The New Frontier & Great Society

1. The New Frontier & Great Society The 1960s

2. Election of 1960 • John Fitzgerald Kennedy vs. Richard Millhouse Nixon • GOP doesn’t look good: • USSR launched Sputnik I, developed long-range missiles • U2 Incident • Communist Cuba • Economy recesses • First televised debates, watched by millions • RMN looked sick on TV • JFK looked young, healthy, articulate • JFK & RFK won Black votes after helping MLK in Georgia

5. Election of 1960 • JFK won by 119,000 votes, closest election in 20th century, immediately challenges Americans • Get to the moon by end of the decade • “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country” • Kennedy & the New Frontier led by the “best & brightest” • Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense • Dean Rusk, Secretary of State • Bobby Kennedy, Attorney General • McGeorge Bundy, Nat’l Security Advisor

7. JFK & Cold War • JFK’s has hybrid foreign policy plan • Flexible Response • US willing to “nuclearly” go toe-to-toe w/ USSR, but still able to avoid nuclear holocaust • JFK built up nuclear power, expanded strategic, special-operation forces, & used non-military Peace Corps & Alliance for Progress to handle third world countries • JFK was tested early in his administration with two situations in Cuba as a result of Fidel Castro becoming a communist after the overthrow of Fulegencia Batista in 1959

9. JFK and Cold War • Bay of PigsInvasion, Spring 1961 • Ike hoped to overthrow Castro with CIA, began training Cuban exiles in Florida • JFK approved invasion after being informed; April 17, 1961, invasion took place • Covert plan was EPIC fail • Air strike missed Cuban Air Force • Invading forces without cover • Failed invasion costs US $53 million & pride • JFK took full responsibility for invasion, cost him valuable credibility in world affairs against experienced Khrushchev

11. Cuban Missile Crisis • Cuban Missile Crisis, fall 1962 • Summer 1962, USSR amassed nuclear weapons in Cuba; JFK warned USSR to stop, but USSR continues • U2 photos in Oct. 1962 discovered USSR weapons ready to launch • Oct. 22, 1962 Kennedy spoke to US on TV, informed Americas of plan to remove missiles • “Quarantine” of Cuba • Air surveillance of Cuba • US military ready to go • Any launch of missiles from Cuba is a USSR attack on US • For 6 days, world on brink of nuclear winter; but, USSR blinked at US naval blockade in Atlantic

15. Cuban Missile Crisis • Outcome of missile crisis: • Khrushchev agreed to remove missiles if US agreed to not invade Cuba • US secretly agreed to remove missiles from Turkey & Italy • Castro upset w/ being disarmed, Khrushchev & Kennedy ridiculed for brinkmanship & being unsuccessful • Hotline & Limited Test Ban Treaty agreed to

16. Berlin Wall • Berlin Wall, summer 1961 • Following Berlin Airlift, 20% of East Germany fled to non-communist West Germany • Khrushchev cannot close US air & land travel b/w FRG & West Berlin, Doing so would carry nuclear consequence • Instead, chose to build wall around West Berlin, slowing emigration to non-communist center • JFK continued to send aid to West Berlin, making it an example of capitalist success • Traveled there in 1963, gave IchEin Berliner speech in front of 150,000 West Berliners

17. JFK—Domestic Policy • New Frontier programs hard to push through unless it was to fight the communists • JFK lacked popular mandate and struggled with Republicans & conservative Southern Democrats • Peace Corps & Alliance for Progress • Part of JFK’s flexible response • Took unemployed college grads & sent them to susceptible regions • Job: show them how awesome non-communism is • $12 billion in aid sent to Latin American countries to contain Castro

18. Space Race • US didn’t want to lose in anything • USSR’s Yuri Gagarin, first person in space, April 1961 • Alan Shepard a month later • US’ John Glenn orbits world, 1962 • US lands on the moon in 1969, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin

20. JFK Assassination • November 22, 1963 • Reelection is going to be difficult, mostly because of civil rights issues • JFK flew to Dallas to mend political fences with state Democrats • JFK motorcade including open-air Lincoln, goes through Dealey Plaza with: • Gov. John Connally & wife Nellie • JFK & Jackie Kennedy

22. JFK Assassination • As motorcade slowed for curve past Texas School Book Depository JFK struck with at least two bullets • One through the head • One through the throat • Lee Harvey Oswald, charged with assassination via palm print on rifle found in TSBD • Worked at TSBD • Dishonorable discharged from the Marine Corps • Lived in USSR • Supported Castro/Communist sympathizer • Also accused of killing Officer Jefferson Davis Tippit

26. JFK Assassination • While Oswald was being transported between jails in Dallas, Jack Ruby shot him in the stomach, died minutes later • Oswald’s assassination left many Americans questioning why, how, and who actually killed JFK? • Lyndon B. Johnson sworn in on Air Force One, called for immediate investigation of assassination

