Review• What did Eisenhower warn against in his farewell

speech?

• A = the rise of the military industrial complex.

• What was the closest that the USSR and the US ever came to actual fighting during the Cold War?

• A = Cuban Missile Crisis

• What was the CIA backed attempted invasion by Cuban exiles to overthrow Castro called?

• A = Bay of Pigs

Review• Who were the group of writers and poets who wrote of

their disenchantment with middle-class conformity in the 1950s and 60s?

• A = Beats

• What was the “GI Bill”?

• A = Serviceman’s Readjustment Act. Gave $ to WWII vets for college and housing.

• What was “GATT”?

• General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade—lowered tariffs to encourage trade between nations.

Final Junk• What is America’s space program called?

• A = NASA

• What year did America put a man on the moon and who was he?

• A = 1969, Neil Armstrong

• What was Kennedy’s program to give lots of financial aid to Latin America to help it develop and thus not turn to communism?

• A = Alliance for Progress

It Never Ends• What was the main obstacle that Kennedy had to

overcome as he ran for president In 1960?

• A = His religion (Catholic)

• Who was Kennedy’s opponent in the 1960 election?

• A = Richard Nixon

• What was the name of the program started by Kennedy to send young people to developing (3rd world) countries to help do things such as dig wells, build schools, etc.?

• A = Peace Corps

Last but not Least

• Why did the Kennedy presidency not produce much in the way of substantial domestic achievements?

LBJ and The Great Society

The High Point of American Liberalism

LBJ Takes Over

• JFK is assassinated on November 22, 1963.

•

Warren Commission

• Government commission headed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren to investigate JFK assassination.

• Said that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone and killed Kennedy.

• Vice Pres. Lyndon Baines Johnson takes over.

Who is LBJ?

• Lyndon Baines Johnson

• Politician—Congressman, Senator, and V.P.—from Texas.

• Considered by many to have been the most effective Senate majority leader in U.S. history.

• Can be crude & has a big ego, but driven and ambitious.

• Many liberals don’t trust LBJ.

• Johnson’s personality and being were great contrasts to JFK.

• Believed that Govt. could be used to improve people’s lives.

• Thought that America had such abundance that there was no reason that anybody should live in poverty. He was an optimist.

Johnson’s Ability to Get Laws Passed

• Johnson was a much more skilled politician than JFK.

• He took many plans that JFK could not get through Congress and got them made into law.

• It was because of public support over the death of Kennedy and LBJ’s skills.

• Also, a feeling amongst many people that the country had the means to fix social inequality.

The Johnson Treatment

• Johnson would use whatever means necessary to influence members of Congress to vote his way.

• His relentless, in-your-face method was referred to as “The Johnson Treatment.”

Michael Harrington’s The Other America

• Book published in 1962.

• Claimed that despite great wealth, approximately 25% of Americans still lived in poverty.

• Claimed that there was a “culture of Poverty” that was both a result and cause.

• Very influential to liberals in the 1960s.

The War On Poverty

• In 1964, Johnson institutes his “War on Poverty.”

• Did not want to create a permanent welfare state, but rather, offer programs that could end poverty and then be dissolved.

• Final bill includes among other things: Job Corps, domestic peace corps [Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA)], Community Action Programs (CAP), and the creation of the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO).

LBJ Wins his own Term• Election of 1964 = LBJ (Dem.) vs.

Barry Goldwater (Rep).

• Goldwater is perhaps the most conservative Senator at the time.

• He claims, “Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice…(and) moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue.

• Makes inflammatory remarks about using nuclear weapons in Vietnam.

George Wallace• Gov. of Alabama.

• Racist and populist—anti-intellectual/elite.

• Southern demagogue who actually garners support outside of the South.

• “Segregation Now! Segregation Tomorrow! Segregation Forever!

• Showed the “beginnings of white backlash.”

Johnson Wins in 1964

The Great Society

• After winning election in his own right, LBJ calls for creating “The Great Society.”

• Great Society = LBJ’s domestic plan to fix society.

• The most ambitious plan for government action in a time of non-crisis.

• Is the pinnacle of American Liberalism.

Major Great Society Programs

• Medicare (1965) = Federal aid to the elderly for medical expenses.

• Medicaid (1966) = Federal medical assistance to welfare recipients and other poor people of all ages.

• Head Start • Food Stamps• Immigration Act of 1965—ended

quotas, made it easier to immigrate to the US.

Civil Rights Act of 1964• Most comprehensive Civil Rights Bill since

Reconstruction.

• Banned racial discrimination in privately run accommodations for the public—theatres, restaurants, hotels, etc.

• Authorized the attorney general to eliminate segregation in public places—schools, hospitals, playgrounds, etc.

• Forbade discrimination in employment based on race, color, religion, and sex.

