Transcript The Sixties to 1968 - Williamstown Independent Schools

U.S. History 3.17.14
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1. Review (1952-60) to Preview- Lesson Kennedy (1960-63)
2. History Channel– The Presidents (End of Ike and the presidency of JFK)
3. America-The Story of US– Superpower (Tues/Wed)
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Mid Term Test is Thursday 1945-69 (during the 2nd half of class)
Post War America: Cold War, 1950s, Kennedy Years
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We will Start “We didn’t start the fire” project Thursday.
Turn in 1950’s Notes Today
Assignment Read-View Powerpoint Online- Kennedy Years 1960-63
U.S. History 3.18.14
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•
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1. Finish Lesson Kennedy (1960-63) LBJ (1963-68)
2. History Channel– The Presidents ( LBJ )
3. America-The Story of US– Superpower (Wed)
Mid Term Test is Thursday 1945-69 (during the 2nd half of class)
Post War America: Cold War, 1950s, Kennedy Years
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•
•
•
•
•
We will Start “We didn’t start the fire” project Thursday.
RE-Turn 1950’s Notes Today
1. Assignment Read-View Powerpoint Online- Kennedy Years 1960-63
2. Assignment Read- View Powerpoint Online- Turbulent Sixties.
3. Assignment- Kennedy Tapes and LBJ Tapes
Spring Break Assignment Johnson Chapter on Kennedy, LBJ and Vietnam etc.
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•
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Kennedy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaywOhIMluQ&list=PLE14CC689FDAFA721
LBJ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZWERQevzms&list=PL577575CA9D485B41
JFK and
the The
Stormy
Sixties
The Election of 1960
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The economy was in a recession & The Soviet Union then gained strength
JFK and Nixon faced off in the 1960 presidential election
JFK Democratic senator from Massachusetts
He won the election, but not by much
2 factors led him to preside…..
1. Television-the first presidential debate in history
2. JFK’s response to MLK Jr.’s arrest in October 1960- the Kennedy
campaign persuaded the judge to release King while he waited to appeal his
sentence. This gained Kennedy widespread support from African Americans.
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JFK supported the policy flexible response- called for the use of conventional
weapons rather was a than nuclear weapons in the event of a war.
Theses weapons included: jets, tanks, missiles, and guns
Kennedy increased defense spending
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The Kennedy-Nixon TV Debate
Kennedy appeared very relaxed, Nixon uptight on
TV- Those who listened to the debate by Radio
though Nixon had won. Those who watched it on
TV thought Kennedy had won.
What Went Wrong?
• Kennedy was elected by the slimmest
margins. That made it difficult for
Kennedy’s proposals to be passed.
• Because he lacked support, Kennedy
rarely pushed hard for his bills.
• 34,220,984 49.72% JFK: Winner
• 34,108,157 49.55% Richard Nixon
34,220,984 49.72% JFK: Winner
34,108,157 49.55% Richard Nixon
Kennedy’s ‘New Frontier’ Spirit
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In 1960, young, energetic John F. Kennedy was elected as president of the United States
“President of The Sixtes”—the youngest man ever elected to that office.
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The 1960s would bring a sexual revolution, a civil rights revolution, the emergence of a
“youth culture,” a devastating war in Vietnam, and the beginnings of a feminist revolution.
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JFK delivered a stirring inaugural address (“Ask not, what your country can do for you…”),
and he also assembled a very young cabinet, including his brother, Robert Kennedy, as
attorney general.
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Robert Kennedy tried to recast the priorities of the FBI, but was resisted by J. Edgar Hoover.
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Business whiz Robert S. McNamara took over the Defense Department.
Kennedy with Peace Corps Volunteers 1962
Who is that 14 year old shaking Kennedy’s hand?
“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”
The Peace Corps
Kennedy Presidency
The Camelot Years
• The Kennedy presidency was known as the Camelot years. Him and
his wife loved the arts. They had many artists, musicians, and
celebrities perform at the White House. In all of this though
Kennedy was pushing for a new and improved United States.
What the New Frontier was About
• President Kennedy’s domestic program was called the
New Frontier. The New Frontier was to boost the United
States economy, to provide international aid, provide
international defense, and boost the space program.
