PresidentJohn F. Kennedy (D)

1961-1963

APUSH – Lecture 9AMrs. Kray

Domestic Policy:The New Frontier

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Nominated John F. Kennedy› Barely earned enough votes to

get the nomination Liberal Democrats wanted Adlai

Stevenson Southern Democrats supported

Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson

Young, charismatic One drawback: Catholic

Nominated Richard Nixon› Eisenhower’s VP from

1952-60 Tough and seasoned

campaigner Reputations as an

experienced statesmen who was tough on communism

A New Campaign:The Impact of Television

1st Televised Presidential Debate

Forever changed politics; revealed growing importance of television

Election Results

One of the closest elections in U.S. History

Kennedy won by less than 100,000 votes

The Myth of Camelot

Youngest president ever elected

His youthful energy and sharp wit gave a new, personal style to the presidency

His wife Jackie brought style, glamour and an appreciation of the arts to the White House

Kennedy’s New Frontier

Ambitious domestic program› Aid to education› Federal support of health care› Urban renewal› Civil rights

Most never became law› Republicans and conservative

Democrats in Congress blocked most of this legislation

Economic Success› Simulated the economy with tax

cuts and increased spending for defense and space exploration

Domestic Policy: Civil RightsThe Battle for Racial Equality Intensifies

Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), 1960

Began as part of SCLC› Led by Stokely

Carmichael› Beginning of youth

involvement in the movement

Sought end segregation in public facilities› Focused on segregated

lunch-counters› Main tactic sit-ins

Sit-In at Woolworth’s Counterin Greensboro, North Carolina

Freedom Riders, 1961 Organized by the

Congress on Racial Equality (CORE)

Tried to force the integration of interstate buses in the South

Faced significant Southern resistance› JFK forced to send federal

marshals to protect Freedom Riders

› Ordered the integration of all buses and bus stations

A Growing Push For Civil Rights

1962: African American, James Meredith, attempted to enroll at the University of Mississippi› Federal court ordered the

university to enroll him› Gov. Ross Barnett refused to

enforce the order› Angry whites rioted› JFK sent in federal troops too

enforce the court order

1962: 24th Amendment proposed› Would eliminate poll tax

Desegregating Birmingham, Alabama, 1963

Most segregated city in the South› Gov. George Wallace was a

strong segregationist› Birmingham Policy

Commissioner “Bull” Connor also a strong segregationist

Martin Luther King Jr. and SCLC attempted to desegregate the city using non-violent protest› Thoreau’s civil disobedience

Birmingham Police Attack the Protesters

American public is horrified

MLK Jailed› “Letters from a

Birmingham Jail” Civil Rights can’t wait

Milestone in the civil rights movement

March on Washington, 1963 Largest and most

successful demonstration in U.S. history› 200,000 whites and

blacks took part in the march to urge Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act

MLK delivers “I Have a Dream” Speech

Foreign Policy:The Cold War Heats Up

The Cold War in Latin America: Bay of Pigs, 1961

CIA scheme, planned under Eisenhower, but approved by JFK, to use Cuban exiles to overthrow Castro’s government› It failed badly

Embarrassment for U.S.› JFK takes full responsibility› He no longer blindly trusts

the military

The Cold War in Europe:Crisis in Berlin, 1961

1961: Meeting in Vienna› Khrushchev decided to test this

young president› Offered a thinly veiled threat of

war unless U.S. stopped supported non-communists in West Berlin

1961: Berlin Wall Constructed› Attempt to stop the “brain drain”

from Eastern Europe› U.S. & Soviet tanks faced off as the

wall was constructed› Most potent physical symbol of the

Cold War

The Cold War in Europe:Kennedy’s Berlin Speech, 1963

JFK traveled to West Berlin to assure them they would continue to receive U.S. support› “Ich bin ein Berliner”› “Freedom has many

difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we never had to put up a wall to keep our people in.”

The Cold War in Latin America:Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962

U.S. reconnaissance discovers underground sites for launching missiles from Cuba› These missiles could hit U.S.

targets in matter of minutes

JFK announces naval “quarantine” of Cuba until missiles are removed› Soviets say they will not honor

the quarantine

Khrushchev blinks first

The Cold War in Latin America:Impact of the Crisis

Closest the world has ever come to nuclear war

Had a sobering effect on U.S. and USSR› Hot Line established to allow

direct communication between U.S. president and Soviet premier

› Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963› Brinkmanship fully abandoned

in favor of flexible response

Kennedy and the Cold War:A New Policy: Flexible Response

Developed by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara› Wanted to be able to counter Communist aggression in more

flexible ways› Moved away from brinkmanship & atomic weapons oriented

strategy of Eisenhower

Supported the expansion of Special Forces› Soldiers trained specifically to fight guerilla-style conflicts and

other limited wars› Temptation to send these soldiers into combat more frequently

Sought to expand America’s foreign influence through peaceful means› Alliance for Progress (1961) - organized to promote land reform

and economic development in Latin America› Peace Corps (1961) - organization that recruited young American

volunteers to give technical aid to developing countries

The Cold War in Asia:Growing U.S. Involvement in Vietnam

Background on Vietnam:Locating Vietnam on a Map

Background on Vietnam:The Vietnamese Fight for Independence

Vietnam had been part of the French colony of Indochina for well over 100 yrs.

Had been fighting of independence since before WWII› Viet Minh – Organization fighting for Vietnamese

independence› Ho Chi Minh – leader of the Viet Minh

1954: Vietnamese defeated the French at Dien Bien Phu

1955: Geneva Conference› Vietnam divided at the 17th parallel› N. Vietnam – Communist, under control of Ho Chi

Minh› S. Vietnam – Nationalist, under control of Ngo Dinh

Diem w/U.S. support› Elections to be held in 1956 to reunited Vietnam

Direct U.S. Involvement Begins

Ngo’s regime is hopelessly corrupt and inept› Repressive, used dictatorial rule› Ngo’s family held all political power;

wealth horded by elites› Ngo was a Catholic who persecuted

the Buddhist majority› Torture, lack of political freedom

prevailed

Ngo refused to hold elections› U.S. supports decision› Eisenhower and JFK send “military”

advisers to aid Ngo & his regime

1963: JFK backs military coup in S. Vietnam› Ngo and his brother are murdered

Self-Immolation by Buddhist monk to protest

Ngo’s regime

Kennedy is AssassinatedDallas, Texas - 1963

Investigation by the Warren Commission finds gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald, acted alone› Tragedy in Dallas and doubts about the Commission’s

finding marked the beginning of a government “credibility gap”