The Kennedy and Johnson Years (1961-1969)

Chapter 22: Sections 1 & 2“The New Frontier”“The Great Society”

Setting the Scene…

The Election of 1960

• A New Type of Candidate• 43 yrs old• Roman Catholic• “Get America

Moving Again”

The Election of 1960

• A Narrow Kennedy Victory• Ran w/ Lyndon

Johnson• Popular vote w/ in

119,000• Enter office w/o

strong mandate• “Ask not what your

country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

Kennedy’s Domestic Programs

• The “New Fontier”• Referred to Kenned

y ’s proposals to improve the economy, assist the poor, and speed up the space program

The “New Frontier”

• The Economy• Concern for continuing

recession• U.S. Steel Company

raised steel $6 a ton, others did the same

• Kennedy called for investigation

• Stock Market falls• 1963 large tax cut to

help economic slump

The “New Frontier”• Combating Poverty &

Inequality• Help by stimulating

economy• 1/5 under poverty

• Needed Fed. Aid• Increase in min wage• Housing Act 1961

• 4.9 billion to urban renewal

• 24th Amendment• Ends Poll Taxes

• Equal Pay Act• = work = pay

The “New Frontier”

• The Space Program• Spurred NASA after

Sputnik• May 5, 1961 Alan

Shepard sent to space (15 min)

• Feb 20, 1962 John Glenn orbits earth

• July 1969 “Walk on the Moon”

Other Kennedy Initiatives

• Boosted Missile Programs• Surplus food to unemployed Americans• Area redevelopment to fight long-term

unemployment• Combat water pollution• Changes in Social Security (available to

more people)• Trade Expansion Act• Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

Kennedy Assassinated

• Nov 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas

• Parade route published in paper the previous day

• Shot from the sixth floor window of Texas School Book Depository

Kennedy Assassination

• America was shattered by the news

• Lee Harvey Oswald• Supporter of Fidel

Castro

• Jack Ruby• Dallas Nightclub

owner kills Oswald

Kennedy Assassination

• Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in as U.S. President

• Warren Commission• States Oswald acted

alone to kill JFK• Nobody else was

involved in a conspiracy

Magic Bullet Theory

The Great Society

LBJ’s Path to the White House

• Skillful politician and leader

• New Deal Democrat from Texas

• Minority & Majority leader in the Senate

• “Johnson Treatment”

The Great Society

• Major Legislative initiatives by LBJ• Major poverty relief• Education Aid• Healthcare• Voting Rights• Conservation and

beautification projects• Urban renewal• Economic Development

The Great Society

• Election of 1964• Landslide victory over

Barry Goldwater

• The Tax Cut• Also cut gov. spending• GNP rose,

unemployment fell

• The War on Poverty• Economic Opportunity

Act• Head Start• VISTA

The Great Society

• Aid to Education• Elementary &

Secondary Education Act of 1965

• Medicare & Medicaid• Medicare: 65 & older• Medicaid: poor of any

age

• Immigration Reform• Immigration Act of

1965

The Warren Court

• Chief Justice Earl Warren

• Social Issues• Engel v. Vitale

• Prayers in schools

• Griswold v. Conn.• Birth Control

The Warren Court

• Criminal Procedure• Mapp v. Ohio• Gideon v. Wainwright• Miranda v. Arizona

• “One Man, One Vote”• Apportionment• Baker v. Carr

Effects of the Great Society

• Initially thought to be successful

• LBJ more popular than JFK

• Race Riots• Vietnam takes

money away from the programs