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Chapter Intro 1
The New Frontier
What social issues did the Kennedy administration address?
Section 1
The Election of 1960
In 1960 a youthful John F. Kennedy narrowly defeated Richard M. Nixon in the presidential election.
Section 1
• On September 26, 1960, the first televised presidential debate aired.
• Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard M. Nixon differed greatly in style and background, but were not far apart in their views on the key issues.
• The campaign centered on the economy and the Cold War.
The Election of 1960 (cont.)
The Presidential Election of 1960
Section 1
• Kennedy worried about a suspected “missile gap.”
• Kennedy’s Catholic faith became an issue, but he still won a narrow victory.
• Nixon v. Kennedy Debate
• Many Americans had been taken by his youth and optimism.
The Election of 1960 (cont.)
The Presidential Election of 1960
Chapter Intro 2
JFK and the Cold War
What efforts to achieve peace did the Kennedy administration make?
Section 2
Containing Communism
President Kennedy developed new programs to combat the spread of communism.
Section 2
• Another program aimed at helping less developed nations fight poverty was the Peace Corps.
• The United States was losing the space race to the Soviets, who launched Sputnik into space in 1957.
• In 1961 a Soviet astronaut became the first person to orbit Earth.
Containing Communism (cont.)
Section 2
• Kennedy went before Congress and declared that the United States should land the first man on the moon.
• In 1962 John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth.
• In 1965 the United States sent three men into orbit in a capsule called Apollo.
• On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and “Buzz” Aldrin landed on the moon.
Containing Communism (cont.)
Section 2
Crises of the Cold War
President Kennedy faced foreign policy crises in Cuba and Berlin.
Section 2
• The first crisis occurred in Cuba, only 90 miles from American shores.
• Fidel Castro overthrew the corrupt Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959.
• Castro then established ties with the Soviet Union.
Crises of the Cold War (cont.)
The Cuban Missile Crisis, October 1962
Section 2
• Fearing that the Soviets would use Cuba as a base from which to spread revolution throughout the Western Hemisphere, Eisenhower had authorized the CIA to secretly train and arm a group of Cuban exiles, known as La Brigada, to invade the island.
• The invasion was a disaster and the Bay of Pigs was a dark moment for the Kennedy administration.
Crises of the Cold War (cont.)
The Cuban Missile Crisis, October 1962
Section 2
• On October 22, 1962 Kennedy announced on television that spy planes had taken aerial photographs showing that the Soviet Union had placed long-range missiles in Cuba.
• A Scene from 13 Days in October
• After a flurry of secret negotiations, the Soviet Union offered to remove the missiles if the United States promised not to invade Cuba and to remove its missiles from Turkey.
Crises of the Cold War (cont.)
Section 2
• In August 1963 the two countries concluded years of negotiation by agreeing to a treaty that banned testing nuclear weapons in the atmosphere.
• On November 22, 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald shot and killed JFK.
• Jack Ruby then killed Lee Harvey Oswald two days later.
Crises of the Cold War (cont.)
Chapter Intro 1
The New Frontier
What social issues did the Kennedy administration address?
Section 1
Kennedy Takes Office
Despite an uneasy relationship with Congress, President Kennedy managed to get parts of his domestic agenda passed.
Section 1
• Upon entering office, President Kennedy set out to implement a legislative agenda that became known as the New Frontier.
• Although the Democrats had large majorities in both houses of Congress, Kennedy was unable to push through many of his programs.
Kennedy Takes Office (cont.)
Section 1
• Kennedy did achieve some victories, particularly in his efforts to improve the economy.
• He convinced Congress to invest more funds in defense and space exploration.
Kennedy Takes Office (cont.)
Section 1
• He also convinced Congress to raise the minimum wage and support his proposal for an Area Redevelopment Act and a Housing Act.
• In 1961 Kennedy created the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women.
• The commission proposed the Equal Pay Act, which Kennedy signed in 1963.
Kennedy Takes Office (cont.)
Chapter Intro 3
The Great Society
What groups of people did Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society assist?
Section 3
Johnson Takes the Reins
President Johnson’s experiences in Congress helped him push through a civil rights bill and new laws to fight poverty.
Section 3
• Johnson believed deeply in social action, so he declared a War on Poverty in America.
• By the summer of 1964, Johnson had convinced Congress to pass the Economic Opportunity Act.
• The act established 10 new programs within a new government agency, the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO).
Johnson Takes the Reins (cont.)
Poverty Rate in America, 1960–2000
Section 3
• Some of the new programs were:
– Neighborhood Youth Corps
– Job Corps
– VISTA—Volunteers in Service to America
– Upward Bound
– Work Experience Program
Johnson Takes the Reins (cont.)
Section 3
The Great Society
Great Society programs provided assistance to disadvantaged Americans.
Section 3
• After his election, Johnson began working with Congress to create the “Great Society” he had promised during his campaign.
• Major goals also were achieved through the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The Great Society (cont.)
What Was the Great Society?
Section 3
• Johnson’s ambitious vision encompassed more than 60 programs that were initiated between 1965 and 1968.
• Among the most significant programs were Medicare and Medicaid.
• The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 granted millions of dollars to public and private schools.
• Project Head Start and Upward Bound were two other education programs.
The Great Society (cont.)
Section 3
• In some ways, the impact of the Great Society was limited.
• Problems with the programs:
The Great Society (cont.)
– In his rush to accomplish as much as possible, Johnson did not calculate exactly how his programs might work.
– The programs grew so quickly they were often unmanageable and difficult to evaluate.
Section 3
– Cities, states, and groups eligible for aid began to expect immediate and life-changing benefits.
– Other Americans opposed the massive growth of federal programs and criticized the Great Society for intruding too much into their lives.
– A lack of funds
The Great Society (cont.)
End of Custom Shows
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