Shortcomings of Civil Rights Act of 1964

• Nothing about voting rights.

• Nothing to alleviate the poor economic condition of most blacks.

• Thus the law promoted legal, not social equality.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

• Federal supervision of Voter registration.

• Makes it so blacks in the South can vote.

• Impact of Civil Rights Act & Voting Rights Act are that white’s in South start to abandon the Democratic party and become Republicans.

LBJ & Vietnam

• When LBJ takes over, America is already committed to supporting South Vietnam both economically and militarily.

• Johnson has great confidence in U.S. technological superiority and thinks that “escalation” of the war will defeat the primitive enemy.

• Gulf of Tonkin incident (1964)—Congress gives LBJ unlimited authority to do what he wants in Vietnam.

Vietnam and the Downfall of LBJ

• LBJ’s escalation of the Vietnam War proved to be very divisive to U.S. society— Hawks v. Doves.

• An anti-war movement began to arise.

• The popular chant of protesters became; “Hey, hey, LBJ. How many kids did you kill today?”

LBJ Review• What was LBJ’s domestic plan called?

• A = The Great Society”

• A = What were some of the Great Society Programs?

• A = Medicare, Medicade, Head Start

• What did the Immigration Act of 1965 do?

• A = ended the quota system from the 1920s and made immigrating to the US easier.

• Where did many white people move to after WII?

• A = the suburbs

More LBJ• What were the 2 big pieces of civil rights legislation hat

were passed by LBJ during the mid 1960s?

• A = civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

• How did the Vietnam war impact America at home (domestically)?

• A = was very divisive (Hawks v. Doves)

• What factors made the 1960s so tumultuous?

• A = Civil Rights, Vietnam War, the emergence of the Counter culture.

Last One

• What was it called when many older middle-class whites became upset with the turmoil of the 1960s and started to support more conservative politicians?

• A = “White Backlash”

Riots

• “Long, Hot Summers” --Blacks riot in various cities in the Summers of 1965, 1966, 1967.

• Biggest are in Watts (1965) & Detroit & Newark (1967).

• More Riots after the assassination of MLK on April 4, 1968.

Counter Culture• “Hippies” People that reject traditional values (“the

establishment”).

• Long hair/different clothes

• Drug use (pot and LSD)

• Rejection of mainstream ideals of sexuality (availability of birth control).

• Eastern religion and communes.

• Change in music

Impact of Counterculture

• Health Food Stores

• Fashion

• Music

Reasons for Counterculture

• Disillusionment

– A. Civil rights– B. Vietnam– C. Materialism of mainstream culture.

Blame elders for creating these problems.

Creates a “Generation Gap” –-Difference in attitudes between generations.

The End for LBJ & American Liberalism

• Social Turmoil of the mid to late 1960’s causes “white backlash.”• Causes:• 1. Vietnam war – Anti-war demonstrations.• 2. Civil rights—Violence and riots.• 3. Counterculture (hippies!)

• To many whites (especially middle-class, blue collar), society seems to be unraveling and they blame the party in power (and liberalism).

• Also feel that they are being neglected—the minorities and women are getting the attention.

• White Backlash = middle-class whites begin rejecting liberalism and becoming more conservative in their political and social outlooks.

• This begins America’s move towards conservatism (particularly amongst blue collar white men).

• Cultural issues replace class issues.

Election of 1968• Minnesota Senator Eugene McCarthy is anti-war candidate.

• “Be Clean for Gene”

• Comes in a close second in New Hampshire Primary.

• Robert Kennedy.

• Johnson decides not to run.

• Kennedy takes lead but is assassinated.

• VP Hubert Humphrey gets nomination & leads to massive protest at Democratic convention in Chicago.

Democratic Convention—Chicago 1968

Nixon’s Comeback• After losing to Kennedy in 1960, loses Cal. Gov.

race in 1962.

• “You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore.”

• Remerges in 1968 claiming to represent the “Silent Majority.” Says he will restore “law and order.” Thus end the chaos of the 1960s.

• For Vietnam claims to have a secret plan to achieve “peace with honor.”

Nixon Wins

• Republican Richard Nixon wins the Presidency.

• Segregationist George Wallace wins some Southern States.

Definitions of Political Outlooks• Liberals are people who think that the government can

be used to fix social problems.

• On social issues, liberals tend to be for legalized abortions, for gun restrictions, for gay marriage, and against prayer in school.

• Conservatives are people that think the government interferes with personal freedom. Thus tend to be against government programs.

• On social issues, conservatives are generally against abortion, for gun ownership, against gay marriage, for prayer in school.

Department of Housing and Urban Development.

• LBJ appoints an African American—Robert Weaver—as Dept. Secretary.

• 1st African American cabinet member.