JFK - Nixon Flashcards
Election of 1960
Democrat John F. Kennedy ran against Republican Vice President Richard M. Nixon. This was the first televised presidential debate. Polls showed Nixon leading for much of the campaign, but Kennedy won a close election.
JFK’s Background
JFK was from a wealthy and power family. He also became the nation’s first Roman Catholic President. He was a hero in WWII, serving in the Navy. When the Japanese sank the patrol boat he commanded, Kennedy saved the life of an injured crew member by swimming to shore with him on his back. HIs political career began in 1946 when he won a seat in Congress from Massachusetts. 6 years later, he was elected to the U.S. Senate.
Bay of Pigs Invasion
Kennedy faced a serious challenge in Cuba. Cuban rebel leader Fidel Castro seized power and set up a communist dictatorship, and became an ally to the Soviet Union. Cuba is only 90 miles from the U.S. The CIA made a plan to overthrow Castro under Eisenhower. They tried to have Cuban exiles land in Cuba and then start a rebellion against Castro. When the invasion started, it did not go well, and Cuban forces crushed the invasion after Kennedy refused to send air support. Kennedy then no longer trusted the CIA and military advice. Latin American nations also lost trust in Kennedy. The Soviets also though Kennedy was not a strong leader and could be bullied.
Cuban Missile Crisis
The most dangerous Cold War crisis happened in 1967. The U.S. found out that the Soviets were building nuclear missile launch sites in Cuba. Missiles could reach the U.S. in minutes from there. Kennedy ordered a naval blockade of Cuba until the Soviets removed their missiles. Kennedy threatened to destroy any Soviet ship that tried to break through the blockade. Kennedy warned that any attack from Cuba against a western nation would result in a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. After 5 days, the Soviet ships turned back. After the crisis, Kennedy and Khrushchev worked to build better relations.
Civil Rights - March on Washington (1963)
To rally support for Kennedy’s civil rights bill, Dr. KIng and the SCLC called for a march on Washington, D.C. The date was set for August 28, 1963. More than 200,000 people of all colors and from all over the country arrived to take part.
Civil Rights - MLK’s I Have a Dream Speech
Dr. King delivered the famous I Have a Dream speech as he stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at the March on Washington. He shared his vision of a changed country in the speech.
1964 Civil Rights Act
President Kennedy did not live to see passage of his civil rights bill, as he was assassinated in November 1963. After taking office, President Lyndon B. Johnson took up the challenge. He pushed Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The law outlawed discrimination in hiring. It ended segregation in stores, restaurants, theaters, hotels, and public places. It banned discrimination by race, gender, religion, and national origin.
Malcolm X
Malcolm X emerged as an important voice for African Americans at the height of the Civil Rights movement. He was a leader in the Nation of Islam - also known as the Black Muslims. He criticized the civil rights goal of integration and said the best way for African Americans to achieve racial justice was to live apart from whites.
Black Power Movement and the Black Panthers
Stokely Carmichael became the leader of the SNCC led the call for Black Power. This philosophy of racial pride encouraged African Americans to create their own culture. He and others called for complete change of society through revolution. The Black Panther Party formed in Oakland, California. The Panthers represented a growing frustration among urban African Americans. They were angry about poverty and a lack of jobs. They demanded reforms and armed themselves. They were involved in several clashes with the police.
Counterculture Movement - Woodstock and Hippies
Some opposition to the Vietnam war came from the counterculture, a movement that rejected traditional American values. Popular music played a role in communicating counterculture ideas. Some parents were troubled by the music and other symbols of counterculture such as torn blue jeans and long hair for males. Woodstock was a large outdoor concert in 1969 that symbolized the anti-war counterculture movement in America. Members of the counterculture movement were called hippies.
Kennedy Assassination
On November 22, 1963, Kennedy visited Dallas with his wife, Jacqueline. As the president’s car drove through the city, an assassin struck. Kennedy was shot and killed. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested and charged with the killing. But, he was murdered as he was being moved from one jail to another. Some Americans believe that the Kennedy assassination was a conspiracy and was an act planned by more than just one person. A commission headed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren later investigated the assassination and stated that Oswald had acted alone. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson took over as President.
Election of 1964
It was held on Tuesday, November 3, 1964. Incumbent Democratic United States President Lyndon B. Johnson defeated Barry Goldwater, the Republican nominee, in a landslide. With 61.1% of the popular vote, Johnson won the largest share of the popular vote of any candidate since the largely uncontested 1820 election.
LBJ’s Background
Born in rural Texas, grew up in a 3 room house in poverty. Worked his way through college and got into politics.
LBJ’s Great Society
On July 2, 1964, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The law outlawed discrimination based on race, religion, color, national origin, or sex. He also signed the Economic Opportunity Act as the foundation of the War on Poverty. It established the Office of Economic Opportunity to direct and coordinate educational, employment, and training programs. To improve education, he signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which committed the federal government to help, for the first time, local school districts whose students come from low-income families. The Head Start program launched, designed to give underprivileged kids a head start before beginning first grade. Johnson signed an amendment to the Social Security Act creating Medicaid and Medicare, which were health insurance programs for the elderly and low-income individuals and families. He signed the Air Quality Act, which granted the government increased authority to control air pollution. For consumer protection, Johnson signed a number of laws including truth-in-packaging requirements. It created the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Child Safety Act. Johnson signed the Immigration Act, which abolished the national origin formula that had been in place that gave favoritism to European people over others trying to come to America.
Vietnam War - Causes
In WWII Japan captured the French colony of Indochina, which included today’s countries of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Vietnam’s leader Ho Chi Minh declared independence when Japan surrendered. The French were not willing to give it up because it was a valuable colony with a lot of resources. Ho Chi Minh and his forces fought a long, bloody war against France until they won in 1954. In 1954, the U.S., France, China, and the Soviet Union met at the Geneva Accords and reached a peace agreement that split Vietnam into two halves. The North would be let by communist nationalists, and the South would be controlled by non-communists supported by the U.S. The U.S. made it clear they would act if the North attacked the South. Ngo Dinh Diem became the leader in the South. He refused to have free elections and cracked down on communists in the South. They responded by forming a group called the Vietcong. In 1959, on orders from Ho Chi Minh, the Vietcong started a war with the Diem regime in the South. Diem did horrifying things to people of other religions, like Buddhists. In 1963, the U.S. had to withdraw its support of Diem. In November 1963, the South’s army overthrew the government and assassinated Diem.
