Post by djxkorean on Aug 17, 2009 16:16:17 GMT -8
35th President John F. Kennedy (1961 – 1963)
I. Election in 1960
A. Republicans: nominate Richard Nixon with Henry Cabot as running mate
1. Eisenhower ineligible for another term (22nd Amendment) but favors V.P. Nixon as successor
B. Democrats: nominate JFK by making himself known by winning 7 state primaries
1. Lyndon Johnson of Texas is V.P.
C. Platforms of both parties: strong civil rights and favored federal aid in financing nat’l health program
1. no substantial difference in foreign affairs
D. Kennedy’s margin of victory < 1/5th of 1 percent of population; youngest President elected; 1st Roman Catholic elected
II. Anti-Communist policies
A. Alliance for Progress
1. Alliance for Progress: long-term program to improve living standards in nations in Latin America
a. In response to Communist gov’t in Cuba and its effect on Latin America
2. 10-yr program to improve social and economic conditions and fairer taxes and land redistribution
a. funds come from private and gov’t sources throughout the world
b. Generally results of program disappointing: money used to aid big business and military
B. Cuba, Castro, and US
1. Background
a. Fidel Castro overthrew the dictatorship of Juan Batista on Jan 1, 1959
i. Castro publicly declares himself a Marxist-Leninist and ended representative democracy
ii. Has close ties with USSR and received economic and military assistance
2. Bay of Pigs invasion: invading force of US trained Cuban refugees trying to overthrow Castro’s regime
a. Bay of Pigs invasion was a complete failure and US blamed for invasion attempt
3. Cuba Missile Crisis (Oct 1962)
a. USSR had placed ballistic missiles and jet bombers in Cuba
b. Kennedy demands the removal of the offensive weapons and jet bombers and est. air-sea blockade of Cuba until removal
c. Krushchev promises to withdraw missiles and planes if US promises not to invade Cuba
i. Kennedy agrees as long as US allowed to verify removal by on-site inspection
d. US and USSR on brink of war during the air-sea blockade confrontation
III. More Peace
A. Peace Corps
1. American citizens work side by side with those they helped (authorized by Kennedy and Congress March 1961)
2. Program sent volunteers to nations that requested them to help the communities
3. Peace Corps was a great success
B. Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty
1. Prohibits nuclear testing in the atmosphere, space, and under water.
a. Underground tests are not banned because there is no way to detect them w/o inspection system
b. US and USSR unable to agree on method of inspection
2. France and Communist china only nuclear powers not signing the treaty
IV. Kennedy Assassination (Nov. 22, 1963)
A. JFK were assassinated while in a presidential motorcade in Dallas, Texas
B. About an hour and half after assassination, suspect Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested
1. Oswald claimed that he was innocent of assassination of President Kennedy, but killed by bystander when escorted from city to county jail
C. Nation truly grief-stricken: TV had brought presidential family close to the American people
D. LBJ took oath of office as President of US in cabin of plane at Dallas
E. LBJ appointed nat’l commission headed by Chief Justice Warren to investigate circumstances of assassination and issue report of its findings
1. Warren Commission releases report: Oswald had acted alone and there was no evidence of a conspiracy
2. Many question still left unanswered
46th President Lyndon B. Johnson (1964 – 1969)
I. Election
A. Democrats: nominates LBJ who wins 61% of popular vote
B. Republicans: nominate Senator Barry Goldwater
C. Transition from Kennedy to Johnson was accomplished with smoothness and lack of confusion: great emphasis to stability of federal gov’t
1. Johnson was well-informed and active in foreign policy while V.P.
II. Cuban Policy
A. Cuba shut off freshwater supply to US naval base at Guantanamo Bay
1. Johnson responds by supply freshwater by tankers and setting up converters at base transforming saltwater to freshwater
a. Made Guantanamo independent of Cuba and deprived Cuba of its revenue
B. Johnson announced U2 spy planes would continue to fly inspection missions over Cuba
1. Castro says he will shoot them down which Johnson responds by saying any attack on U-2s would be met with severe action
C. Johnson hoped to restrict trade w/ Cuba to force Castro from power: Cuba could spread Communism to other Latin American republics
III. Income Tax Cut (1964)
A. Income tax reduced and cuts in gov’t spending were made in late February
1. Several armed forces installations were shut down
IV. Supreme Court Decisions
A. Wesberry v. Sanders (1964)
1. grossly unequal congressional districts = constitutional?
