Lyndon B. Johnson By: Ethan Bruce AP US History
Job Training • In the early years of Johnsons life, he did not work before college. • Johnson attended Southwest Texas State Teachers College to earn his degree in teaching • Also, Johnson learned about the lives of the needy while helping kids of Mexican descent where he taught • http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/lyndonbjohnson
Political Background • In 1937 Johnson campaigned for the House of Representatives on a New Deal platform • After six terms in the House, Johnson was elected to the Senate in 1948. In 1953, Johnson became the youngest minority Leader in Senate history, and the following year, when the Democrats won control became youngest majority Leader
Political Background Cont. • Lyndon Johnson was elected Vice President on November 22, 1963 running with JFK • On November 22, 1963 Johnson was sworn into presidency after the current president JFK was shot dead that day.
Campaign • As a start to Johnson’s campaign he used the same deals and measures as JFK and kept pushing them through office in his terms earning him much respect • The first of these measures was the civil rights bill and a tax cut which were effectively put into place
Campaign Quote • One of Johnson’s famous quotes when he first came into office was; • "to build a great society, a place where the meaning of man's life matches the marvels of man's labor.“ • Johnson wanted the lives of people to live without poverty and to be fruitful and productive
The Great Society • The Great Society was Johnson’s agenda and were his goals during his four years of presidency • They included; aid to education, attack on disease, Medicare, urban renewal, beautification, conservation, development of depressed regions, a wide-scale fight against poverty, control and prevention of crime and delinquency, removal of obstacles to the right to vote
Medicare Amendment • One of the big successes of Johnson’s campaign was his Medicare amendment in 1965 to the Social Security Act • The amendment helped elderly people even further giving them much needed supplies furthering lifespan
To the Great Beyond • One of the most questioned enigmas in society during Johnson’s presidency was whether or not America would be able to go to the moon or not • This was proven to be able when in December 1968 the first men orbited the moon
Into a New Era • Johnson congratulated these three astronauts with their significant achievement by saying: • "You've taken ... all of us, all over the world, into a new era. . . . "
Program after Program • During his reign as president, Johnson, developed several different programs to help to stop racial segregation • Some of these programs were antipoverty and anti-discrimination programs
Black and White • It was not what Johnson wanted, Johnson wanted the world or at least nation to become desegregated and to join together as one • The increasing fatalities of this segregation were worrisome to Johnson but there was no easy way to solve the growing issue
Crisis • The biggest crisis to afflict the Johnson era was the Vietnam war, the people of the US did not support the war and strongly protested its involvement overseas • Controversy had started to decrease in the US by the end of March 1968
Peace in the Jungle? • By March 1968 Johnson had ordered limited bombing over Vietnam in hopes of having peace talks to stop the police action and initiate negotiation
Re-Election • During the peace talks Johnson decided to withdraw his name in the ballot for re-election • Johnson had hopes that he might devote his full efforts, uninfluenced by politics, to the quest for peace in the world
Works Cited • "Lyndon B. Johnson." The White House. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/lyndonbjohnson>. • Picsearch. Lyndon B. Johnson. N.d. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. • Johnson Cartoon. 1959. Princeton, New Jersey. Princeton Alumni Weekly. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://paw.princeton.edu/issues/2008/09/24/pages/2698/ index.xml?page=11&>. • USHistory. Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. 1968. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2011.
