Democrats Republicans Nominated John F. Kennedy › Barely earned enough votes to get the...
-
Upload
silvester-holmes -
Category
Documents
-
view
212 -
download
0
Transcript of Democrats Republicans Nominated John F. Kennedy › Barely earned enough votes to get the...
PresidentJohn F. Kennedy (D)
1961-1963
APUSH – Lecture 9AMrs. Kray
Domestic Policy:The New Frontier
Ele
ctio
n o
f 196
0
Dem
ocra
tsR
ep
ub
lican
s
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”