29. JFK Assassination • Warren Report conducted by Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren, Sept.1964 • Conducted 500 interviews, 880 pages of information • Oswald acted alone • Files sealed until 2039, conspiracy theories begin • Select House Committee on Assassinations 1976-1979 • Oswald shot Kennedy • Warren acted in good faith, wasn’t given all the information • Conspiracy probable • USSR & Cuba had nothing to do with it • Files sealed until 2029

31. JFK Assassination • JFK Records, 1992 • President Clinton and Congress released most of the information surrounding the Kennedy assassination, but not all • Zapruder Film • Filmed by Abraham Zapruder captured JFK’s assassination

32. Lyndon Baines Johnson • LBJ started as Congressional secretary from impoverished part of Texas in 1931; in 1937, wins special Congressional election • Learned how to be excellent negotiator from childhood • Mom and Dad fought all of the time, constantly sought approval from those around himsince they had very little • Appealed to struggling farmers & ranchers as a New Dealer • Hard work and ambition caught FDR’s eye,helped get him important committee positions, even seat in Senate after close election in 1948

34. LBJ • LBJ was consummate party politician, but could wheel-and-deal with the other party to get things done • Notably, Civil Rights Act of 1957, allowing US Attorney General to handle problems regarding school desegregation & voting rights • Strom Thurmond set US Senate filibuster record at 24 hours, 18 minutes while Southerners delayed vote for 57 days • LBJ offered JFK campaign for presidency many things: • Experience with Congress • Protestant background Kennedy was Catholic • Connections to the South

35. Days into administration, LBJ pushed JFK’s tax cut bills & civil rights bills through Congress • $10 billion cut in taxes, federal deficit cut to $4 billion in 1966 • Civil Rights Act of 1964 • Business can’t discriminate if it serves public • Segregated schools lose federal funds • Attorney General can prosecute government • Equal Employment Opportunity Commission • JFK didn’t attend to domestic issues, LBJ did; and, he knew he could get domestic legislation passed if he convinced Congress it was JFK’s—AKA “The LBJ Treatment”

36. LBJ • 1964 Presidential Election • LBJ ran against Barry Goldwater of Arizona • 22nd Amendment allows LBJ possibility to be elected twice • Goldwater believed govt. shouldn’t solve social/economic problems • Threatened use of nuclear bombs in Asia & Cuba • Wanted to reduce size of federal govt. • Most Americans disagreed w/ him • LBJ promised no troops into Vietnam

38. LBJ • First election with campaign attack ads • Circular saw cutting through America • Pair of hands tore up Social Security Card • Daisy became famous • LBJ won by 16 million votes • 486 electoral votes to 52 • Democrats will control both houses of Congress • Democrats lost South to Republicans, permanently

39. The Great Society • Began with “War on Poverty” • Economic Opportunity Act, 1964 • Law provided $1 billion in aid to those “on outskirts of hope” • Job Corps Youth Training Program • Project Head Start • VISTA & Community Action Program • Surprisingly, LBJ & Sergeant Shriver didn’t want War on Poverty to be a welfare handout or burden on US govt.

41. The Great Society • Elementary & Secondary Education Act, 1965 • $1 billion in aid to public & private schools for new books & libraries b/c LBJ considered education key to Great Society • Medicare Act, 1965, added to Social Security • Est. Medicare for the elderly • Est. Medicaid for the poor • Immigration Act, 1965 • Eliminated quotas & restrictions on immigration to US that began after WWI

42. The Great Society • Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson • Brought govt.’s attention to everyday pollutants like DDT & its effect on the environment • Resulted in Water Quality Act, 1965; states & industries have to start cleaning up their pollution • Led to Love Canal, by Lois Gibbs which publicized long-forgotten industrial waste • Unsafe at Any Speed, by Ralph Nader • Brought govt.’s attention to dangers of consumer goods—medicines, cars, paints, etc. • Producers become liable for unsafe products

43. Government 101 • Three branches • Legislative—makes laws • Executive—enforces laws • Judicial—interprets constitutionality

44. * Each branch has checks & balances on the other two branches • Ensures one branch doesn’t become too powerful • Example: Dictator

45. Bill Becomes a law • Bill introduced in House or Senate • If passed, sent to other house • If passed by other house, sent to joint committee • President signs into law or vetoes • Veto can be overridden by 2/3 majority of both house • Becomes law

48. The Warren Court • FDR, Truman, JFK & LBJ sought to make improvements to America through legislative action, the US Supreme Court followed suit • Chief Justice Earl Warrenbecame Chief just before the Brown v. Board 1954 decision • Warren was responsible for interning Japanese-Americans during WWII • Ever since, he used his govt. positions to reform social injustices because he felt guilty

49. The Warren Court • Warren Court ruled that congressional representation must be equal between districts • Rural areas had more representation than urban areas • Baker v. Carr 1962 • Court ruled one person, one vote – states had to reapportion • The Warren Court also reformed the incarceration & prosecution of criminals • Mapp v. Ohio 1961 • Defendants are protected from illegal searches & seizures • Exclusionary Rule extended to state courts