Kennedy-Nixon Debate – September 26, 1960

1st televised debate Forever changedthe role of TV in politics

Click the picture for a video…

Kennedy was tan.Nixon had just be in the hospitalwith a knee injury (looked drained)Kennedy = dark suitNixon = gray suit

Kennedy – Massachusetts Democrat

“Get America Moving Again”

Nixon – VP under Eisenhower

Click on picture for Kennedy campaign song.

Kennedy’s proposals to improve the economy, give aid to the poor, and breathe new life into the space program

Proposed cutting taxes Kennedy wanted a $13.5 billion cut in

taxes over 3 years to stimulate the economy.

Kennedy thought that more money in people’s pockets would lead to spending.

Stuck in Congress

Michael Harrington – The Other America 1/5 of population believe the poverty

line

Raised the Minimum Wage Housing Act of 1961 – gave $4.9 billion

for urban renewal

24th amendment – ended the poll tax

US - Mercury program – 1959 – 7 pilots chosen to place manned spacecraft in orbit

April 1961 – Yuri Gagarin – 1st human in space and circled earth (USSR)

USSR beats the US.

Assassination… To Dallas, Texas to

mobilize support for upcoming election

JFK, Jackie Kennedy, Governor John Connally, & wife

AbrahamZapruder videoed theassassination on his videorecorder.

With JFK’s body on board, LBJ was sworn in by Judge Sarah Hughes before take- off

Click on the picture to hear the telephone call from LBJ to Rose Kennedy from Air Force One

Click above for arrival footage at Andrews Air Force base

Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the murder of JFK.

He worked at the Texas School Book Depository. From the 6th floor window, he shot JFK.

Conspiracy theories have developed over the years that there were multiple gunmen.

Some think the CIA was involved, while others believe it was the mafia.

Oswald was shot days later by Jack Ruby.

Chief Justice Earl Warren was put in charge of a commission to investigate the assassination.

Found that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.

Promoted the magic bullet theory that a single bullet went through Governor Connally to JFK.

LBJ beat Barry Goldwater in 1964.

Goldwater was an ultra-conservative who promoted the use of nuclear power.

Click on the picture for an LBJ television commercial.

Kennedy Tax Cut Unemployment fell Inflation was ok Elementary and Secondary Education

Act $1.3 billion Immigration Act of 1965 – eliminated

quotas (from the 1920s) and replaced with more flexible limits• Family of US citizens were exempt including

refugees

Economic Opportunity Act – to help with illiteracy and unemployment

$950 million Volunteers in Service to America

(VISTA)• Sent volunteers to poor communities

Medicare – hospital and low cost medical insurance to people 65 and up

Medicaid – low cost health insurance for poor Americans

Mapp v. Ohio 1961 – evidence seized illegally cannot be used at trial

Gideon v. Wainwright 1963 – accused are entitled to a lawyer and one will be provided

Miranda v. Arizona 1966 – suspects must be warned of rights before questioning

Baker v. Carr 1962 – 1 person 1 vote (deals with congressional district apportionment)

3 Kennedy Crises…1.Bay of Pigs Invasion (April 1961)2.Berlin Crisis (August 1961)3.Cuban Missile Crisis (October 1962)

1959 – Fidel Castro took over Cuba (Communist)

US broke diplomatic relations with Cuba

Cuba had ties to the USSR1960 – Eisenhower had approved a CIA plan to train anti-Castro Cubans to attack Cuba

April 17, 1961 – total disaster

Air strike failed to knock out Cuban air power

Kennedy refused to use US planes for air cover

No back up for the 1500 Cubans

Wrong to overthrow a legitimate leader

Divisions in Germany were to be temporary after WW2

USSR wanted permanent divisions

Krushchev bullied Kennedy

Kennedy increased defense spending by $3 billion, doubled draft numbers

August 1961 Stopped the flow of

East Berliners to West Berlin

Click on the picture for an awesome propaganda video about the wall!

Kennedy spoke at the Berlin Wall in June 1963

US “will risk its cities to defend yours because we need your freedom to protect ours” “Ich Bin Ein Berliner” (I am a Berliner)

Click to watch the speech (It is good)

USSR had pledged support to Cuba On October 16, 1962 photos from a

US spy plan showed that Soviets were building missile bases on Cuban soil…

This was a direct challenge to the US Kennedy put the military on full alert Nuclear warheads were ready US put a Naval “quarantine” around

Cuba (blockade)click on video

for JFK speech to America

One ship is allowed to pass with oil on October 24, 1962

Khruschev called two other ships back

October 26 – letter to Kennedy – said would remove missiles if US stays out of Cuba

October 27 – USSR wants US to remove missiles from Turkey

We agreed to the first letter and ignored the second.

Hot Line was established between USSR and US after this incident

Summer 1963 – Limited Test Ban Treaty• Banned nuclear testing above ground

Came closest to Nuclear War during the Missile Crisis

Alliance for Progress – 1961 – vast cooperative effort to satisfy the basic needs of North, Central, and South American people for homes, work, health, land, schools (to side-track revolution)

Peace Corp – 1961 – • Volunteers abroad as educators, health

workers, and technicians to help developing nations

To prevent the spread of Communism…

TO BE CONTINUED…