Kennedy’s Thousand Days Chapter 27 Section (1 &) 2 The New Frontier & the Great Society Riddlebarger

The Great Debates Legacy of this debate?

Kennedy Becomes President Contrasting candidates – JFK: from wealthy, political family in Massachusetts. – Nixon: self-made from small town in S. California Same age but JFK creates image of youth: America’s future Nixon seen as the past: IKE’s VP

New Frontier JFK emphasized this with his “New Frontier” campaign Claims US is falling behind Soviets; poor not realizing US prosperity. Nixon defends IKE Catholic effect Election is one of closest in US history

1960 Election Results *less than 120,000 popular votes separate the candidates out of 69 million Electoral: JFK: 303 Nixon: 219 Byrd: 15

Kennedy’s New Frontier: Image & Reality Use of media to portray image of young, active president – Reality was lots of health issues. – Young, beautiful wife and 2 young kids shape image. – Jackie Kennedy Politically, JFK finds lots of opposition in Congress to his idea – Was successful raising min. wage & helping poor areas.

Space Program Space program will come to symbolize New Frontier April 1961: Soviets put 1 st man in space & orbits earth – 1 st satellite in orbit too: Sputnik Less than year later, U.S. responds with orbit of Earth: John Glenn Soviet leader says them beating us shows communist superiority

Kennedy’s Response US will put a man on the moon Funding for unmanned space exploration “This nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before the decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single project …will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space…But in a very real sense, it will not be one man going to the moon…it will be an entire nation.” - May 25, 1961

The Warren Court During Kennedy presidency, a number of Supreme Court rulings shape American society Earl Warren, is Chief Justice of the Court Rulings extend individual rights & freedoms: – Free lawyers for poor – Search & seizure at local levels – Religious freedom/sep. of church & state – State district voting lines

The Kennedy Assassination As 1964 neared, JFK is thinking about his re- election Trying to build Southern support, he travels to Dallas, TX in November of 1963 He road through the city in an open motorcade.

Zapruder Film

Aftermath Kennedy was fatally wounded LBJ sworn in hours later Shocks the nation & the world – Many will remember that moment for years. Lee Harvey Oswald arrested within hours – Shot 2 days later by Jack Ruby

Helen Thomas: White House Press Correspondent “The legacy of hope died with him. You never had that same sense again that we were moving forward.”

Warren Report Chief Justice Warren appointed to investigate – Concluded no conspiracy; lone gunman Great efforts to build a lasting legacy for JFK – Funeral; Burial at Arlington Kennedy had built better relations with Soviets and established the Peace Corps – A program that trained and sent volunteers to poor nations to serve as educators, health care workers, agricultural advisors and other jobs. Much work still to be done at home but now up to LBJ.