2. Certain districts gave one voter very different amount of influence as voter than another in different district
3. S.C. decision: all congressional districts w/in states must have approximately same number of voters
a. required state to equalize representation in election working towards “one person, one vote”
4. Because states disregarded the decision: rural areas over-represented while urban areas are under-represented
B. Baker v. Carr (1962)
1. S.C. decision: election districts w/in each state must by of approximately equal populaton
C. Both of these decisions based on 14th Amendment “equal protection of the laws” clause
V. Civil Rights Movement
A. MLK Jr.: young minister who led Montgomery bus boycott after Rosa Parks arrested on segregated bus
1. he led black voter registrations drives, organized sit-ins, and “freedom rides”
B. Southern white backlash extremely strong against growing civil rights movement
1. MLK Jr. advocated nonviolent response: blacks could achieve equality only through peace civil disobedience to immoral laws
2. Desegregation of Central High School (Little Rock 9) sent federal troops to protect first black students (1957 – Eisenhower)
3. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy sent US marshals to protect right of qualified blacks to enroll at all-white universities
C. “March on Washington”: march on behalf of civil rights laws then pending in Congress (Aug 1963)
1. “I Have a Dream” address Martin Luther King Jr. and the march led to Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965)
2. MLK Jr. assassinated on April 1968 by bullet to the head
D. Civil Rights Act (1964)
1. Uniform standards must prevail for est. right to vote.
2. public accommodations’ provision makes est. available to all persons w/o discrimination on race, color, religion, or nat’l origin
3. Project involving federal funds will have funds cut off if discrimination exists
4. Employment agency, union, or employer may not discriminate; Racial quotas shall not be used
5. *repeated references to A.G. recognized resistance to enforcement of several provisions likely and federal gov’t determined to enforce the act
E. Voting Rights Act (1965): gave A.G. power to send officials to investigate charges of racial discrimination
VI. Helping People
A. Anti-Poverty Act (1964)
1. 1st major law that was wholly LBJ’s – opening gun in Johnson’s total war on poverty
2. Helped people climb out of poverty and stay out
3. provided, job-traning centers, conservation camps, basic education, college aid, loans to low-income farmers and businessmen, and domestic peace corps
B. Medicare (1965)
1. provided payment of hospital and doctor expenses to substantial degree for persons 65+
C. Medicaid: federal-state partnership provide healthcare to low-income individuals of any age who are unable to provide it for themselves
1. blind, elderly, disabled, members of families with dependent children
D. Anti-Poverty Act, Medicare, and Medicaid all part of Great Society program: placed major responsibility on federally funded program to help needy Americans
E. Tragedy of LBJ
1. Johnson came to presidency to complete FDR’s New Deal, but “War on Poverty” never receive funds or success due to Vietnam War
VII. World problems (minus Vietnam)
A. Immigration Act (1965)
1. discontinued quotas based on nat’l origin: basic factor of selection made occupation of applicant
2. Preference given to those with relatives in US; race, religion, color, etc. not part of selective process
B. War in Middle East (1967)
1. Six Days War (June 1967): Israle wins quick and impressive military victory over Egypt, Syria, and Jordan
a. Israel attacks to fend off Arab nations who were massing large military forces to destroy Israel
2. Arab states begin guerilla attacks against Israel, so UN arranges UN inspection patrols along both sides of Suez Canal and other hostile areas
a. cease-fire accomplished w/ no assurance that negotiations would proceed to arrange peace
VIII. Urban Riots (Nat’l Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders)
A. Summers of 1966 and 1967 = large scale rioting: most serious destruction of life and property in Los Angeles and Detroit