Peace Corps
• President Kennedy did the Peace Corps though. It sent volunteers
to work in poor nations around the world. The goal of the program
was to help end world poverty. By 1968 35,000 volunteers had
served in 60 nations throughout the world. The Peace Corps was a
big success and still is to this day.
The New Frontier at Home
Kennedy’s social program was known as
the New Frontier, but conservative
Democrats and Republicans threatened
to kill many of its reforms.
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JFK did expand the House Rules
Committee, but his program didn’t
expand quickly, as medical and
education bills remained stalled in
Congress.
JFK also had to keep a lid on
inflation to maintain a prosperous
economy, but almost immediately
into his term, steel management
announced large price increases
(after they said they wouldn’t),
igniting the fury of the president.
Big steel backed down, but JFK
continued to earn fiery attacks from
big business against his New
Frontier policies.
Kennedy’s tax-cut bill chose to stimulate
the economy through price-cutting.
Kennedy with Peace Corps Volunteers 1962
Who is that 14 year old shaking Kennedy’s hand?
U.S. History 3.18.14
•
•
•
•
1. Finish Lesson Kennedy (1960-63) LBJ (1963-68)
2. History Channel– The Presidents ( LBJ )
3. America-The Story of US– Superpower (Wed)
Mid Term Test is Thursday 1945-69 (during the 2nd half of class)
Post War America: Cold War, 1950s, Kennedy Years
•
•
•
•
•
•
We will Start “We didn’t start the fire” project Thursday.
RE-Turn 1950’s Notes Today
1. Assignment Read-View Powerpoint Online- Kennedy Years 1960-63
2. Assignment Read- View Powerpoint Online- Turbulent Sixties.
3. Assignment- Kennedy Tapes and LBJ Tapes
Spring Break Assignment Johnson Chapter on Kennedy, LBJ and Vietnam etc.
•
•
•
•
Kennedy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaywOhIMluQ&list=PLE14CC689FDAFA721
LBJ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZWERQevzms&list=PL577575CA9D485B41
Who Was JFK?
• Demographics:- Democratic Senator
• Young- War Hero (Navy) Father figure to the baby boomers
• Wealthy- Father Joe- bribed and intimidated journalists
• Irish Catholic– Massachusetts, New England Voter Block
• Symbol of….Idealism and Public Service
• JFK– The New Frontier
• Peace Corps- Volunteers- “toughest job you will ever love”
• NASA- catch and pass up the Soviets
• Education- College Federal Grants – The Young
Election of 1960
• Election of 1960: Dem Sen. JFK vs. Rep. V.P. Richard Nixon
• Stats: 49.72%, 000 to 49.55% or 303 to 219 Electoral College
• Role of Television: The Debate
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Kennedy was….confident, tanned, makeup, rested, etc.
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Nixon was….nervous, paranoid, shifty eyed, etc.
• Radio vs.
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Listeners said Nixon Won
TV Coverage:
Listeners said Kennedy Won
JFK Space Race:- #1&2
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NASA- Vision…..
Man on the Moon by the end of the decade (1969)
Apollo Missions
John Glenn- Orbits the Earth
ICBM- Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles– carry nuclear
warheads
Cuban Missile Crisis
• Cuban Missile Crisis:#1• Nuclear Missiles 90 miles from Florida
• Bay of Pigs Invasion- Failed 1961
• 11 Days- Nuclear Brink
• Soviet Premier Kruschev had to “save face”
• Quarantine of the U.S. Navy- Not a Blockade (Act of War)
• JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis: #2
• Oct. 1962- Nuclear Poker• Soviets agree to dismantle the missiles in Cuba in exchange for
• U.S. Agreement to dismantle our missiles in Turkey and agree NOT
to invade Cuba.
The Alliance For Progress
• This program Kennedy started gave aid to
Latin American countries. One reason for
this program was to keep Communism
from spreading to these countries.
Man on the Moon
• In 1961 the space race began between the U.S and
Russia. President Kennedy pledged that the U.S would
put a man on the moon by the end of the decade.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t here to see it happen.
Space Program
Kennedy and the Cold War
By: Tyler Greis
Cuban Missile Crisis
• Then, in 1962, U.S. spy planes recorded missile installations in Cuba. It was
later revealed that these were, in fact, Soviet nuclear missiles aimed at
America!
