New Frontierand

the Great Society

Chapter 28

Followed launch of Sputnik, U-2 incident, and Cuba’s alliance with the USSR

Nixon vs. KennedyKennedy looked better and more confident because of televised debates

Nixon had hoped to show Kennedy’s inexperience (JFK was only 43 when elected)

*image started to become just as important as policy*

Election of 1960

Martin Luther King Jr. was sentenced to jailEisenhower and Nixon refused to get involved

JFK called MLK’s wife, his brother had MLK released on bail

Kennedy and Civil Rights

Term referring to the Kennedy’s time in office

America was fascinated by the family, “America’s Royalty”Influenced fashion, education, and culture

JFK surrounded himself with the best cabinet members he could findDean of Harvard, president of Ford, president of Rockefeller

“Camelot”

JFK feared that the Soviets were gaining favor in Latin America, Asia and Africaespecially Cuba

didn’t like Eisenhower’s policy of threatening massive retaliation

developed program of “flexible response”prepare for a variety of military responses to any kind of international crisis rather than nuclear attackscreated the Special Forces – Green Berets

increased military spendingtripled US nuclear capabilities

Military Policy

Cuban leader - communist, welcomed aid from SovietsCastro had promised a democracy, helped to depose a dictator, then took over himself

Seized sugar farms and turned them into communes for peasants

US blockaded Cuban productsMany Cubans feared Castro, and escaped to

the US

Fidel Castro

at the end of his term, Eisenhower cut off diplomatic relations with Cuba

was secretly training Cuban exiles to invade Cuba

Cuba

April, 17 1961 – trained Cuban exiles land in the “Bay of Pigs” in Cuba

Air force strike failed to knock out Cuban air force

Advance group sent to distract Castro and his troops never reached the shore

Main unit landed, and was heavily outnumbered

JFK took blame for the failurePaid $53 million in food and medical supplies to release hostages

Bay of Pigs

Soviet Premier Khrushchev promised to aid CubaSummer 1962 – Soviet weapons and nuclear missiles were offloaded

JFK said that the US would not tolerate offensive nuclear weapons in CubaLast straw – photographs showed Soviet missile bases that were ready to be launched

JFK publicized this fact, and informed the US that in case of an attack, it would cause all-out war with the Soviets

Cuban Missile Crisis

US Navy blockaded Cuba to prevent more weapons from arriving

Soviet ships backed down from conflictKhrushchev offered to remove the missiles if the US agreed to remove missiles aimed at the USSR from Turkey

Cuban Missile Crisis

Khrushchev lost credibility in USSRKennedy was disliked for using brinkmanship rather than diplomacySome thought Kennedy lost an opportunity to “take back Cuba”

Castro refused to allow any exiles to return to Cuba, allowed family members of exiles to leave (hundreds of thousands left the country)

Aftermath of the CMC

1961 – 3 million East Germans fled to West Berlin to escape communist ruleShowed weakness in East German government

Khrushchev threatened to close off US access to West Berlin, Kennedy refusedJFK’s determination and the threat of US nuclear missiles prevented Khrushchev from blockading West Berlin

Berlin

Khrushchev built a wall between East Germany and West BerlinSurrounded West BerlinBarriers were 10-15 feet high, made of cement and steel and barbed wire

Patrolled by soldiers with machine guns, guarded by electric fences

People no longer could flee East Germany

Was an ugly symbol of communist oppression

Lasted until 1989

Berlin Wall

Kennedy and Khrushchev acknowledged the tension between them

Created a “hot line” between them to talk immediately in case another crisis occurred

Limited Test Ban Treaty – no nuclear testing in the atmosphere

Easing Tensions

JFK wanted his term as president to be marked by reforms that propelled America past what other countries were able to doNew Frontier – JFK’s name for his plan to progressExplore new areas in science and space

Decrease poverty and end the wasting of surplus goods

Provide medical care for elderlyGive aid to schoolsUrban renewal

Progress

Could not get support from Congress (majority Republicans and Southern Democrats)

JFK was able to find ways to boost the economy, build up national defense, help other nation and fund NASA

Progress

1960 – US was in a recessionGov’t used deficit spending to fund itself and lower taxesFunded National Defense (nuclear missiles, nuclear subs, expand armed services)

Raised minimum wage to $1.25 Extended unemployment insuranceAssisted cities with percentages of unemployment