B. July 28, 1967: President Johnson appoints a National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders
1. Submitted a report acclaimed as comprehensive, wise, and highly accurate
a. “Our nation is moving toward two societies…separate but unequal”
b. “To prevent two separate and unequal” US needs to have Americans to take up “new attitudes, new understanding, and above all, new will”
2. In order or priority, Commission listed 12 areas where improvement should be started immediately with federal and local gov’t financing
a. police practices, unemployment and underemployment, inadequate housing, inadequate education
IX. The Vietnam War
A. Background
1. French was defeated from control of Indochina by Vietminh led by Ho Chi Minh
2. Vietnam was divided into Communist (North) and independent (South)
a. US sent substantial aid to South Vietnam to make it an effective anti-Communist gov’t
3. US involvement in Vietnam grew during Eisenhower and Kennedy presidencies
a. SEATO (Eisenhower); material support to South Vietnam and Thailand (Kennedy)
4. US involvement began under Truman who gave aid to France
B. LBJ and the Vietnam War
1. LBJ given power to take all steps to protect US troops and prevent further aggression (Congress, 1964)
2. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: allowed Johnson to rapidly increase US commitment to war in Vietnam
3. Tet Offensive: massive attack on South Vietnamese and US forces that resulted in big losses
a. culminated in the antiwar sentiment in the US; Vietnam War became one of most divisive issues in US politics
4. In 1968: public opinion and politicians strongly pushing for withdrawal from Vietnam
5. Johnson put a massive buildup of US ground forces and great air and naval power, but US wasn’t winning the war, making it unpopular and costly
6. Johnson wanted to end his Presidency by attaining peace in Vietnam or make substantial progress towards it
a. In order to negotiate for peace without thinking of next term, LBJ declared that he was not a candidate for reelection (March 31, 1968)
b. Unfortunately, negotiations largely ineffective
7. 1968 presidential campaign: both parties agreed on bringing peace but different on way of achieving it.
Commentary:
I. Election in 1960
A. Republicans: nominate Richard Nixon with Henry Cabot as running mate
1. Eisenhower ineligible for another term (22nd Amendment) but favors V.P. Nixon as successor
B. Democrats: nominate JFK by making himself known by winning 7 state primaries
1. Lyndon Johnson of Texas is V.P.
C. Platforms of both parties: strong civil rights and favored federal aid in financing nat’l health program
1. no substantial difference in foreign affairs
D. Kennedy’s margin of victory < 1/5th of 1 percent of population; youngest President elected; 1st Roman Catholic elected
II. Anti-Communist policies
A. Alliance for Progress
1. Alliance for Progress: long-term program to improve living standards in nations in Latin America
a. In response to Communist gov’t in Cuba and its effect on Latin America
2. 10-yr program to improve social and economic conditions and fairer taxes and land redistribution
a. funds come from private and gov’t sources throughout the world
b. Generally results of program disappointing: money used to aid big business and military
B. Cuba, Castro, and US
1. Background
a. Fidel Castro overthrew the dictatorship of Juan Batista on Jan 1, 1959
i. Castro publicly declares himself a Marxist-Leninist and ended representative democracy
ii. Has close ties with USSR and received economic and military assistance
2. Bay of Pigs invasion: invading force of US trained Cuban refugees trying to overthrow Castro’s regime
a. Bay of Pigs invasion was a complete failure and US blamed for invasion attempt
3. Cuba Missile Crisis (Oct 1962)
a. USSR had placed ballistic missiles and jet bombers in Cuba
b. Kennedy demands the removal of the offensive weapons and jet bombers and est. air-sea blockade of Cuba until removal
c. Krushchev promises to withdraw missiles and planes if US promises not to invade Cuba
