THE KENNEDY & JOHNSON YEARS

Chapter 18

John F. Kennedy

      Democrat Junior Senator Young: 43 Wealthy, Connected Family Handsome Catholic

Richard M. Nixon

 Republican  VP  Youngish: 47  Humble Means  “Tricky Dick”  Quaker

Election

      1960 Elections first to have televised debates Kennedy & Nixon Debates Kennedy had Hollywood producers to coach  Makeup, suit, speaking Nixon refused makeup, grey suit Kennedy played on Cold War Fears claiming the US had fallen behind in the Arms Race – said Eisenhower not doing enough Also championed the poor: 17 million hungry

Camelot

 Jack & Jackie  Photographs showed JFK strong, athletic, handsome  Young, beautiful wife Jackie (31)  Two small children (first in White House since 1908)

 JFK’s plan to change the nation  Tried to reduce taxes – congress said no  Federal aid to education – congress said no  Cancelled government contracts with steel companies to lower prices  Area Redevelopment Act of 1961- financial assistance to economically distressed regions  Minimum wage raised from $1.00  $1.25

 Sets the goal of landing on the moon before the decade is up – it would be an accomplishment for the entire nation

 Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren  Made many reforms – desegregate schools – right to a lawyer schools – banned prayer/Bible reading in

Foreign Affairs

      1959 Fulgencio Batista overthrows  (US backed Cuban Dictator) Takes over Private Business Makes Anti-American Speeches Signed trade agreement with the USSR CIA believed an invasion of Cuba would inspire Cubans to rise up Eisenhower Okayed the operation (about to leave office)

Foreign Affairs

 1960: Kennedy learns of a plan to train Cuban Exiles to invade Cuba  Kennedy in tough spot: to invade, or not to invade?

 CIA assures Kennedy that the plan will succeed  JFK gave the go-ahead

April 15: Cuban Exiles, fly bomber planes and attack Cuban airfields,

No secret “The Perfect Failure”

Cuban Exiles also invade beaches April 17: US Navy ships assist Cuban Brigade, but don’t fight Cuban Forces, led by Fidel Castro, sink 2 ships, and capture 1,200 men

Outcome

 JFK took the blame – got respect from the people  Collins Type II – Write an article!

 Describe the Bay of Pigs Invasion  What was the lead up to the event?

 What happened?

 What was the outcome?

 What do YOU think??

Vienna Conference

 JFK invited Khrushchev to meet with him in Vienna, Austria in June 1961 to ease tensions  Khrushchev demanded:  US and allies recognize Communist East Germany as an independent nation  Withdraw from West Berlin

Vienna Conference

  West Berlin was an “island of freedom” surrounded by East Germany  3.5 Million East Germans escaped through West Berlin JFK & advisors afraid East Germany would use force to regain West Berlin  Called reserves into active duty, built nuclear shelters in US, troop buildup in West Germany

Berlin Wall

    August 13, 1961: Khrushchev closed crossing points between East and West Berlin Within hours 25,000 troops were in place to guard a barbed wire barrier around West Berlin A proper wall soon followed: 97 miles around the three Western Sectors, 27 miles between West & East Berlin No Mans Land in Between

Collins Type II – Write a letter

 What was the Berlin Wall?

 What led up to its being built?

 What was its purpose?

 How will it affect East & West Germans?

Cuban Missile Crisis

 US actions at the Bay of Pigs and Berlin Crisis encouraged USSR to become more aggressive  Khrushchev pledged to defend Cuba  USSR concerned about nuclear missiles placed in Turkey  Convinced Castro to allow Surface - to – air missiles (SAM) and nuclear missiles in Cuba  JFK accused of being “soft on communism”

Cuban Missile Crisis

 JFK ordered U-2 spy planes to fly over Cuba  1962: photos showed the building of SAMs  JFK’s advisors advised an airstrike  Followed by an invasion  Act of war  Robert McNamara & Robert Kennedy wanted a naval blockade  This would be an act of war too, less threatening  JFK chose blockade  For two days the US prepared for war as Soviet ships sailed for Cuba – Khrushchev said if we try to stop them, WAR!

Khrushchev wrote a letter…

 Offering to remove the missiles if the US promised to never invade Cuba  Then he wrote another letter demanding the US pull missiles out of Turkey  JFK ignored the second letter  Secretly, Robert Kennedy promised we would take missiles out  This is the closest the world has ever come to nuclear war  JFK & Khrushchev installed a hotline so they could communicate directly : end testing nuclear weapons in the atmosphere & underwater

13 Days

 John F. Kennedy – President  Robert Kennedy – Attorney General  Kenny O’Donnell - Advisor  Robert McNamara – Secretary of Defense  Dean Atcheson – Secretary of State under Truman  Adlai Stevenson – Ambassador to the UN

November 22, 1963

    JFK went to Dallas to campaign for the 1964 election Rode in a convertible shot Kennedy from the 6 th of the Texas School Book Depository floor Two days later Oswald was shot by Jack Ruby gave the oath of office on Air Force One  Set up the DEATH TO INVESTIGATE JFK’S “The legacy of hope died with him. You never had that same sense again that we were moving forward.”

LBJ – Lyndon Baines Johnson

         Powerful Senator from Texas Hated being VP “It was my duty to carry on” what JFK had planned Master Legislator – used the JOHNSON TREATMENT WAR ON POVERTY GREAT SOCIETY: DOMESTIC PROGRAMS , AIMS TO END POVERTY AND RACIAL INJUSTICE MEDICAID: healthcare for poor MEDICARE: healthcare for 65+ DAISY AD: election of 1964  Beat Barry Goldwater

Turn to Page 546



Look at the Major Great Society Programs Chart



Write a Collins Type II:



What was the Great Society & its aims



Use three examples from chart to describe its goals (underline examples!)