• The Cuban Missile Crisis lasted 13 nerve-racking days and
put the U.S., the U.S.S.R., and the world at the brink of
nuclear war.
Nuclear Brinkmanship
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In the end, Khrushchev blinked, backed off of a U.S. naval blockade, looked very weak
and indecisive, and lost his power soon afterwards while the Soviets became even more
determined to expand their military program.
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The Soviets agreed to remove their missiles if the U.S. vowed to never invade Cuba
again; the U.S. also removed their own Russia-aimed nuclear missiles in Turkey.
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There was also a direct phone call line (the “hot line”) installed between Washington D.C. and
Moscow, in case of any crisis.
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In June, 1963, Kennedy spoke, urging better feelings toward the Soviets and beginning the
modest policy of détente, or relaxed tension in the Cold War.
Cuban Missile Crisis #2
Crises over Cuba
 Cuba’s leader-Fidel Castro
- he had seized power in 1959.
- soon after, he declared himself a communist
- he then formed ties with the Soviet Union
 Kennedy wanted Castro out of power
- the plan was to call in Cuban exiles to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro
- the US government would supply air support for the exiles
- this attack wasn’t successful. Many of the exiles were captured
- the failed attack gained the name “Bay of Pigs”
 A year later, the US and Cuba clashed again
- the Soviets were building nuclear missile bases in Cuba, ready to launch
- JFK demanded the missiles be removed.
- in 1969, he surrounded Cuba with US naval ships
- Nakita Khrushchev, the Soviet leader, removed the missiles
 The Americans either agreed or disagreed with Kennedy’s decision to surround Cuba
The Continuing Cold War
 In 1961, JFK faced a growing problem in Berlin
- the city was still divided, East Berlin was under Communist control
- West Berlin was under the control of Great Britain, France, and the US.
- by 1961, almost 3 million East Germans had fled into West Berlin
 Khrushchev threatened to black all air and land routes into West Berlin
- Kennedy warned the Soviet leader against this action
- as a result, Khrushchev changed his plans
- he built a large concrete barrier along the border between East and West Berlin
- it was then known as the Berlin Wall, it prevented any more East Germans from
fleeing to West Berlin
 Kennedy and Khrushchev attempted to reach agreements
- established a hot line between their two nations. They communicated by telephone
- they also agreed to a Limited Test Ban Treaty, this barred nuclear testing in the
atmosphere
1963 After Kennedy
The LBJ Brand on the Presidency
Lyndon Johnson had been a senator in the 1940s and 50s, his idol was
Franklin D. Roosevelt, and he could manipulate Congress very well
(through his in-your-face “Johnson treatment”); he was also quite vain
and egotistical.
President Johnson proved to be much more successful than Kennedy at working
with Congress.
As a president, LBJ went from mildly conservative to liberal, utilizing Kennedy’s death to
pass a Civil Rights Act of 1964, which:
1.
banned all racial discrimination in most private facilities open to the public,
including theaters, hospitals, and restaurants.
2.
Banned sexual as well as racial discrimination.
3.
Created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), aimed at
eliminating discriminatory hiring.
Johnson’s program was dubbed the “Great Society,” and it reflected his New Deal
inspirations.
Public support for the program was aroused by Michael Harrington’s The Other
America, which revealed that over 20% of American suffered in poverty.
LBJ
• Demographics:
• Older, Tall- Texan. Southern Democrat, Former Speaker of the House,
• Was Kennedy’s V.P. – but NOT close to JFK (JFK needed Texas)
• Type A Personality- Had to be the big guy in the room. (Dominant)
(Confrontational)
• Johnson Treatment:
• Courteous to ladies
• Intimidation toward everyone else- Crude, Political Gamesmanship
• Got things done by physically and verbally confronting individual
Congress and Cabinet Members
LBJ and the Great Society
• Federal Grants for Schools– Education
• War on Poverty– Target Regions like Appalachia (KY)
• Create Medicaid Program
LBJ and Reform
LBJ and the Great Society– Social Reform
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1964- 1/5 Americans lived below the Poverty Line
(Outskirts of Hope- Poverty and Race)
Unconditional War on Poverty in America
Economic Opportunity Act- $1 Billion
– Head Start
– Job Corps
– VISTA- Volunteers in Service to America (Domestic Peace Corps)
– Medicare (med care 65 & older)
– Medicaid (aid for poor and disabled)
• Landslide Election of 1964- America was Optimistic“Peace Little Girl”
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Defeats Republican Barry Goldwater- (TV Negative Advertising)
The Great Society Congress
On election day, Johnson won a huge landslide over Goldwater to stay president.
