Transcript The Great Society - Bowie US History

The Great Society
UNIT 11
President Lyndon B. Johnson
-Grew up in Johnson City, Texas.
-His house did not have any electricity
-Became a teacher and taught in Pearsall, Texas. The
student body was predominately Mexican-America
and all of LBJ’s students were living in poverty.
“I shall never forget the faces of the boys and the girls
in that little Welhausen Mexican School, and I
remember even yet the pain of realizing and knowing
then that college was closed to practically every one of
those children because they were too poor. And I think
it was then that I made up my mind that this nation
could never rest while the door to knowledge remained
closed to any American” -President Johnson
Economic Opportunity Act
Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, authorized the
formation of local Community Action Agencies as part of
the War on Poverty. These agencies are directly
regulated by the federal government.
Purpose:
-Eliminate poverty
-Expand educational opportunities
-Increase the safety net for the poor and unemployed
-Tend to health and financial needs of the elderly
Job Corps
Job Corps is a program
administered by the United
States Department of Labor
that offers free-of-charge
education and vocational
training to youth ages 16 to
24.
Head Start
Founded in 1965
The Head Start Program is a program of
the United States Department of Health
and Human Services.
Provides comprehensive early childhood
education, health, nutrition, and parent
involvement services to low-income
children and their families.
VISTA – Volunteers in Service to America
VISTA is an anti-poverty program that
works as the domestic version of the Peace
Corps.
Initially, the program increased employment
opportunities for conscientious people who
felt they could contribute tangibly to the War
on Poverty.
Volunteers served in communities throughout
the U.S., focusing on enriching educational
programs and vocational training for the
nation's underprivileged classes.
Housing & Urban Development
The Department of Housing and
Urban Development is the principal
Federal agency responsible for
programs concerned with the
Nation's housing needs,
fair housing opportunities, and
improvement and development of
the Nation's communities.
Medicare & Medicaid
Elementary & Secondary Education Act
The act is an extensive statute that funds primary and
secondary education.
It also emphasizes equal access to education and
establishes high standards and accountability.
In addition, the bill aims to shorten the achievement
gaps between students by providing each child with fair
and equal opportunities to achieve an exceptional
education.
National Endowments for the Arts and
Humanities
Dedicated to supporting research,
education, preservation, and
public programs in
the humanities.
President Johnson felt science and
math programs were dominating
America, and wanted to push
towards the arts & humanities.
Public Broadcasting Act
Set up public broadcasting in the United States,
establishing the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting (CPB) and, eventually, the Public
Broadcasting Service (PBS), and National Public
Radio (NPR).
The act charged the CPB with encouraging and
facilitating program diversity, and expanding and
developing non-commercial broadcasting. The
CPB would have the funds to help local stations
create innovative programs, thereby increasing the
service of broadcasting in the public interest
throughout the country.
Immigration Act (1965)
The Immigration and
Naturalization Act of 1965 abolished
an earlier quota system based on
national origin and established a
new immigration policy based on
reuniting immigrant families and
attracting skilled labor to the
United States.
Clean Air Act of 1963
The Clean Air Act of 1963 was
the first federal legislation
regarding air pollution
control.
It established a federal
program within the U.S. Public
Health Service and authorized
research into techniques for
monitoring and
controlling air pollution.
National Traffic & Motor Vehicle Safety Act
The National Traffic and
Motor Vehicle Safety Act was enacted
in the United States in 1966 to
empower the federal government to
set and administer
new safety standards
for motor vehicles and road traffic
safety.