Ch 15

THE NEW FRONTIER AND

THE GREAT SOCIETY

Election of 1960 Nixon and Kennedy – 1st Presidential Debate on TV

Those who watched said Kennedy won, those who listened sided with Nixon

Both claimed they would boost the economy and be “Cold Warriors”

Kennedy claimed the US lagged behind the USSR “Missile Gap”

Kennedy’s faith (Catholic) became an issue Kennedy won in one of the closest elections ever

Kennedy Takes Offi ce - “The New Frontier” Increased spending on education, health care for the

elderly Kennedy found opposition in Congress (even tho his

party controlled)

THE NEW FRONTIER

Stimulated economy by defi cit spending on defense/space

Wanted Tax Cuts – gave businesses more money to expand, which would create jobs – Congress blocked

Congress also blocked increased funding for schools and health care for the elderly

Kennedy did get an increase in the minimum age and more spending on low income housing

WOMENS RIGHTS Equal Pay Act, appointed women to high government positions

FOCUS ON THE DISABLED (Kennedy’s sister was disabled) Research money looking into developmental disabilities Increased money for Mental Health facilities Kennedy family will begin organization that will become

“SPECIAL OLYMPICS+

SUCCESSES AND SETBACKS

ONE PERSON ONE VOTE (BAKER v. CARR) S.C. ruled that districts needed to be REAPPORTIONED based on

population – giving urban areas more political power which also increased the representative power of minorities, who lived in cities

Expanding DUE PROCESS 14th Amendment extended Due Process rights to the state MAPP v. OHIO – Search and Seizure – illegally attained

evidence GIDEON v WAINWRIGHT – Right to an attorney MIRANDA v ARIZONA – Must be read your rights

PRAYER and PRIVACY – Separation of Church and State ENGEL v VITALE – no prayer in schools ABINGTON SD v. SCHEMPP – no reading of Bible by schools GRISWOLD v. CONNECTICUT – birth control is a privacy

issue the states cannot interfere with

WARREN COURT REFORMS

Containing COMMUNISM – Kennedy took over in middle of the Cold War. Used a range of methods to contain communism

“FLEXIBLE RESPONSE” – Wanted to use tactics besides massive retaliation to limit communism Troop buildups, conventional weapons

AID TO OTHER COUNTRIES Latin America believed helping to relieve poverty would gain

allies Helped government resist communism while helping them

help their people with financial/food aid ALLIANCE for PROGRESS – series of cooperative aid projects

in Latin America - $20B for schools, housing, health care, farming

PEACE CORPS – helping developing nations fight poverty

JFK AND THE COLD WAR

1957 – USSR puts 1 st man in space (Yury Gagarin)1957 – USSR puts 1 st satellite in space (SPUTNIK)The USSR was winning the “Space Race”Kennedy challenged the Congress/people of US to

achieve the goal of putting a man on the moon by the end of the 1960’s

Massive eff ort to reach that goal1962 – John Glenn became the 1 st American in space1969 – Neil Armstrong became to 1 st person to stand

on the moonThe US became the only country to ever put a man on

the moon“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

The “Space Race” put the US in front of the USSR technologically – has been ever since

COLD WAR IN SPACE

Bay of Pigs After Castro led revolution in Cuba, US began plans to overthrow him CIA set up bases to train Cuban exiles to lead counter-revolution 4-17-61 - 1,400 armed Cuban exiles landed at Bay of Pigs – disaster Kennedy cancelled air support, people did not rise up against Castro Within 2 days, rebels arrested or killed HUGE embarrassment for the Kennedy administration – made

Kennedy look weak to other international leaders

Berlin Wall goes up 1961 – Kennedy and Khrushchev met Khrushchev demanded western powers leave Berlin, recognize Eberlin Kennedy refused – confirmed commitment to W.Berlin Khrushchev countered by building a wall around W. Berlin to keep

East Berliners from escaping Berlin Wall becomes symbol of Cold War

CRISES OF THE COLD WAR

THE BERLIN WALL

Summer 1962 – US U2 planes got pictures of missile sites being constructed in Cuba – Soviet troops sited

Oct ‘62 – Kennedy announce USSR was placing long-range nuclear missiles in Cuba that could reach most of the US Naval Blockade ordered to stop more missile from reaching

Cuba Kennedy demanded launch cites be dismantled –

Khrushchev denied Kennedy announced that any missile launched from Cuba

would be viewed as a USSR attack on USA and would result in a full out nuclear response against the USSR

Khrushchev had to deal with hardliners in own country Khrushchev finally agreed to remove missiles in exchange

for US promise to NEVER invade Cuba, and to remove missiles (outdated) in Turkey

CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

Crisis made both leaders face possible results of a nuclear war - both sides would perish 1963 – US/USSR agreed to ban nuclear tests in atmosphere Direct phone line was established between White House and

Kremlin Khrushchev was humiliated on the world stage, fell from

power in 64

CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

Nov. 22, 1963 – Kennedy traveled to Dallas TX to campaign

Shots rang out as Kennedy hit by assassin’s bulletsLee Harvey Oswald captured, accused to crime3 days later – Jack Ruby killed Oswald as he was being

transferred to Court House for arraignmentCommission (led by Earl Warren) determined that

Oswald has acted alone (no conspiracy)US went into mourning for Kennedy1,000 days of Kennedy’s presidency remembered as

“Camelot”Lyndon Johnson became president and vowed to get

many of Kennedy’s priorities passed in his memory

DEATH OF A PRESIDENT

KENNEDY ASSASSINATION

Determined to ‘build on Kennedy’s legacy’ JOHNSON’S LEADERSHIP STYLE

Direct, In-your-face style Reputation of getting things done (politics, twisting arms,

threatening) Able to build coalitions of different sides

WAR ON POVERTY50 million in poverty (slums, Appalachia, Deep South, Reservations)LBJ believed powerful, wealthy government should try to improve the lives of those trapped by povertyEconomic Opportunity Act of 1964Office of Economic OpportunityNeighborhood Youth Corps (VISTA, Upward Bound, Work Experience Program)

Election of 1964 – LBJ easily won reelection less than 1 year after Kennedy assassinated

THE GREAT SOCIETY

CIVIL RIGHTS Civil Rights Act of 1964 –barred discrimination in

laws Voting Rights Act of 1965 – protected voters from

discriminatory practices Dept of Housing and Urban Development- to help

cities improve & develop, healthcare and transportation

MEDICARE, MEDICAID Health care for the elderly and poor

EDUCATION Millions to public and private schools Head Start, preschool for disadvantaged children

THE GREAT SOCIETY

Touched nearly every part of live POSITIVE – millions of lives improved, helped

underprivileged children be ready for school, gave voice to the poor

NEGATIVE – costs (federal budget skyrocketed), programs did not work (or took way too long)

Biggest impact of the GREAT SOCIETY is that it got people talking about the problems of poverty, disadvantage

It challenged those who were doing well to care for, help those who were not doing so well

Set very high goals, believing that even if you fall short, you are better off than when you started

THE GREAT SOCIETY’S LEGACY