1. The Kennedy and Johnson Years
Ch. 19

2. The Election of 1960 Issues: Candidates: Televised debates spoken
Keeping the Solid South on his side
Catholic faith
Lack of experience, especially in foreign policy
Candidates:
Richard Nixon
John F. Kennedy
Televised debates
Kennedy calm, well
spoken
Nixon pale and exhausted
Closest since 1884

4. John F. Kennedy

5. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address
Mostly about foreign policy
Outlines major parts of his foreign policy program

6. Kennedy and the Cold War
New Communist Regime
Led by Fidel Castro in Cuba
“missile gap” between US and Cuba
Kennedy felt the US needed to move forward with vigor
Build up US armed forces
“flexible response”- be prepared for nuclear or conventional wars

7. The “Camelot” Years

8. Foreign Policy Peace Corps Alliance for Progress
American volunteers sent on “missions of freedom” to assist developing countries
Technical, educational, and health services
Alliance for Progress
Promoted economic assistance to Latin America
unsuccessful

9. Bay of Pigs 1500 Cuban exiles land at the Bay of Pigs
CIA hoped to overthrow Castro
Invasion easily repelled; exiles killed or imprisoned
Results:
US looks weak to Khrushchev
US looks like a bully to the international community
Kennedy seems foolish
Kennedy now needs to seem “tough” on communism

12. Cuban Missile Crisis October 1962
photographs reveal Soviet missile bases in Cuba
Could reach US cities in minutes

13. October 22 Kennedy orders
a “quarantine”
Blames Nikita Khrushschev,
the Soviet premier for threatening
world peace
Demands that the Soviet Union
remove the missiles

14. Panic in the US

16. Cuban Missile Crisis Results:
US installs a “hot line” telephone system from Moscow to Washington DC
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
US removes missiles from Turkey (secretly)
US ends quarantine of Cuba
Soviet Union removes missiles from Cuba
US promises not to invade Cuba
Khrushchev looks like a loser, Kennedy looks like a champ

17. Kennedy and Berlin Keep East and West Germany in one nation
1961 – increases US forces in Berlin in response to the building of the Berlin Wall

18. The New Frontier Kennedy’s legislative program Themes:
Cold War policies and the space program
A more sophisticated sense of economics
Emphasis on social welfare programs (Michael Harrington- The Other America)

19. The New Frontier Goals: Increased federal aid for education.
Defeated.
Medical care for the elderly.
Increase in the minimum wage.
Passed.
Urban reforms.
Modest success.
Civil rights.
None.
End to poverty.
No.
Major tax cuts.
Cold War goals.
Yes

21. Kennedy assassinated November 22, 1963
Warren Commission investigates

22. Lee Harvey Oswald

23. Jack Ruby shot and
killed Oswald live on TV

25. Results of the Kennedy Assassination
Prolonged the Vietnam War?
Put Lyndon B. Johnson in office
Implications for Civil Rights, social welfare programs
Disillusionment among many young people
The end of some innocence?
A thriving conspiracy theory industry

26. LBJ and the Great Society

27. "The greatest American president ever for the poor and the Negroes"
– Ralph Ellison

28. LBJ’s Legislative Priorities
Civil Rights Legislation
A Tax Cut to Stimulate the Economy
An Unconditional “War on Poverty”
The Great Society
Abundance and liberty for all.
An end to poverty.
An end to racial injustice.

29. “The War on Poverty” Economic Opportunities Bill 1964
Job Corps- teach job skills to youth
VISTA- a domestic Peace Corps
Community Action Program- allowed poor people to administer their own programs
Head Start- Pre-school for economically disadvantaged children
Upward Bound- to prepare economically disadvantaged youth for college

30. 1964 Election LBJ & Hubert Humphrey – D George Wallace- independent
Barry Goldwater - R

32. The Great Society Medicare- health care for elderly
Medicaid- health care for the poor
Higher Education Act- Federal loans for college students
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Housing and Urban Development program
Economic Development and Housing Aid
Minimum wage and Social Security increased
Clean air and water legislation

33. Other Legislation
National Endowment for the Arts- federal $$ for arts and cultural activities
Highway Safety Act- Created automobile and highway standards
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Voting Rights Act of prohibited discrimination in voting based on race
1st Black Supreme Court Justice- Thurgood Marshall

34. Warren Court Led by Chief Justice Earl Warren (1950s-1970s)
Considered an “activist” court
Most decisions expanded the rights of individuals

35. A Few Important Warren Court decisions
All the Civil Rights cases
Baker v. Carr
“one man, one vote”
Miranda v. Arizona
The accused must be notified of their rights
Gideon v. Wainwright
Right to be provided with an attorney
Engel v. Vitale
Required school prayers unconstitutional