1. JFK & LBJ

2. 1960 Election Kennedy defeats Nixon by narrowest of margins
Nixon assisted by Eisenhower’s popularity and moderate policies
Better known (McCarthyism)
More experienced
Kennedy had a number of attributes
Young and photogenic
War hero
Wife Jackie
Issues
Kennedy was a Catholic
Economic recession/U-2 embarrassment
Nixon Kennedy debate
1st televised presidential debate

4. New Frontier JFK’s legislative agenda
Largely ineffective because of JFK’s passive leadership & international problems (Cuba)
Faced with a recession in 1960
Attempted to stimulate economic growth through tax cuts
Never successfully passed tax cuts
Increased military spending aided economic growth
Oversaw space race (20 billion to reach moon in 1969)
Response to Soviet successes
Weakly favored civil rights after election
Pressured by protests and escalating violence
Ends segregation in public transportation
Sends federal officers to protect James Meredith (Ole Miss)
Meets with MLK

8. Kennedy and the Cold War
Favored “flexible response” over “massive retaliation”
Attempted to assist third world countries in order to achieve containment
The Peace Corps
The Alliance for progress
1961 East Germany builds Berlin Wall
1963 Ich Bin Ein Berliner speech
JFK escalates American involvement in Vietnam
JFK’s most embarrassing moments are result of 1959 revolution in Cuba
Fidel Castro establishes a seemingly pro Soviet government in Cuba

12. Cuba
Bay of Pigs (1961)
Eisenhower administration begins plans for CIA backed overthrow of Cuba
Cuban exiles trained for an invasion
JFK pulls air support fearing Soviet response
Invasion is a failure and an international embarrassment
Castro forced to seek aid from USSR
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
USSR establishes missile bases in Cuba
Khruschev lies about missiles
JFK blockades Cuba to prevent more missiles
US troops prepare for an invasion
Both sides come to brink of nuclear war before cutting a deal
Kennedy finishes presidency as a foreign policy success

14. Why are the events in Cuba pivotal to JFK’s presidency?

15. JFK Assassination November 22, 1963 JFK is assassinated in Dallas, TX
Visiting the South to rally support for Civil Rights
Assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald (????)
VP Johnson assumes the presidency
LBJ benefits tremendously from JFK’s death
Will pass sweeping Civil Rights and social legislation
Easily elected in 1964
Myth of Camelot

19. LBJ as President Johnson is an extremely effective national leader
Able to persuade members of Congress to support his programs
The “Johnson treatment”
LBJ able to pass his Great Society programs
Dramatically impact American society
Meaningful Civil Rights law
Reduction of poverty
Immigration reform
Long term assistance to elderly and poor
Draws criticisms from conservatives because of cost of programs
LBJ’s effectiveness limited by mounting protest to American involvement in Vietnam

24. Why did the Great Society have such a major impact on the nation?