Stimulating the Economy

Peace Corps – program of volunteers that would help teach, work as agricultural advisers, health aides or other needed roles Volunteered in Asia, Africa and Latin America

Many were recently graduated college students

 Alliance for Progress – offered economic and technical assistance to Latin AmericaInvested almost $12 millionPartially created to keep Latin America from siding with Castro

Peace Corps & Alliance for Progress

April 12, 1961 – Yuri Gagarin is first man in space

May 5, 1961 – Alan Shepard is first American in space

US launched a satellite that was able relay television images from space

NASA created launch facilitiesJuly 10, 1969 – Neil Armstrong is first man to walk on the moon

As a result – schools and universities put new emphasis on science and technology

Race to the Moon

Gov’t was spending millions on progress, but millions of Americans were barely able to feed themselves

Civil Rights demonstrations began occurring in the South

JFK called for a “national assault on the causes of poverty” and began to focus on helping those in need

Justice Department investigated racial injustices in the South

JFK created a civil rights bill, and cut taxes by $10 billion

Domestic Issues

Nation was split over opinion of KennedyLoved by someOthers hated him because of his stance on civil rights

November 22, 1963 – JFK lands in Dallas to meet with Texas Democrats

Rode in an open limo, was cheered by thousands of people

Assassination of JFK

Suddenly, shots were fired, and JFK had been assassinatedLee Harvey Oswald had fired the rifle that killed the presidentFormer Marine, lived in USSR, supported Castro

Oswald was killed as he was being transported between jails

VP Johnson was immediately sworn in as president

Assassination of JFK

Some thought the assassination of JFK was a conspiracy

1963 – Warren Commission investigated the claim, said Oswald acted on his own

1979 – a new investigation found that Oswald may have been part of a conspiracy2 may have shot the presidentOthers were involved in the plansAnti-Castro Cubans? Communists? CIA?

Conspiracy?

LBJ urged Congress to pass the civil rights and tax-cut bills that JFK wanted

Congress passed the tax reduction, which helped the economy

Civil Rights Act of 1964 – cannot be discrimination based on race, religion, nation of origin or sex – federal gov’t also had the power to enforce this act

LBJ’s Presidency

War on Poverty – wanted to alleviate the problems of povertyEconomic Opportunity Act - $1 billion for youth programs, antipoverty measures, small business loans and job training

Created:Job Corps Youth Training ProgramVISTA (Volunteers In Service To America)

Head StartCommunity Action Program

LBJ’s Presidency

Most of America supported LBJLiked his actions to help the people of the US

Wanted to get involved in VietnamWith so much support, LBJ was able to pass his reform program

Election of 1964

LBJ’s reform program and vision for America (wanted to raise the standard of living)

Inspired by FDR’s New DealEducation: Elementary and Secondary Education Act - $1 billion in aid to schools to purchase new textbooks and library materials

Healthcare: Medicare – Hospital insurance and low-cost medical insurance for people 65 and older

Medicaid – health care insurance to welfare recipients

Great Society

Housing: built low-rent housing, created programs to help low/moderate income families get better housing, created Department of Housing and Urban Development

Immigration: Immigration Act of 1965 – abolished quotas on immigration, allowed non-European immigrants

Environment: Water Quality Act of 1965 – states had to clean up rivers, gov’t had to find the worst polluters

Consumer Protection: passed safety laws – truth-in-packaging, automobile safety laws, meat and food products

Great Society

Nickname for Supreme Court under Chief Justice WarrenBrown v. Board of EducationBanned state-sanctioned prayer in schoolsState-required loyalty oaths deemed unconstitutional

Limited power of communities to ban books and movies

People have the ability to protest in ways that do not harm others or interrupt the daily working of schools of businesses

Changed reapportionment systemsStates change election districts based on population

Warren Court

Baker v. Carr – Court can tell states to redraw their districts

Reynolds v. Sims – one person, one voteEvidence seized illegally cannot be used in court

Free legal counsel provided for those who can’t afford it

An accused person has the right to have a lawyer present during police questioning

Miranda v. Arizona - Suspects must be read their rights before questioning

Warren Court

LBJ greatly extended the power of the federal gov’t

Percentage of “poor” people declined 10%

Many proposals were difficult to accomplish

Great Society grew the federal deficitConservatives disliked the liberal decisions made by the gov’tFormer actor Ronald Reagan began gaining popularity

LBJ labelled as a peaceful person, changed that identity when US entered Vietnam War

Impact of Great Society

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