Chapters 48-50

Kennedy Takes Office

Election vs. Nixon First televised debates ○ Kennedy = charming, good looking, relaxed ○ Nixon = pale, sweating (had the flu), not

relaxed Kennedy won by a small amount No strong direction from the voters

Kennedy Takes Office Surrounds himself with “best and brightest” New Frontier = plan to change the world

Increase aid to education New programs to end poverty Tax cut to stimulate the economy Raise minimum wage Fund medical care for the elderly Ban racial discrimination Increase in defense spending

BUT – Congress did not approve of many of these ideas

Kennedy - Programs Economy:

Increase defense spending Also wanted a tax cut, but congress did not

approve Civil rights:

Started slowly, but did propose a civil rights bill Congress did not approve Space Race:

In answer to Russian Sputnik Proposed we be the first to land a man on the

moon and return safely

Kennedy – Foreign Affairs Cuba

Revolution – Fidel Castro to power Communism = support/aid/weapons from Soviet

Union ○ Many exiles moved to Florida

Bay of Pigs Invasion Exiles trained by CIA attempt to overthrow

Castro Poorly executed landing – most killed Expect Cuban people to rise up – did not

happen

Kennedy – Foreign Affairs Cuban Missile Crisis – 13 days

U-2 spy plane flying over Cuba discovered Soviets building missile launch sites

What should we do? ○ Too strong a response = push toward war ○ Too weak a response= endanger American cities

“Quarantine” = blockade of Cuba, prevent Soviet ships from reaching Cuba ○ Khrushchev orders ships to slow or stop

Khrushchev and Kennedy come to a deal ○ we remove missiles from Turkey, they take them out

of Cuba

Kennedy – Foreign Affairs

Kennedy and Khrushchev Rethink “massive retaliation” Set-up a hotline to ensure no confusion Test Ban Treaty ○ Only test nuclear weapons below ground – not

in the atmosphere

Kennedy – Foreign Affairs

Berlin 25,000 East Germans a day used Berlin to escape

communism Aug 1961 – East German workers started to build

a wall The Berlin Wall – made it nearly impossible for

East Germans to escape Tensions were high…

Kennedy – Foreign Affairs

Developing Countries Poor, less industrialized Fear they would move to communism

Peace Corp Money could not solve all the problems 2 years volunteer service Spread “know-how” Support local communities ○ Education, farming, health care

Kennedy Assassination

November 22, 1963 Lee Harvey Oswald ○ Strong support of Castro ○ Had lived in the Soviet Union for 3 years

Was killed too ○ As police moved him from one jail to

another ○ On live TV

Many Conspiracy Questions

LBJ

Lyndon B. Johnson Kennedy’s Vice President Easily won re-election in 1964

Unlike Kennedy - LBJ worked well with Congress Got many bill’s passed

Great Society His plan for a better America

Great Society End Racial Injustice:

Civil Rights Act 1964 – outlawed segregation in theaters, restaurants, and hotels

Voting Rights Act 1965 – guaranteed voting rights Civil Rights Act 1968 – prohibited housing

discrimination War on Poverty:

Economic Opportunity Act 1964 ○ Job Corp – teach disadvantaged youth job skills ○ Head Start – programs for low income preschool

children ○ VISTA – like Peace Corp, but in the U.S. ○ HUD – federal programs to revitalize urban areas

Great Society Improve Health Care:

Medicare – federal health insurance for 65+ Medicaid – federal/state health insurance for low

income people Life Long Learning and Culture:

Elementary and Secondary Education Act – federal aid to schools

National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities - grants to artists, musicians, writers, scholars

Public Broadcasting Act – support for public radio and TV

Great Society

Immigration: Immigration Act of 1965 – ended 1920s

quotas which were based on national origin Environment:

Clean Air Act of 1963 – set emission standards for factories

Also focused on cleaning waterways, preserving wildlife, protecting endangered species, beautifying landscapes

Great Society

Protect Consumers: Cigarette Labeling Act of 1965 – labels warning

that smoking could cause health problems Standards for wholesome meat and poultry Truth in lending practices National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act

1966 – require seat belts in cars

Warren Court Baker v. Carr – redrawing voting districts

after each census Engel v. Vitale – no prayer in schools Mapp v. Ohio – evidence obtained illegally

may not be used in court Gideon v. Wainwright – courts provide

public defenders Escobedo v. Illinois – opportunity for a

lawyer during questioning Miranda v. Arizona – must inform suspects

of their rights before questioning

Counterculture

Group with ideas and behaviors that are very different from mainstream culture

Baby Boomers – upset with Americas materialism, racism, inequality Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) –

wanted freedom and equality for all, government of the people by the people…NOT based on power and privilege

Free Speech Movement – protests of local issues to Vietnam

Counterculture

Reject the “Establishment” People and institutions that controlled society

Hippies Minority of the youth, but got all the media

coverage Dropped out of school, reject 9-5 jobs Lived off handouts from parents, begging or short

term jobs Jeans, tie-dye, long hair, love beads, no shaving Never trust anyone over 30

Counterculture Generation Gap

○ Difference in attitudes between youth and parents – not the first time we have talked about this

Love and Marriage ○ introduction of birth control pill ○ More couples living together ○ Easing of divorce laws = more divorces ○ Adults were alarmed by this lifestyle

Communes ○ Mini-societies ○ Shared responsibilities, and decision making ○ Adults feared this lifestyle would limit future success

Counterculture Drug use ○ Increase in recreational use ○ Adults feared “bad trips”, increase in mental health

concerns Rock ‘n’ Roll ○ New sound – psychedelic rock ○ Free-flowing songs, elements of jazz and Indian

music, light shows ○ Adults worried this type of music promoted drug

use

Woodstock – 1969 concert in rural New York

Counterculture

Pop Art Focus on consumerism Everyday objects