1. The Politically Tumultuous 60s and 70s
US History
Mrs. Housenick
4/27/12

2. Review of Johnson
Took over after JFK assassination in November of 1963
Helped get Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed
Escalated troop levels in Vietnam with Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Immigration Act of 1965

3. Johnson’s Great Society Program
Saw himself in mold of FDR and the New Deal
Massive amount of social welfare legislation, all under the idea of a War on Poverty
Office of Economic Opportunity
Job Corps
Head Start Programs
Medicare (healthcare for elderly) and Medicaid (healthcare for poor)
Many programs still around today, but many have had budget cuts

4. Changes Made by Warren Court
Earl Warren was liberal Supreme Court chief justice in 1960s and 60s
While he was in charge, Supreme Court made big decisions that resulted in huge changes to US
Brown v. Board of Education ruling
Other key decisions:
Government must provide lawyer, all suspects must be read their rights (Miranda rights).
Separation of church and state: public schools couldn’t require prayer in schools

5. Nixon Review Elected in 1968 Moon landing in 1969
Helped bring end of US involvement in Vietnam—Vietnamization
26th Amendment passed while president—changed voting age to 18
Partly because of protest to Vietnam draft
Began détente with Soviet Union
Visit to China
SALT treaty on long-range weapons

6. The Watergate Scandal
Begins with break-in to Democratic party headquarters in 1972.
Men responsible worked for CREEP: Committee to re-elect Nixon
Made worse when V.P. Spiro Agnew resigned for taking bribes—replaced with Gerald Ford.

7. The Scandal Worsens Nixon denied any prior knowledge of break-ins
Became evident Nixon was covering up
Senate Committee investigating asked Nixon to turn over tapes from White House, Nixon refused
Nixon starting to look more suspicious

8. The End of Nixon Finally handed over tapes in 1974
Showed Nixon had obstructed the investigation of the Watergate scandal and that he had been involved in the cover-up
Senate began plans to impeach Nixon
August 8, 1974: NIXON RESIGNS
First president ever or since to resign
Watergate left many Americans with a deep distrust of public officials
Never served jail time, pardoned by President Ford later