Kennedy and Johnson Eras: A Legacy of Progress and Tragedy

1. Ch. 22: The Kennedy and Johnson Years (1961-1969)

2. Section 1: The New Frontier • The young, dynamic, articulate, and good-looking John F. Kennedy took office amidst numerous challenges (Cold War, Civil Rights Movement, Poverty struggle, etc.). He promised the nation was on the verge of a “New Frontier”.

3. The Election of 1960 • John F. Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat, took on Republican Richard Nixon. • Kennedy was a new type of candidate… • Roman Catholic (no Catholic had ever been elected President) • Young, at 43 he would be the youngest President ever elected.

4. Kennedy Family • Kennedy Family Legacy • Wealth, Education, Class, Catholic • America’s Royal Family • Kennedy Curse

5. Kennedy Family Tree

7. Kennedy Victory • Kennedy won the election by a very narrow margin. • JFK used his youth and charisma to win popularity. • Debates- contrasts between Nixon and Kennedy

8. “New Frontier” • Kennedy said that the country was at the edge of a “New Frontier”. • Referred to JFK’s proposals to • Improve the economy • Assist the poor • Make strides toward civil rights • Speed up the space program (race to the moon)

9. The Economy • Kennedy took office amidst a recession. • Had high hopes of creating economic growth, but Congress and businesses were skeptical of his plans. • In 1963, he proposed a large tax cut over three years. • The proposal became stuck in Congress.

10. Combating Poverty and Inequality • In 1962, Michael Harrington wrote a book, The Other America, that revealed that 1/5 of Americans still lived below the poverty line. • JFK had plans for federal educational and medical aid that also failed in Congress. • He was able to increase minimum wage and passed the Housing Act of 1961 which provided $4.9 billion for urban renewal.

11. Other Kennedy Initiatives • Despite great Congressional opposition, JFK was able to passed orders for • Equal opportunity housing • Expanded programs for food distribution for needy families • Expanded Social Security • Increased minimum wage

12. The Space Program • One of Kennedy’s lasting impacts was jump-starting America’s space program. • After the USSR’s launching of Sputnik in 1957, the U.S. created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) • Only during Kennedy’s Presidency, however, did NASA truly “take off”.

13. Space Race • In 1961, Soviet Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel in space. • Soon afterwards, the U.S. sent Alan Shepard into space. • Kennedy set another goal, to beat the USSR to the moon. • In a speech at Rice University, JFK gave a historic speech calling for the U.S. to put a man on the moon.

14. Kennedy Assassinated • On November 22, 1963, John and his wife, Jackie rode in an open limousine through Dallas. • Crowds surrounded the car. • Shots were fired from a building, killing Kennedy and injuring Texas Governor, John Connally, also in the car.

15. Lee Harvey Oswald • News of JFK’s death spread rapidly, and shocked the nation. • The prime suspect, Lee Harvey Oswald, was a former marine and supporter of Cuban leader Fidel Castro. • Oswald was quickly apprehended after the incident and taken into custody.

16. Oswald Shot • Two days later, TV cameras showed Oswald being transferred between jails. • As the TV rolled, Jack Ruby, a Dallas nightclub owner, stepped through the crowd and shot Oswald.

17. Warren Commission • A commission, named after Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren, was formed to investigate the entire incident. • They ruled that Oswald had acted alone and that neither he or Jack Ruby were involved in a conspiracy. • Conspiracy theories, nonetheless, continue to this day regarding JFK’s assassination.

18. Funeral: Nation/Family Stunned

19. Section 2: The Great Society • After Kennedy’s death, Lyndon B. Johnson successfully passed a flurry of social welfare programs in hopes of combating poverty and discrimination to create a new “Great Society”

20. President Johnson • Less than two hours after Kennedy was pronounced dead, Lyndon B. Johnson took oath in Dallas assumed the presidency.

21. Lyndon Baines Johnson • Johnson, or LBJ, was a Democrat from Texas, narrowly entered the Senate in 1948. • Became the Senate Majority Leader before being picked as Kennedy’s Vice President. • Not as “likeable” as Kennedy but was ambitious, persistent, and strategic in passing legislation.

22. Legislative Persistence

23. The Great Society • Johnson was able to pass major social reforms that JFK had failed to push through a resistant Congress. • “For in our time we have the opportunity to move not only toward the rich society and the powerful society, but upward toward the Great Society.” -LBJ • -The Great Society referred to major poverty relief, educational aid, healthcare, voting rights, conservation projects, urban renewal and economic development.

24. Election of 1964 • Johnson faced Republican Barry Goldwater in the 1964 election. • Goldwater opposed civil rights legislation and thought that military leaders should use nuclear weapons as they saw fit. • Goldwater’s views were unpopular and Johnson won in a landslide.

25. Tax Cuts • Like Kennedy, Johnson wanted to cut taxes to stimulate the economy. • By agreeing to cut spending as well, he won Republican votes. • After the tax cut, GNP rose by 7,8, and 9 percent during the next three years.

26. War on Poverty • LBJ pressed hard on an antipoverty campaign that Kennedy was considering. • “This administration, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America.”-LBJ

27. Economic Opportunity Act • Passed the Economic Opportunity Act in 1964: provided $950 million for projects ten different projects that focused on education and work-training programs. • Two of the best-known projects • Head Start- preschool for low-income families; provides healthcare, nutrition and social services. • Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA)- sent volunteers into poor communities.

28. Aid to Education • Elementary and Secondary Education Act: provided $1.3 billion to aid in states. • Aid went to public and private schools according to low-income needs. • LBJ signed it into law in the small Texas school that he grew up in.