Johnson’s win was also coupled by sweeping Democratic wins that enabled him
to pass his Great Society programs and begin his “War On Poverty”.
Congress doubled the
appropriation on the
Office of Economic
Opportunity to $2 billion
and granted more than $1
billion to refurbish
Appalachia, which had
been stagnant.
Johnson also created the
Department of
Transportation and the
Department of Housing
and Urban Development
(HUD), headed by Robert
C. Weaver, the first black
cabinet secretary in the
United States’ history.
LBJ also wanted aid to education, medical
care for the elderly and indigent,
immigration reform, and a new voting
rights bill.
Johnson gave money to students, not schools,
thus avoiding the separation of church
and state by not technically giving money
to Christian schools.
In 1965, new programs called Medicare and
Medicaid were installed, which gave
certain rights to the elderly and the needy
in terms of medicine and health
maintenance.
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
abolished the “national origin” quota and
doubled the number of immigrants
allowed to enter the U.S. annually, up to
290,000 – in effect, shifting our major
sources of immigration to Latin America
and Asia.
An antipoverty program called Project Head
Start improved the performance of the
underprivileged in education. It was “preschool” for the poor.
The National Endowments for the Arts and
Humanities was created to aid artists of
all sorts
Johnson Battles Goldwater in 1964
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In 1964, LBJ was opposed by rightwing Republican Arizona senator Barry
Goldwater who attacked the federal
income tax, the Social Security system,
the Tennessee Valley Authority, civil
rights legislation, the nuclear test-ban
treaty, and the Great Society.
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However, Johnson used the Tonkin
Gulf Incident, in which North
Vietnamese ships allegedly fired on
American ships, to look tough on
communism in Vietnam.
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Johnson received congressional
approval for the Tonkin Gulf
Resolution, which gave him a virtual
blank check on what he could do in
affairs in Vietnam.
LBJ and Vietnam
LBJ and the Vietnam War
• The Woman I loved??? (Besides Lady Bird) The Great Society
• But to stop Communism- Johnson escalated the Vietnam War
• The Old Domino Theory- John Foster Dulles
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Sent Troops from 1965 (16,000) Advisors to 1968 to 500,000 troops
Longest War in American History (10 Years) $150 Billion
58,000 Americans Lost
Quagmire, Body Bag, Demoralization, Distrust, Divided Nation
Vietnam-Gulf of Tonkin Resolution- 1964
• 3 N. Vietnamese Boats vs. the U.S.S. Maddox
• President Johnson- painted a picture that the U.S. had been
attacked on the high seas• So the military forces– Gulf of Tonkin Resolution- Presidential power
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to take whatever measures necessary to protect the U.S. anywhere
An Excuse to Escalate the Vietnam War
Vietnam Before Nixon (1968)
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Vietnam- A French Colony: Rubber Tree
1954 Dien Bien Phu- French Colonists Deafeated
Geneva Accords- Separate Vietnam into 2 Zones- North and South
Ho Chi Minh 1946- Approached the U.S for Aid, was
refused- Then turned to the Soviets.
• U.S. Supported South Vietnam–
• Communists (Soviets and China) supported North
Vietnam
Tet Offensive- 1968 Jan 30
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A simultaneous All Out Offensive by the N. Vietnamese on dozens of cities
in S. Vietnam - even the U.S. Embassy on the Vietnamese Lunar New Year
• America is shocked– Westmoreland had led the Americans to
believe we were winning the war- even with inflicting 10:1 losses
• Gave Rise to a Massive Anti -War Movement against Johnson
• “I shall not seek, and I will not accept the nomination of my party
again as your President”
Vietnam Topples Johnson
Johnson was personally suffering due to the number of American casualties, as
witnesses viewed him weeping as he signed condolence letters. He even prayed
with Catholic monks in a nearby church—at night, secretly.
The most serious blow to LBJ’s foreign policy was the Tet Offensive of 1968 in
which the communist Vietnamese attacked every U.S. base in South
Vietnam simultaneously.