i. Kennedy agrees as long as US allowed to verify removal by on-site inspection
d. US and USSR on brink of war during the air-sea blockade confrontation
III. More Peace
A. Peace Corps
1. American citizens work side by side with those they helped (authorized by Kennedy and Congress March 1961)
2. Program sent volunteers to nations that requested them to help the communities
3. Peace Corps was a great success
B. Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty
1. Prohibits nuclear testing in the atmosphere, space, and under water.
a. Underground tests are not banned because there is no way to detect them w/o inspection system
b. US and USSR unable to agree on method of inspection
2. France and Communist china only nuclear powers not signing the treaty
IV. Kennedy Assassination (Nov. 22, 1963)
A. JFK were assassinated while in a presidential motorcade in Dallas, Texas
B. About an hour and half after assassination, suspect Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested
1. Oswald claimed that he was innocent of assassination of President Kennedy, but killed by bystander when escorted from city to county jail
C. Nation truly grief-stricken: TV had brought presidential family close to the American people
D. LBJ took oath of office as President of US in cabin of plane at Dallas
E. LBJ appointed nat’l commission headed by Chief Justice Warren to investigate circumstances of assassination and issue report of its findings
1. Warren Commission releases report: Oswald had acted alone and there was no evidence of a conspiracy
2. Many question still left unanswered
46th President Lyndon B. Johnson (1964 – 1969)
I. Election
A. Democrats: nominates LBJ who wins 61% of popular vote
B. Republicans: nominate Senator Barry Goldwater
C. Transition from Kennedy to Johnson was accomplished with smoothness and lack of confusion: great emphasis to stability of federal gov’t
1. Johnson was well-informed and active in foreign policy while V.P.
II. Cuban Policy
A. Cuba shut off freshwater supply to US naval base at Guantanamo Bay
1. Johnson responds by supply freshwater by tankers and setting up converters at base transforming saltwater to freshwater
a. Made Guantanamo independent of Cuba and deprived Cuba of its revenue
B. Johnson announced U2 spy planes would continue to fly inspection missions over Cuba
1. Castro says he will shoot them down which Johnson responds by saying any attack on U-2s would be met with severe action
C. Johnson hoped to restrict trade w/ Cuba to force Castro from power: Cuba could spread Communism to other Latin American republics
III. Income Tax Cut (1964)
A. Income tax reduced and cuts in gov’t spending were made in late February
1. Several armed forces installations were shut down
IV. Supreme Court Decisions
A. Wesberry v. Sanders (1964)
1. grossly unequal congressional districts = constitutional?
2. Certain districts gave one voter very different amount of influence as voter than another in different district
3. S.C. decision: all congressional districts w/in states must have approximately same number of voters
a. required state to equalize representation in election working towards “one person, one vote”
4. Because states disregarded the decision: rural areas over-represented while urban areas are under-represented
B. Baker v. Carr (1962)
1. S.C. decision: election districts w/in each state must by of approximately equal populaton
C. Both of these decisions based on 14th Amendment “equal protection of the laws” clause
V. Civil Rights Movement
A. MLK Jr.: young minister who led Montgomery bus boycott after Rosa Parks arrested on segregated bus
1. he led black voter registrations drives, organized sit-ins, and “freedom rides”
B. Southern white backlash extremely strong against growing civil rights movement
1. MLK Jr. advocated nonviolent response: blacks could achieve equality only through peace civil disobedience to immoral laws
2. Desegregation of Central High School (Little Rock 9) sent federal troops to protect first black students (1957 – Eisenhower)
3. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy sent US marshals to protect right of qualified blacks to enroll at all-white universities
C. “March on Washington”: march on behalf of civil rights laws then pending in Congress (Aug 1963)
1. “I Have a Dream” address Martin Luther King Jr. and the march led to Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965)
