24.1 – THE NEW FRONTIER & THE GREAT SOCIETY (1961-1968)

• Presidents JFK and LBJ launched programs designed to end poverty and racism through gov’t action

• Largest increase in the role of the federal gov’t since FDR’s New Deal

24.1 – ELECTION OF 1960

• JFK (D) vs. NIXON (R)– JFK won EC 303 to 219; popular

vote by only 119,000 votes out of 68 million

• Sept. 26, 1960 – first ever televised presidential debate

• Campaign Issues– Economy– Cold war– Catholicism– Missile gap– Fiscal policiesDebate clip

VS

ELECTION OF 1960 SKITS

• ROLES – JFK, Nixon, 3 reporters– Each reporter has to ask at least one question (can be to either candidate, as

long as each candidate gets at least 1 question directed to them)

– Candidates can respond to opponent's answer, but no responses to responses

• CONTENT:a. Religion (Catholic/Quaker)b. Economyc. Cold War/Communismd. Missile Gape. Fiscal Policiesf. Experience

24.1 – THE NEW FRONTIER

• New Frontier – JFK’s plan:a. Increase education funding

b. Health insurance for the elderly

c. Dept. of Urban Affairs

- Plan to combat economic, social, educational…..problems through the power of the federal gov’t

- See worksheet for pages 826-829

24.1 – THE WARREN COURT

• Earl Warren– Appointed Chief Justice of

the SC in 1953

– Issues addressed included...

1. Reapportionment2. Bill of Rights applies to

states too/Due process3. Separation of church and

state

24.2 – JFK – MILITARY STRATEGY

• The Cold War was the dominant issue when JFK entered office

• Flexible Response – JFK’s plan to deal w/communism

– Build up of troops and conventional weapons

– Not overdependence on nuclear weapons (Ike)

– Expansion of special forces

24.2 – JFK – FOREIGN POLICY

• Wanted to change the relationship in Latin America

– Economic aid

– Prevent rise of leftist gov’ts

– Change perception of U.S. in the region

– Created the Alliance for Progress – good intentions, mixed results; also created the Peace Corps (int’l)

24.2 – SPACE RACE

• 1957 – Sputnik

• 1961 – Yuri Gagarin becomes first to orbit Earth (we are losing the space race!!!!)

• JFK announces plan to land a man on the moon by end of the 1960s

• 1962 – John Glenn becomes first American to orbit the Earth

• 1965 – launch of the Apollo

• 1969 – Neil Armstrong walks on the moon (we are winning now!!!)

Neil Armstrong

24.2 – BAY OF PIGS

• 1959 – Fidel Castro overthrew the Batista gov’t in Cuba

• Some of Castro’s steps worried Americans– Established a relationship with the

USSR– New land reforms– Seized foreign owned businesses

• Eisenhower feared Cuba would be a base for the USSR to spread communism so he authorized a CIA led invasion of Cuba in the hopes that it would lead to a popular uprising– 1961 – JFK carried out the invasion; landed at

the Bay of Pigs– Total disaster; American looked weak,

unorganized, imperialistic….

Fidel Castro

24.2 – BERLIN WALL

• Tensions in Germany increased by 1961; Khrushchev demanded:

1. Western powers “recognize” East Germany

2. Western powers withdraw from Berlin

• JFK refused so NK retaliated by building a wall through Berlin, dividing the city and blocking people from fleeing to the western part of the city– Berlin Wall stood for 30 years a symbol of

the Cold War

• Youtube clip about the end of the wall

Nikita Khrushchev

24.2 – CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

• October 1962 – JFK announced that the Soviet Union had placed long-range missiles in Cuba– Why was this terrifying

news at the time?

• JFK took the following steps:

1. Naval blockade to prevent delivery of more missiles

2. Demanded existing missile sites dismantled

- Verge of nuclear war?

24.2 – CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

DEAL

1. U.S. Publicly agreed not to invade Cuba and privately agreed to remove its missiles from Turkey

2. USSR agreed to remove their missiles from Cuba

CONSEQUENCES

1. U.S. and USSR agreed to a treaty that banned the testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere (1963)

2. Weakened NK’s power in the Soviet Union; lost power soon after

3. Spurred a massive Soviet arms build up (CMC made them look militarily inferior to the U.S.)

24.2 – ASSASSINATION OF JFK

• Nov. 22, 1963– Dallas, TX

– Shot twice while riding in a motorcade

– Lee Harvey Oswald was convicted; killed by Jack Ruby (cover up, conspiracy?)

– Warren Commission found that Oswald acted alone

Lee Harvey Oswald

ELECTION OF 1964

LYNDON JOHNSON (D)• Won big

• Popular vote – 61%

• Electoral College – won 46 states

BARRY GOLDWATER (R)• Conservative from Arizona

• Some saw him as too aggressive in regards to foreign policy

THE GREAT SOCIETY

WHAT WAS IT?• LBJ’s plan to help

disadvantaged Americans

• He wanted to create a better American society; it was not limited to poverty

• More than 60 programs that addressed things such as poverty, health care, education, housing, immigration…

LYNDON JOHNSON