JFK & The New Frontier

Kennedy

A. Election of 19601. John F. Kennedy

a. 43 yrs. old?

b. Catholic?

c. Wealthy family?

d. Civil Rights issues

e. Martin Luther King supporter =good with/for the AA

community

Election of 1960

• 2. Richard M. Nixona. Experienced

b. Sweaty and nervous

New Frontier Agenda

1. Education

2. Medicare

3. Dept. of Urban Affairs Today: Dept. of Housing and Urban

Development – increase homeownership, urban development, affordable housing free from discrimination

4. Minimum wage

How well did he do?

– Economy• Created jobs through

deficit spending; space program

• Increase minimum wage

• Decreased business taxes and tariffs

• Decreased inflation by helping steel industry

• Social– Public housing

– Antipoverty measures/training for unemployed

– Area Redevelopment Act: provided funds for programs in rural Appalachia (very poor region)

Peace Corp

• Volunteers who helped in developing countries such as Asia, Latin America & Africa

• Politically– Increased the power of

the executive branch by allowing his cabinet to make more decision

– “the best and the brightest”

“The Best and the Brightest”

R. Kennedy AG

Sec of Defense R. McNamara

Sec of State Dean Rusk

                                       

M. Bundy Nat’l Security Advisor

                          

“Flexible response”a. Preparing for a variety of military

responses rather than just focusing on nuclear weapons

b. Kennedy built up all branches of military

c. Special Forces AKA Green Berets

US involvement in Vietnam begins w/Eisenhower

1. Diem cancels elections of 1956

a. Diem corrupt /suppressed opposition

b. Repressed Buddhist practices; set themselves on fire in protest; Diem Catholic

c. Vietcong (NLF): worked w/Ho Chi Minh to remove Diem

Ngo Dinh Diem (South V.)

Kennedy and Vietnam(Diem Falls)

a. 1960: JFK now in office; continues to support Diem

b. Diem continues with corruption

c. US executes Diem/JFK assassinated

d. LBJ now president and does not want to appear “soft” on communism

Alliance for Progress

• Provided economic help and promote democracy; ineffective

• Improved agriculture and crop exports but little change socially or politically

Cuban Revolution

a. Dictator Batista American supporter; shared in crime profits

b. Vacation spot for Americans

c. Americans owned 100% oil refineries, 90% mines, 50% cattle, sugar, and RR

• Castro leads revolution to overthrow Batista and implement democratic principles and takes over all industries, including US investments = sugar embargo

• Cuba gets support from the SU

Bay of Pigs April 1961

a. US to train Cuban exilesb. Goal: to overthrow Castroc. Plan failed on several counts

(air strike on Cuban air force failed, special forces did not land on time; Cuban forces waiting for them backed by Soviets, taken hostage)

d. Public relations success for Castro!i. US and JFK humiliatedii. JFK Considered incompetentiii. $53 million in food and medical supplies for release

of POW’s

Cuban Missile Crisis 1962

a. Soviet Union/Khrushchev setting up nuclear missiles in Cuba

b. Attack from Cuba = attack on Soviet Union

c. US quarantines Cuba = SU ships do not pass

Khrushchev & Kennedy make agreement• US does not invade Cuba and removes missiles

from Turkey in exchange for SU removing missiles from Cuba

• Hot-line installed• Limited Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty

– Ban on nuclear weapons testing above ground, underwater or in outer space

– What increases?

Kremlin

Cold War Continues

1. Berlin Crisis (West Berlin)a. West Berlin was thriving?

b. 20% of East Berliners migrating

c. Khrushchev builds “Berlin Wall”

i. August 1961

ii. Ended crisis but tensions remained

iii. Symbolized communist oppression

Building of the “Death Strip”

Death Strip

Wall Falls November 1989

C. Dallas, Texas November 22, 1963

Warren Commission

a. Chief Justice Earl Warren headed investigation into assassination

b. Concluded: Lee Harvey Oswald acting on his own

c. Still debated today; Mafia connections