Though technically a victory, as the U.S. forces fought off the communists, it was a
wakeup call to the American people that the war was far from over and was in
fact NOT being won.
Johnson also saw a challenge for
the Democratic ticket from
Eugene McCarthy and
Robert Kennedy, and the
nation, as well as the
Democratic party, was
starting to be split by
Vietnam.
Early in ‘68, LBJ refused to sign an
order for more troops to
Vietnam.
Then, on March 31, 1968,
Johnson declared that he
would stop sending in troops
to Vietnam and that he would
not run in 1968, shocking
America.
The Obituary of Lyndon Johnson
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Poor Lyndon Johnson returned to his Texas
ranch and died there in 1973.
In the final analysis, LBJ’s Great Society
programs won some noteworthy battles in
education (ex. Head Start) and health care
(medicaid, medicare).
He had committed Americans into Vietnam with
noble intentions, but he was stuck in a situation
where he was darned if he did and darned if he
didn’t.
VIETNAM
Moving towards conflict
Why Did The U.S Get Involved?
• When the Vietnam rebelled against the
French the rebelled in a in a communist
party , the leader of the rebellion group
was Ho Chi Minh
• In 1941 the Vietnamese communists
combined with other groups to form an
organization called the Vietminh.
• The U.S. did not want the Vietnames to
spread communism.
VIETCONG!!!
• By 1957 a rebel group had formed in the
south. The group was known as the
Vietcong. It fought against Diem’s rule.
Ho Chi Minh supported vietcong from the
north. He supplied arms to the group along
a network of paths that ran between the
north and south vietnam. Together these
paths became known as the Ho Chi Minh
Trail.
TERMS AND NAMES
• HO CHI MINH- Leader of north Vietnam.
• VIETMINH- Communist group led by Ho
Chi Minh.
• Domino Theory- Eisenhower’s
explanation for stopping communism.
• Dien Bien Phu- Major French outpost
captured by the Vietminh.
• Geneva Accords- Peace agreements
that split Vietnam in two.
Terms And Names
• Ngo Dinh Diem- Leader of south Vietnam.
• Vietcong- Communist rebel group in
south Vietnam.
• Ho Chi Minh Trial- Network of paths
running between North and South
Vietnam.
• Tonkin Gulf Resolution- Resolution that
allowed president Johnson to fight in
Vietnam.
United States History
Moving Towards Conflict
The Roots of American
Involvement
From the late 1800’s until
WWII France had ruled over
Vietnam. Harsh treatment by
the French led to many
rebellions. Japan controlled
Vietnam during most of WWII.
After it had ended the French
wanted to regain control. A
communist party, the
Vietminh, are claiming
independence for their
country. The French army
came in and conquered the
Southern half, while the North
became communist.
Domino Theory
The US supported the
French in the war. Like
many other nations
they believed that they
had to stop the spread
of communism. They
thought it was
spreading in a domino
kind of way. Like a set
of dominos, if one falls,
so will the next. The
weak Asian nations
being the dominos, if
one fell to communism
they thought the rest
might fall one after
another.
 The U.S supported France during the war. The U.S
thought of the Vietnamese to be Commies.
 The U.S was determined to stop Communism from
spreading.
 President Eisenhower came up with a new policy
that is known as the Domino Theory.
 Eisenhower compared the nations as domino’s. If
one nation fell to communism, so would the rest
of the world.
The Geneva Accords
The Vietminh defeated the
French, the final blow
came in 1954. That year,
the Vietminh conquered
the large French outpost at
Dien Bien Phu. Several
countries got together to
negotiate a cease fire
between the two. They
came up with the Geneva
Accords. It split the country
in two. The Vietminh
controlled the North, and
the French controlled the
South.
In 1956 the country
would hold an election
to unify the country
under one government.
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The United States Steps In
The Northern part of Vietnam was
controlled by Ho Chi Minh, the
South was controlled by Ngo Dinh
Diem. When the election came
around Diem refused to take part,
he thought that Ho would win. The
US backed his decision and sent
him aid. They hoped he would
turn the South into a great
independent nation. They were
wrong he ended up being a
horribly corrupt, and a terrible
leader.
Who were the
Vietcong?