2. MLK Jr. assassinated on April 1968 by bullet to the head
D. Civil Rights Act (1964)
1. Uniform standards must prevail for est. right to vote.
2. public accommodations’ provision makes est. available to all persons w/o discrimination on race, color, religion, or nat’l origin
3. Project involving federal funds will have funds cut off if discrimination exists
4. Employment agency, union, or employer may not discriminate; Racial quotas shall not be used
5. *repeated references to A.G. recognized resistance to enforcement of several provisions likely and federal gov’t determined to enforce the act
E. Voting Rights Act (1965): gave A.G. power to send officials to investigate charges of racial discrimination
VI. Helping People
A. Anti-Poverty Act (1964)
1. 1st major law that was wholly LBJ’s – opening gun in Johnson’s total war on poverty
2. Helped people climb out of poverty and stay out
3. provided, job-traning centers, conservation camps, basic education, college aid, loans to low-income farmers and businessmen, and domestic peace corps
B. Medicare (1965)
1. provided payment of hospital and doctor expenses to substantial degree for persons 65+
C. Medicaid: federal-state partnership provide healthcare to low-income individuals of any age who are unable to provide it for themselves
1. blind, elderly, disabled, members of families with dependent children
D. Anti-Poverty Act, Medicare, and Medicaid all part of Great Society program: placed major responsibility on federally funded program to help needy Americans
E. Tragedy of LBJ
1. Johnson came to presidency to complete FDR’s New Deal, but “War on Poverty” never receive funds or success due to Vietnam War
VII. World problems (minus Vietnam)
A. Immigration Act (1965)
1. discontinued quotas based on nat’l origin: basic factor of selection made occupation of applicant
2. Preference given to those with relatives in US; race, religion, color, etc. not part of selective process
B. War in Middle East (1967)
1. Six Days War (June 1967): Israle wins quick and impressive military victory over Egypt, Syria, and Jordan
a. Israel attacks to fend off Arab nations who were massing large military forces to destroy Israel
2. Arab states begin guerilla attacks against Israel, so UN arranges UN inspection patrols along both sides of Suez Canal and other hostile areas
a. cease-fire accomplished w/ no assurance that negotiations would proceed to arrange peace
VIII. Urban Riots (Nat’l Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders)
A. Summers of 1966 and 1967 = large scale rioting: most serious destruction of life and property in Los Angeles and Detroit
B. July 28, 1967: President Johnson appoints a National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders
1. Submitted a report acclaimed as comprehensive, wise, and highly accurate
a. “Our nation is moving toward two societies…separate but unequal”
b. “To prevent two separate and unequal” US needs to have Americans to take up “new attitudes, new understanding, and above all, new will”
2. In order or priority, Commission listed 12 areas where improvement should be started immediately with federal and local gov’t financing
a. police practices, unemployment and underemployment, inadequate housing, inadequate education
IX. The Vietnam War
A. Background
1. French was defeated from control of Indochina by Vietminh led by Ho Chi Minh
2. Vietnam was divided into Communist (North) and independent (South)
a. US sent substantial aid to South Vietnam to make it an effective anti-Communist gov’t
3. US involvement in Vietnam grew during Eisenhower and Kennedy presidencies
a. SEATO (Eisenhower); material support to South Vietnam and Thailand (Kennedy)
4. US involvement began under Truman who gave aid to France
B. LBJ and the Vietnam War
1. LBJ given power to take all steps to protect US troops and prevent further aggression (Congress, 1964)
2. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: allowed Johnson to rapidly increase US commitment to war in Vietnam
3. Tet Offensive: massive attack on South Vietnamese and US forces that resulted in big losses
a. culminated in the antiwar sentiment in the US; Vietnam War became one of most divisive issues in US politics
4. In 1968: public opinion and politicians strongly pushing for withdrawal from Vietnam
5. Johnson put a massive buildup of US ground forces and great air and naval power, but US wasn’t winning the war, making it unpopular and costly
6. Johnson wanted to end his Presidency by attaining peace in Vietnam or make substantial progress towards it
a. In order to negotiate for peace without thinking of next term, LBJ declared that he was not a candidate for reelection (March 31, 1968)
b. Unfortunately, negotiations largely ineffective
7. 1968 presidential campaign: both parties agreed on bringing peace but different on way of achieving it.
Commentary: