1. Civil Rights and Reform in the 1960s (1945-1968)
Lesson 4 Kennedy’s Reforms

2. Civil Rights and Reform in the 1960s (1945-1968)
Lesson 4 Kennedy’s Reforms
Learning Objectives
Discuss the election of 1960.
Evaluate Kennedy's domestic policies.
Assess the impact of Kennedy's assassination.

3. SECTION 1: KENNEDY AND THE COLD WAR
History of JFK
Wealthy family
Father instilled passion in his sons
Political History
Navy in WW2
Elected to House of Rep 1946
Helped by his wealthy father
No major accomplishments as HOR
Elected Senator in 1952
The Democratic nominee for president in 1960 was a young Massachusetts senator named John Kennedy
Roman Catholic
Youngest ever at 43yrs
He promised to “get America moving again”
NEW FRONTIER
Followed Containment Policy
Used Flexible Response
Kennedy had a well-organized campaign and was handsome and charismatic
Senator Kennedy, 1958

4. Kennedy in Camelot The public was infatuated with the Kennedys
Jack’s personality, Jackie’s sense of fashion, their two young children
Referred to as “Camelot” because they almost seemed like America’s royal family

5. REPUBLICAN OPPONENT: RICHARD NIXON
Vice-President under Eisenhower
Republican
Better known
More experience
The candidates agreed on many domestic and foreign policy issues
Nixon hoped to ride the coattails of the popular President

6. TELEVISED DEBATE AFFECTS VOTE
On September 26, 1960, Kennedy and Nixon took part in the first televised debate between presidential candidates
Kennedy
Young, eager, confident
Nixon
Uneasy, looked ill
Radio listeners – Nixon won
TV viewers – Kennedy won

7. JFK: CONFIDENT, AT EASE DURING DEBATES

8. 4. Kennedy’s Civil Rights views helped him
4. Kennedy’s Civil Rights views helped him win votes in the south and Midwest

9. JFK, NIXON REACT DIFFERENTLY TO CIVIL RIGHTS
Sit-ins
Bus Boycotts
Martin Luther King
Nixon
Took no public stance on Civil Rights
JKF
MLK arrested for peaceful march
Called MLK’s wife
Negotiated with the judge to sent MLK free
King
Kennedy

10. Kennedy and Domestic Issues
New Frontier
Improve the economy, education, healthcare and civil rights
“Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.“
Kennedy wanted to develop America
Increase Minimum wage, Social Security, Welfare
Congress did not help Kennedy
Congress – Republican , Kennedy Democrat

11. New Frontier Cont’d Equal Pay Act – Equal pay for equal work
Wage gap Women + Men
Prohibit discrimination in the workplace based on race, color, national origin, gender
Economic Prosperity
End social problems
John Keynes
“New economics”
Deficit Spending
Government spends money +borrows money
Increase economic growth
Tax Credits
Encourage economic growth
Middle Class – Lower Taxes
Upper Class – Increased Taxes
Increase Military Spending (Cold War)

12. Domestic Priorities
Analyze Data Based on the data in the table, how many years did it take for the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to make a significant impact on women's rate of pay as compared to men's?

13. “New Frontier”
Kennedy created the Peace Corp to help developing nations in Africa, Latin America, & Asia
You can still volunteer your time to this org. today, tours of duty are approx. 1-2 years
The Alliance for Progress was designed to give aid ($) and assistance to our neighbors in the Western Hemisphere…
To keep them from going commie like Cuba

14. “New Frontier”
Tried to help the economy by increasing govt. (deficit) spending, raising minimum wage, helping the unemployed
But high poverty rates continued to be a problem
JFK built up NASA after the Soviets beat us at putting a man in space
We sent a crew to moon’s surface in 1969, we went 5 more times
Soviets never did…

15. RACE TO THE MOON Firsts- mostly Soviet (Sputnik, Yuri Gagarin)
“Communism is superior”
1962
American-Mercury- Alan Sheppard
1961
John Glen, first to orbit the earth.
USA sends more satellites
Used for communication
Kennedy urged congress to fund space program (NASA)
University science programs grow; new industries, technologies arise
launch facilities in Cape Canaveral, Florida and a mission control center in Houston, Texas

16. “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”
A MAN ON THE MOON
Armstrong
Finally, on July 20, 1969, the U.S. would achieve its goal
An excited nation watched as U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong took the first steps on the moon
“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”

17. TRAGEDY IN DALLAS
On a sunny day on November 22,1963, Air Force One landed in Dallas with JFK and Jackie
JFK received warm applause from the crowd that lined the downtown streets of Dallas as he rode in the back seat of an open-air limousine

18. JFK SHOT TO DEATH
As the motorcade approached the Texas Book Depository, shots rang out
JFK was shot in the neck and then the head
His car was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors frantically tried to revive him
President Kennedy was dead (11/22/63)

19. History Channel: JFK – part 1 - Introduction JFK – part 2 – Mourning
JFK – part 3 – Conspiracy theories

20. Lincoln - Kennedy coincidences
1) Lincoln was elected in 1860, Kennedy in 1960, 100 years apart
2) Both men were deeply involved in civil rights for African Americans.
3) Both men were assassinated on a Friday, in the presence of their wives.
4) Each wife had lost a child while living at the White House.
5) Both men were killed by a bullet that entered the head from behind.
6) Lincoln was killed in Ford's Theater. Kennedy met his death while riding in a Lincoln convertible made by the Ford Motor Company.
7) Both men were succeeded by vice-presidents named Johnson who were southern Democrats and former senators.
8) Andrew Johnson was born in Lyndon Johnson was born in 1908, exactly one hundred years later.
9) The first name of Lincoln's private secretary was John, the last name of Kennedy's private secretary was Lincoln.
10) John Wilkes Booth was born in 1839 [according to some sources] Lee Harvey Oswald was born in 1939, one hundred years later.
11) Both assassins were Southerners who held extremist views.
12) Both assassins were murdered before they could be brought to trial.
13) Booth shot Lincoln in a theater and fled to a warehouse. Oswald shot Kennedy from a warehouse and fled to a theater.
14) Lincoln and KENNEDY each has 7 letters.
15) ANDREW JOHNSON and LYNDON JOHNSON each has 13 letters.
16) JOHN WlLKES BOOTH and LEE HARVEY OSWALD each has 15 letters.
17) A Lincoln staffer Miss Kennedy told him not to go to the Theater. A Kennedy staffer Miss Lincoln, told him not to go to Dallas.

21. LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON BECOMES PRESIDENT
New President
Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson
Sworn in on Air force 1
A somber LBJ takes the oath of office aboard Air Force One with the Jackie next to him

22. LEE HARVEY OSWALD CHARGED; SHOT TO DEATH
A 24-year-old Marine with a suspicious past left a palm print on the rifle used to kill JFK
He was charged and as a national television audience watched his transfer from one jail to another, nightclub owner Jack Ruby broke through the crowd and shot Oswald to death
Jack Ruby, right, shoots Oswald, center, to death 11/24/63

23. UNANSWERED QUESTIONS Conspiracy?
The Warren Commission investigated the assassination and determined that Oswald had indeed acted alone
Recent filmmaker Oliver Stone isn’t so sure – his film, “JFK,” is filled with conspiracy theories