By 1957, a rebel group had formed in
the South. The group was known as
the Vietcong. They fought against
Diem’s rule. Ho Chi Minh supplied
the arms through a system of paths
that ran through North and South
Vietnam. The trails became known
as Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Kennedy became president after
Eisenhower. He continued to support
the South Vietnamese army. He
didn’t want communism to spread
anymore.
Unstable Government
Diem’s government was steadily growing unstable.
The Vietcong were gaining mass support from the
peasants. The Kennedy administration decided that
Diem had to step down. In 1963, military leaders
overthrew Diem. Against Kennedy’s wishes, they
executed him. Two months later in Dallas, Kennedy
himself was assassinated. The war in Vietnam was
now Lyndon Johnson’s problem.
South Vietnam didn’t improve after Diems death. A
string of military leaders tried to rule, each failed.
The US still sent support, the president was
determined not to lose Vietnam to the communists.
President Johnson Expands the
Conflict
In August 1964, Johnson
received reports of an
incident in the Gulf of
Tonkin off North
Vietnam. A Northern
patrol boat had allegedly
fired torpedoes at a US
destroyer. The President
responded by bombing
North Vietnam. He also
asked Congress for
special military powers
to stop any future N.
Vietnamese attacks on
US forces. As a result
Congress passed the
Tonkin Gulf Resolution.
The resolution gave Johnson
broad military powers in
Vietnam. In February 1965 he
used his power. He launched a
major bombing attack on North
Vietnam’s cities.
The French treated the Vietnamese
very badly.
From the late 1800’s until WWII,
France ruled Vietnam, as a result,
the Vietnamese often rebelled.
A Communist Party was organized
for many rebellions.
The groups leader was called “Ho Chi
Minh”
In 1941, Japan conquered
Vietnam. After that the
Vietnamese Communists
formed with other groups to
form an organization called
“Vietminh”.
Their goal was to achieve
independence from Vietnam.
In 1945, Japan was defeated.
The Japanese left Vietnam as
the result.
France wanted to retake
control of Vietnam, so the
French troops moved back
into the country.
For the next 8 years the 2
sides fought for control of
Vietnam.
U.S. History 3.18.14
•
•
•
•
1. Finish Lesson Kennedy (1960-63) LBJ (1963-68)
2. History Channel– The Presidents ( LBJ )
3. America-The Story of US– Superpower (Wed)
Mid Term Test is Thursday 1945-69 (during the 2nd half of class)
Post War America: Cold War, 1950s, Kennedy Years
•
•
•
•
•
•
We will Start “We didn’t start the fire” project Thursday.
RE-Turn 1950’s Notes Today
1. Assignment Read-View Powerpoint Online- Kennedy Years 1960-63
2. Assignment Read- View Powerpoint Online- Turbulent Sixties.
3. Assignment- Kennedy Tapes and LBJ Tapes
Spring Break Assignment Johnson Chapter on Kennedy, LBJ and Vietnam etc.
•
•
•
•
Kennedy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaywOhIMluQ&list=PLE14CC689FDAFA721
LBJ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZWERQevzms&list=PL577575CA9D485B41
Cuban Confrontation
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Kennedy’s Alliance for Progress was dubbed the “Marshall Plan for Latin
America,” and it aimed to improve economic growth and democratic
reforms in Latin American and thus stem the growth of communism.
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Still, too many Latin Americans felt that it was too little, too late.
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Kennedy reluctantly backed a CIA-planned U.S.- aided invasion of Cuba by Cuban
exiles, but when the “Bay of Pigs” invasion occurred, on April 17, 1961, it was a
disaster.
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Kennedy refused to get U.S. soldiers involved and would not bring in air support to
aid the exiles. The military coup failed miserably.
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This event pushed recently imposed Cuban leader Fidel Castro even closer to the
communist camp, and a full-blown alliance with the Soviet Union emerged quickly.
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Though it wasn’t even his idea, JFK took full responsibility for the attack, and his
popularity actually went up.
The Struggle For Civil Rights
While Kennedy had campaigned for civil rights to appeal to black voters, when it came
time to help them, he was hesitant and seemingly unwilling to take much action,
mainly because he needed the support of southern legislators to pass his
economic and social legislation.
Slowly but surely, Kennedy joined hands with the civil rights movement, encouraging the
establishment of the SNCC, a Voter Education Project to register the South’s
blacks to vote and by sending in federal marshals to protect the Freedom Riders.