29. Medicare and Medicaid • In 1965, Johnson pushed two major new healthcare programs through… • Medicare- provides hospital and low-cost medical insurance to Americans age 65+. • Medicaid- provides low-cost insurance coverage to Americans of any age who cannot afford private insurance.

30. Immigration Reform • Strict 1920s quotas had greatly limited immigration for 40 years. • The Immigration Act of 1965 lifted many of the quotas. • Set more consistent standards between different countries/hemispheres.

31. Warren Court • During the era, the Supreme Court overturned many old laws and former rulings to establish new law. • The Supreme Court began to be referred to as the Warren Court, after Chief Justice Earl Warren. • The new rulings often raised strong feelings.

32. Social Issues • In Roth v. United States, the Warren Court ruled that obscene materials were “without redeeming social importance.” • In 1962, the Court ruled that religious prayer in public schools was unconstitutional according to First Amendment principle of separation of church and state.

33. Criminal Procedure • Many Warren Court rulings were meant to protect individual rights against government power. • Mapp v. Ohio (‘61)- evidence seized illegally cannot be used in trial. • Gideon v. Wainwright (63’)- suspects in criminal cases who couldn’t afford lawyers had the right to free legal aid. • Miranda v. Arizona (’66)- suspects must be warned of their rights before being questioned; called the Miranda rule.

34. “One Man, One Vote” • Over the years, many people had moved from rural to urban areas, yet many state governments hadn’t reapportioned their votes accordingly. • Many rural areas, therefore, held more power than their population should have. • The Warren Court ruled in Baker v. Carr that each district should be divided on the basis of “one man, one vote”.

35. Effects of the Great Society • The Great Society era was successful in passing nearly unprecedented amounts of social welfare legislation. • The legislation itself was controversial. • Critics believed that too much tax money was going to poor people in programs that would encourage poor people to become dependent on government aid. • Many feared America would become a welfare state.

36. Effects of the Great Society • Others believed that not enough had been done. • Michael Harrington, author of The Other America, noted, “What was supposed to be a social war turned out to be a skirmish and, in any case, poverty won.” • Less attention was given to the “war on poverty” partly due to the escalation of the more formal war in Vietnam (Ch. 24) • Despite criticisms, the number of Americans living in poverty was cut in half during the late 60s and early 70s; Johnson remained proud of Great Society programs.

37. Section 3: Foreign Policy in the Early 1960s • JFK faced several major foreign policy concerns in his short time as President including standoffs with the Soviet Union in Germany and Cuba.

38. Fidel Castro • The U.S. was concerned about Cuba since 1959, when communist Fidel Castro overthrew the U.S.-backed dictator. • Castro had seized property owned by U.S. businesses. • The U.S. cut ties with Cuba and refused to recognize Castro. • When Castro developed ties with the USSR, the U.S. worried Castro would create a “domino effect” in Latin America.

39. A Plan to Overthrow Castro • When Kennedy became President, he was informed that the CIA was planning an overthrow of Cuba. • CIA was training a group of Cubans to invade and overthrow. • Kennedy accepted the CIA’s plan/advice despite some people’s urgings against it.

40. Bay of Pigs Invasion • On April 17, 1961, the attempted invasion/overthrow was a catastrophe. • The air strike failed to destroy Cuba’s air force and the U.S.-backed invaders failed against Cuban troops. • Major blow to America’s image • Attack appeared incompetent • Their support of an effort to overthrow another nation’s government was exposed

41. Berlin Crisis • The separation between East and West Berlin had grown increasingly hostile since the Berlin Airlift in 1948. • Kennedy’s first meeting with Khrushchev in 1961 went poorly. • So as not to appear bullied, Kennedy greatly expanded defense budget and the number of people in active duty.

42. Berlin Wall • In August 1961, Khrushchev responded by building a wall to separate Communist East Germany and non-Communist West Germany. • Stopped the flow of people leaving East Berlin into West Berlin. • The Berlin Wall became a symbol of the Cold War.

43. “Ich bin ein Berliner” • In response to the wall, JFK visited Germany and spoke in Frankfurt saying, “(we) will risk our cities to defend yours because we need your freedom to protect ours.” • Later in Berlin, he concluded a famous speech with, “Ich bin ein Berliner,” meaning, I am a Berliner.

44. The Cuban Missile Crisis • On October 16, 1962, photographs were taken that revealed the Soviets building nuclear missile bases in Cuba. • The two weeks that followed were known as the Cuban Missile Crisis, a standoff between the U.S. and USSR that brought both countries to the brink of nuclear war.

45. Missile Range

46. Options • Kennedy met with aids and quickly developed the following options. • Do nothing • Meet with Khrushchev • Invade Cuba • Blockade Cuba • Bomb the missile sites • Each option had downsides and uncertain consequences.

47. Kennedy Decides • Kennedy faced one of the most difficult decisions a President has had to make. • He went on the air on Oct. 22nd and declared that the U.S. would quarantine the island, stopping Soviet supplies from entering Cuba.

48. Response • To everyone’s relief, Khrushchev called back ships approaching Cuba. • Days later he sent a letter to Kennedy saying he would remove the missiles if Kennedy promised to end the quarantine and stay out of Cuba. • A second letter demanded the removal of U.S. missiles in Turkey.

49. Disaster Averted • JFK agreed and the world was relieved that nuclear war had been averted. • “We have won a considerable victory. You and I are still alive.”-Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, to JFK

50. Alliance for Progress • The U.S. and Soviet Union were competing for allies in the developing world, Asia and Latin America. • Kennedy called on all people to join in an “Alliance for Progress”, working together to provide basic needs for Central and South American peoples. • Pledged $20 billion over ten years toward economic development.