Chapter 19 Kennedy and Johnson

1960 Election John F. Kennedy (D) vs. Richard Nixon (R) Catholic Vice President Wealthy family Middle Class TV debates favor JFK Nixon looks pale, tired JFK looks tan, refreshed, relaxed People who watched debate believed JFK won JFK wins close victory

JFK and Cold War Builds up military Peace Corps created to help 3rd world nations Cuba Fidel Castro leads communist revolution (1959) U.S. breaks diplomatic ties CIA plans to train Cuban exiles to overthrow Castro JFK pressured into Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961) - failure

Cold War cont. Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) Berlin Wall U.S. spy planes discover Soviet missiles in Cuba Major U.S. cities in range of missiles Brink of nuclear war JFK decides to institute a quarantine of Cuba Quarantine successful, USSR removes missiles Berlin Wall Tension over Berlin b/w U.S. and USSR USSR orders wall built separating East and West Berlin

John F.Kennedy Promised a “New Frontier” Improve economy, health care, civil rights, education Increase minimum wage, improve welfare Deficit spending, tax cuts to help economy Challenges NASA to put man on moon Assassinated in Dallas in 1963 Lee Harvey Oswald Warren Commission investigates

Lyndon Johnson “Great Society” shares same goals with JFK’s “New Frontier” Declares a War on Poverty Train jobless, educate uneducated, provide healthcare Establish VISTA to send volunteers into poor communities “Great Society” seeks to end poverty and racial injustice

Johnson, cont. Healthcare Federal money to aids education Medicare and Medicaid Federal money to aids education Does not end poverty, but reduces number living in poverty