Some places desegregated painlessly, but others were volcanoes.
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29 year-old James Meredith tried to enroll at the University of Mississippi, but
white students didn’t let him, so Kennedy had to send some 400 federal
marshals and 3,000 troops to ensure that Meredith could enroll in his first
class.
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In spring of 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. launched a peaceful campaign against
discrimination in Birmingham, Alabama, but police and authorities responded
viciously, often using extremely high-pressured water hoses to “hose down” the
sit-in protesters.
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The entire American public watched in horror as the black protesters were
treated with such contempt, since the actions were shown on national TV.
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Later, on June 11, 1963, JFK made a speech urging immediate action towards
this “moral issue” in a passionate plea.
Still, more violence followed, as in September 1963, a bomb exploded in a
Birmingham church, killing four black girls who had just finished their church
lesson.
The 1963 March on Washington led by Martin Luther King Jr., provided critical
support the civil rights bill to end segregation championed by Kennedy.
Rumblings in Europe
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JFK met Russian Premier Nikita Khrushchev and was threatened, but didn’t back down.
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In August of the 1961, the Soviets began building the Berlin Wall to separate East and West
Germany.
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Western Europe, though, was now prospering after help from the super-successful Marshall Plan.
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America had also encouraged a Common Market (to keep trade barriers and tariff low in
Europe), which later became the European Union (EU).
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The so-called Kennedy Round of tariff negotiations eased trade between Europe and the U.S.
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Unfortunately, French leader Charles de Gaulle was one who was suspicious of the U.S., and he
rejected Britain’s application into the Common Market.
Foreign Flare-ups and Flexible Response
• There were many world problems at this time:
1. The African Congo got its independence from
Belgium in 1960 and then erupted into
violence, but the United Nations sent a
peacekeeping force.
2. Laos, freed of its French overlords in 1954,
was being threatened by communism, but at
the Geneva Conference of 1962, peace was
shakily imposed
3. Defense Secretary McNamara pushed a
strategy of “flexible response,” which
developed an array of specialized military
options that could match the gravity of
whatever crises came to hand.
 These are known as the ‘special forces
units’ (Green Berets, Navy Seals,
Rangers).
Stepping Into the Vietnam Quagmire
•
The American-backed Diem government had shakily and corruptly ruled South Vietnam since
1954, but it was threatened by the communist Viet Cong movement led by Ho Chi Minh north of
the 17th parallel.
•
JFK slowly sent more and more American military forces to Vietnam to “maintain order”
and prevent Ngo Dinh Diem’s regime from falling to communists.
•
Unfortunately, U.S. troops were often the ones who fought and died, despite the fact that it was
“Vietnam’s civil war”.
Tragedy in Dallas
• On November 22, 1963, President
Kennedy was assassinated. He was riding
in the back of his car in the streets of
downtown Dallas, and was shot. Lee
Harvey Oswald was his suspected killer,
but the case was never completely solved.
Oswald was killed a couple days later.
The Killing of Kennedy
•
On November 22, 1963, while
campaigning in Dallas, Texas,
JFK was shot and killed,
allegedly by Lee Harvey Oswald,
who was himself shot by selfproclaimed avenger Jack Ruby.
•
To this day there is much
controversy, scandal and
conspiracy surrounding the
assassination.
Lyndon B. Johnson became the new president of the United States as only the fourth
president to succeed an assassinated president.
It was only after Kennedy’s death that America realized what a charismatic, energetic,
and vibrant president they had lost.
Assassination of JFK
Warren Commission
• The Warren Commission determined that
Oswald acted alone. However, many
people continue to believe that Oswald
was part of a conspiracy.
The Stormy
Sixties
Kennedy’s ‘New Frontier’ Spirit
•
In 1960, young, energetic John F. Kennedy was elected as president of the United States—
the youngest man ever elected to that office.
•
The 1960s would bring a sexual revolution, a civil rights revolution, the emergence of a
“youth culture,” a devastating war in Vietnam, and the beginnings of a feminist revolution.
•
JFK delivered a stirring inaugural address (“Ask not, what your country can do for you…”),
and he also assembled a very young cabinet, including his brother, Robert Kennedy, as
attorney general.
–
Robert Kennedy tried to recast the priorities of the FBI, but was resisted by J. Edgar
Hoover.
