have peace without having victory • Introduces the policy that honor is more important then winning the war

37. Henry Kissinger and Vietnam • In 1968 president-elect Richard Nixon appointed Kissinger as his national security adviser • Kissinger began secret talks with North Vietnam in 1969 in the hopes of reaching a settlement to the Vietnam War. • Counseled Nixon to increase bombing of North Vietnam and to expand the war into Cambodia and Laos

38. Vietnamization • Nixon & National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger developed a plan called Vietnamization: • Gradually withdraw U.S. troops & replace them with South Vietnamese soldiers • Left South Vietnam vulnerable to North • Secretly sent U.S. troops Cambodia & ordered bombings of Laos • Nixon really wanted a “knockout blow” in Vietnam

39. Ending the Vietnam War • In 1973, the U.S. & North Vietnam agreed to a cease fire • The U.S. withdrew troops from Vietnam • In 1975, North Vietnam violated the cease fire • Invaded South Vietnam • Capital of South Vietnam, Saigon, fell to invasion • Unified the nation under a communist government

40. The Impact of the Vietnam War • The conflict in Vietnam was the longest & most divisive war in U.S. history • Of the 3.3 million U.S. soldiers who served: • 58,000 were killed • 303,000 were wounded • 15% were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after the war • Many vets faced hostility from other U.S. citizens when they returned home

41. The Impact of the Vietnam War • The war changed foreign policy • Containment ended as Americans became cautious of the U.S. role in the world • Congress limited a president's ability to send troops without a declaration of war by passing the War Powers Act in 1973

42. The Impact of the Vietnam War • The war changed America • People lost faith in the honesty of gov’t leaders during the Johnson & Nixon years • The $176 billion cost of the war led to high inflation in the 1970& weakened LBJ’s Great Society • The 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 18 years old

43. The Arrival in Dallas • November 22, 1963 • JFK, Vice President LBJ, and their families arrive in Dallas for a political rally • The families separate for an escorted drive in downtown Dallas • Shots fired: • JFK shot in the head and the throat • Eyewitnesses argue about the number and locations of shots

44. Lee Harvey Oswald The Birth of a Conspiracy • Lee Harvey Oswald had connections with Soviet Union and supported the revolution in Cuba • Oswald arrested 80 minutes after the assassination • Evidence found at a Book Repository • The location he used to shoot Kennedy • Oswald was shot by Jack Ruby 2 days later

45. The Warren Commission • Chief Justice Earl Warren starts federal investigation • Goal: • Prevent speculation about conspiracy • Submits report, but remains inconclusive • Fuels conspiracy • LBJ immediately is sworn-in as U.S. President

46. The Legacy • Devastated the country and shocked the world • Seemed to end the dream of innocence of the 1950s • Coincided with a broader wave of social change: • Civil Rights Movement • the Feminist Movement • escalation in Vietnam • Free-Speech and Anti-War Movements • LBJ will take a stronger position on Vietnam and Civil Rights

47. Lyndon B. JohnsonLBJ and the Great Society Took the presidency after JFK’s assassination Experience as long-running conservative Southern Democrat from Texas Known for building coalitions by strong-arm, handshake, drinks, and backslaps Continued JFK’s social and domestic programs LBJ was immediately confronted: Explosion of violence over Civil Rights Need to send more troops into Vietnam Need to improve conditions throughout American society.

48. The Great Society • Programs designed to fight a “War on Poverty” • Economic Opportunities Act: • Formation of local Community Action Agencies • Volunteers in Service to America ‘AmeriCorps’ • National service program designed to alleviate poverty • Job Corps • Offers free-of-charge education and vocational training to young men and women ages 16 to 24

49. Great Society • Urban Renewal: • Program of land redevelopment in areas of large urban populations • Meant to replace run-down urban centers with nicer, well-built housing • HUD: Housing and Urban Development • Concerned with housing needs, fair housing opportunities, and improving and developing U.S. communities

50. The Great Society • LBJ’s political experience helped push many bills through Congress • Firmly committed to social action • Declared a “War on Poverty” • Started Economic Opportunity Act to coordinate economic recovery • Neighborhood Youth Corp: Helped youth graduate and get jobs • Job Corps: Provide job training and placement for inner-cities • VISTA (Volunteer Service to America): Domestic Peace Corps