Civil Rights and Conservatism Unit 12

Timeline

John F. Kennedy Elected in 1960. JFK became the 35th president Youngest U.S. president ever elected at 43 years old. Democrat Cold War President (Cuban Missile Crisis)

Assassination November 22, 1963 JFK was in Texas raising money for re-election Shot while the motorcade was driving through downtown Dallas, TX Shot by Lee Harvey Oswald Many conspiracy theories revolving around his death.

LBJ Lyndon Baines Johnson was vice president under JFK. When JFK was assassinated, Johnson was sworn in as the 36th president. (only President to give the oath in Texas) Born in Texas Focused on Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam war during his presidency.

LBJ and the Great Society included a number of sweeping reforms designed to eliminate poverty and racial injustice. In 1964 and 1965 the Johnson administration introduced bill after bill to Congress to support this goal. in 1969, more than 200 of his proposed bills had been signed into law. *example, Medicare and Medicaid, -designed to improve health care for older and disabled Americans.

Vietnam The government of South Vietnam was fighting communist forces backed by North Vietnam. 1964 fight b/w U.S. Navy and Northern Vietnamese in the Gulf of Tonkin. LBJ saw this as an act of war by North Vietnam. Congress passed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, -let LBJ send troops into combat. Johnson could not end the war. Continued into the 1970s. -58,000 Americans died -3,400 of them Texans.

Civil Rights Movement Civil rights movement had begun after World War II. It picked up momentum in the 60s Minority groups across the nation began to engage in various forms of activism to end discrimination and segregation. Sit Ins - protests that involve sitting down in a public facility and refusing to leave.

LBJ and Civil Rights Civil Rights Act 1964- banned segregation in public places. Outlawed discrimination in the workplace on the basis of race, sex, religion, or national origin. Voting Rights Act 1965 - gave the federal government the power to protect the voting rights of all citizens. outlawed literacy tests. gave the government the power to oversee election processes.

New Politicians With the successes of the civil rights movement, African Americans gained more positions in the government. In Texas, African Americans began to win state offices for the first time since Reconstruction. In 1966 Barbara Jordan of Houston was elected as a state senator. Barbara Jordan became the first African American to represent Texas in the U.S. Congress.

Barbara Jordan

C.O.R.E. Texan, James Farmer, was a national leader of the civil rights movement. The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), Farmer led civil rights protests. He also organized activists on bus rides—called Freedom Rides—through the South.

Hispanic Rights Hispanic Americans also pushed for civil rights through protests, marches, and political organizations. League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) led the movement for equal rights for Hispanic Americans. leadership from Hector P. García & Albert Peña Jr.

Henry B. Gonzales The first Mexican American elected to the Texas Senate in the 1900s. In 1961 González was elec ted to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served for 37 years. He was the first Mexican American to represent Texas in the U.S. Congress.

Raymond Telles Elected mayor of El Paso—the first major American city to elect a Hispanic mayor. Telles later held several national positions, including the ambassadorship to Costa Rica. He also served as an adviser to President John F. Kennedy.

Chicano Movement In June 1966, farm laborers in Texas went on strike to demand a minimum wage. La Raza Unida Party (RUP). The RUP hoped to highlight issues affecting Hispanic Americans.

Women’s Movement 1966 author Betty Friedan and other feminists founded the National Organization for Women (NOW). “the time has come for a new movement toward true equality.” By the mid- to late 1970s, women were making successful bids for local office as well. For example, Carole Keeton McClellan (later Strayhorn) became the first female president of the Austin school board and was mayor of Austin from 1977 to 1983.

Post-War Politics in Texas With the successes of the civil rights movements of the 1960s, Texans of all backgrounds became involved in deciding the direction of state government. Texas also began to shift to a Republican dominated state. Texas had been led primarily by the Democratic Party state since Reconstruction. After World War II Texans felt that the Democrats were becoming too liberal. At the same time, the Republic Party was beginning to support more conservative viewpoints.