–
Business whiz Robert S. McNamara took over the Defense Department.
•
Early on, JFK proposed the
Peace Corps, an army of idealist
and mostly youthful volunteers to
bring American skills and goodwill
to underdeveloped countries.
•
A graduate of Harvard and with a
young family, JFK was extremely
vibrant and charming to everyone.
The New Frontier at Home
Kennedy’s social program was known as
the New Frontier, but conservative
Democrats and Republicans threatened
to kill many of its reforms.
–
–
–
JFK did expand the House Rules
Committee, but his program didn’t
expand quickly, as medical and
education bills remained stalled in
Congress.
JFK also had to keep a lid on
inflation to maintain a prosperous
economy, but almost immediately
into his term, steel management
announced large price increases
(after they said they wouldn’t),
igniting the fury of the president.
Big steel backed down, but JFK
continued to earn fiery attacks from
big business against his New
Frontier policies.
Kennedy’s tax-cut bill chose to stimulate
the economy through price-cutting.
Rumblings in Europe
•
JFK met Russian Premier Nikita Khrushchev and was threatened, but didn’t back down.
•
In August of the 1961, the Soviets began building the Berlin Wall to separate East and West
Germany.
•
•
•
Western Europe, though, was now prospering after help from the super-successful Marshall Plan.
–
America had also encouraged a Common Market (to keep trade barriers and tariff low in
Europe), which later became the European Union (EU).
–
The so-called Kennedy Round of tariff negotiations eased trade between Europe and the U.S.
leader Charles de Gaulle was one
Unfortunately, French who was suspicious of the U.S., and he rejected Britain’s application into the
Common Market.
Foreign Flare-ups and Flexible Response
• There were many world problems at this time:
1. The African Congo got its independence from
Belgium in 1960 and then erupted into
violence, but the United Nations sent a
peacekeeping force.
2. Laos, freed of its French overlords in 1954,
was being threatened by communism, but at
the Geneva Conference of 1962, peace was
shakily imposed
3. Defense Secretary McNamara pushed a
strategy of “flexible response,” which
developed an array of specialized military
options that could match the gravity of
whatever crises came to hand.
 These are known as the ‘special forces
units’ (Green Berets, Navy Seals,
Rangers).
Stepping Into the Vietnam Quagmire
•
The American-backed Diem government had shakily and corruptly ruled South Vietnam since
1954, but it was threatened by the communist Viet Cong movement led by Ho Chi Minh north of
the 17th parallel.
•
JFK slowly sent more and more American military forces to Vietnam to “maintain order”
and prevent Ngo Dinh Diem’s regime from falling to communists.
•
Unfortunately, U.S. troops were often the ones who fought and died, despite the fact that it was
“Vietnam’s civil war”.
U.S. History 4.17.13
•
•
•
•
•
•
1. Review and Preview– IKE (1952-60) to Kennedy (1960-63)
2. History Channel– The Presidents (End of Ike and the presidency of JFK)
3. Overview of ‘McCarthyism”, Election of 1960 and the 1950’s Life
Mid Term Test is WEDNESDAY (Today) 1945-63 (during the 2nd half of class)
Post War America: Cold War, 1950s, Kennedy Years
I will return “We didn’t start the fire” project Wednesday.
Thursday= MAP Testing
Cold War Vocabulary
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Appeasement
Containment
Soviet Bloc
Missile Gap
Nuclear Proliferation
Brinkmanship
Red Scare– McCarthyism
Domino Theory
White Flight to Suburbia
Sun Belt Migration
Truman Doctrine
Marshall Plan
•
•
•
•
•
•
Didn’t work with Hitler to stop tyranny
Stop the Spread of Communism
Eastern Europe “Puppet Govts” Poland
The Soviets are building faster than us
Fast Buildup of the Nuclear Arsenal
Diplomacy using the threat of nuclear war
•
Hysteria: Fear of the Spread of Communism
•
If South Korea Falls, South Vietnam falls as all nations
will if we don’t stop them
Middle Class moving to Suburbia takes well educated
and good paying jobs with them– California /Arizona
(like the Dodgers and Giants)
•
•
•
U.S. will help any nation that wants to oppose
communism
The U.S. Industrial Arm will help rebuild Europe
and GI Bill for returning VETS