Romina Angelelli Christian Alfaro Tiffany Gutierrez

The dawn of a

new decade

brought about a

new election. The

Election of 1960

was symbolic for

the changes that

were yet to come

in the turbulent

sixties.

•First televised debates. •Not only about handling of issues but also visual impression•Kennedy and Nixon had similar views in major issues•Due to his charisma Kennedy was an early favorite.• But Kennedy was disliked by the South because of his religious views. He was a Roman Catholic and it would be difficult for him to obtain the Protestant vote.

• Despite a focus on domestic issues during his campaign, John F. Kennedy was elected as president and foreign affairs were his focus.

•  JFK sought to win the Cold War

Kennedy Intensifies The

Cold War

The armed forces needed to be built up$6 billion increase in defense budget in 1961Acquired a strategy known as flexible responseThey had more than just Eisenhower’s massive

retaliation strategymore controlled use of the forces

Khrushchev threatened to sign a peace treaty that would put Western zones of Berlin under the control of East Germany which was being weakened.

Kennedy did not want to give up occupation rights of West Berlin

JFK wanted to continue the defense of Berlin because of its importance and increased the defense spending by another $3 billion

Soviets were aware of American nuclear striking power and on August 13, 1961 they began the construction of the Berlin Wall

No one could leave to the WestGermany was now divided

Khrushchev and Kennedy attempt to win over the uncommitted in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Kennedy created the peace corps to supply financial and technical assistance for Third World nations 

relied more on counterinsurgency to beat back the communist challenge.

Southeast Asia was having its own political problems

North Vietnam was taking control and JFK decided not to send combat troops in 1961

but did authorize financial aid and also increased the number of American advisers in Vietnam substantially

Kennedy left the Vietnamese to fend for themselves since it was their war

Kennedy wanted to keep communist expansion in checkSaw Cuba as a threat because of its proximity JFK approved the CIA's plan from the Eisenhower

administration to utilize Cuban exiles to overthrow Castro

On April 17, 1961 fourteen hundred exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba

without the help of an American air strike the exiles were forced to surrender after 500 were killed

Kennedy did take responsibility for the event but showed no remorse and continued to harass the Castro regime during his presidency

October 14, 1962 Russian missile sites in construction discovered in Cuba by an American U-2 plane

Missiles launched from those sites could reach the United States in minutes

Kennedy responded by setting up a naval blockade of Cuba until the weapons were removed

Khrushchev eventually agreed to remove them if Kennedy pledged to not invade Cuba

In 1963 the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed to end any testing of nuclear weapons

Both the Soviet Union and the United States signed along with nearly one hundred other nations

Also a telecommunications hot line was established between Washington and Moscow so that the leaders of the two countries could communicate during crisis

Difficult for Kennedy to get approval of CongressDemocrats lost 20 seats in the house and 2 in the

senateJFK settled for an increase in the minimum wage as

well as area redevelopment legislationThe conservative group was against any education or

health-care proposals gained approval for a trade expansion act in 1962 the New frontier failed to make any progress in

congress

Kennedy worked for a higher rate of long term growth

stimulation of economy came from $6 billion increase in the arms budget

Kennedy's decision to send an astronaut to the moon eventually cost $25 billion

Overall JFK's economic policy was much more efficient than his legislative efforts

Attorney General Robert Kennedy appointed to get voting rights for blacks in the south

voting rights increased exponentially FBI did not provide protection for volunteers who

encouraged African Americans to register Commission of Equal Employment Opportunities headed

by vice president Lyndon Johnson worked on increase in jobs for African Americans

In May 1961 the Congress of Racial Equality sponsored a freedom ride which was to test the 1960 supreme court decision that outlawed segregation in all interstate commerce bus or trains

The freedom riders were attacked by a mob of whites freedom rides ended when Robert Kennedy convinced

the Interstate Commerce Commission to completely ban the segregation

Kennedy was challenged by MLK to come out openly for racial justice

He began massive protests in the Spring of 1963   on May 3rd in Birmingham violent chaos ensued due to

protest the Kennedy administration quickly intervened and ended the

violence In June JFK along with his administration sponsored civil

rights legislations for equal rights to public accommodations and also the extension of voting rights for blacks

August 1963, A massive March on Washington more than 200,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial. There Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his well known "I Have a Dream" speech

Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 leaving civil rights legislations on their way in congress

finally a president that provided leadership for the civil rights movement

“I Have a Dream”

Under the leadership of Earl Warren the supreme court was most active for social change

rights for accused criminals were improved (strongly criticized)

cases like 1962’s Engel v. Vitale which banned school prayer made some think the court was undermining moral values

Many decisions criticized by Americans

Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated Kennedy on November 22,1963, while he was driving his car through Dallas ().

People all around the nation were shocked by his death and Oswald’s murder at a prison basement also surprised the American public.

Lyndon Johnson became the new president.

Lyndon proved to be a powerful and effective replacement. He was good at dealing with congress and was able to convince government officials to enact his policies.

His first act was to lower the federal budget from 101.5 billion to 97.9 billion.

He also convinced congress to reduce income taxes by 10 million which increased consumer spending.

Passed civil rights bill which made segregation illegal.

Johnson worked hard to implement these bills that were originally proposes by Kennedy.

Johnson then ran for reelection as president in 1964.

As his campaign goals he chose to speak about poverty.

1/5 of people were living in poverty that’s 35 million.

Johnson increased budget to 500 million for financial assistance programs.

He also set up office of economic opportunity.Reduced poverty rate by 25 million. He beat Goldwater by a huge landslide 486 to 52.

He set up Medicare to give health insurance for the retired and elderly.

Gave 1 billion to improve education.Passed voting rights act that banned literacy

tests. Increased registered voters from 40 to 65%.Congress passed 89 bills regarding

transportation, housing, education, immigration, etc.

The Vietnam war, however, decreased his popularity.

Communism was a big issue as Americans feared its spread.

Johnson believed in containment and offered aid when Brazil overthrew leftist dictatorship.

He sent 20,000 troops to D.R. to stop communist uprisings.

Vietnam proved to be the most troublesome.South Vietnam was under attack by the Communist

North Vietnam. Gulf Tonkin affair in which Maddox ship was

attacked convinced Americans to get involved. Resolution passed to help South Vietnam.

US troops in D.R.

Full American intervention in Vietnam happened in 1965.They did air strikes on North Vietnam which were not

effective.American deaths were 500 a month issue was getting

worse. Johnson sent 50,000 troops to Vietnam.Americans only were able to have a stalemate and were

progress was slow. It was evident that communism in Vietnam was getting a

firm hold and Americans were having a problem containing it .

There was also much domestic opposition to the war and American public began to oppose the war :’(.