1. Unit 9: The 1950’s & The Cold War

2. JFK 101 1917-1963 A Senator then a Representative for Massachusetts
Served as President from
Assassinated November 22, 1963

3. JFK and the Economy The Steel Crisis
U.S. Steel raised prices by $6 a ton
Kennedy threatened to use his power to fix steel prices to curb inflation
Kennedy was looked at as being anti-business and the stock market fell sharply in response

4. JFK and the Economy Taxes
Kennedy proposed a huge tax cut to put money in consumers’ hands, but his proposal stalled in Congress

5. JFK and Fighting Poverty
By 1960, 1/5 of Americans were living below the poverty line
Kennedy proposed federal education aid for the poor and free medical care for the elderly
Both proposals failed in Congress

6. JFK and Fighting Poverty
Things that did pass…
Increase in minimum wage
Passing of the Housing Act for urban renewal
24th Amendment outlawing the poll tax
Passing of the Equal Pay Act

7. JFK and the Space Program
The Mercury Program
Goal: place a manned spacecraft into orbit
Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin beat us to the punch in April 1961
May 5, 1961 Astronaut Alan Shepard made it into space but did not orbit the earth
In 1962 Astronaut John Glenn completed 3 orbits around the earth

8. JFK and the Space Program
Kennedy proposed landing a man on the moon by 1970 which we achieved in 1969 under the Apollo Program (Apollo 11)

9. JFK and the Peace Corps Where: Africa, Latin America, Asia
How long: no more than 5 years, most people sign up for 2 years
What: building / infrastructure projects, agricultural development, medical aid

10. JFK and the Alliance for Progress
The U.S. and the Soviet Union were competing for allies around the world
The U.S. wanted to focus on keeping the Western Hemisphere free of Communism
Kennedy pledged to help provide basic needs to these countries
Food, water, shelter, clothing, defense, education, and economic development

11. Other Important JFK Initiatives
The largest and fastest defense buildup in peacetime history
Allowed people to draw on Social Security at age 62
Construction of world’s largest nuclear power plant in Hanford, WA
Signing of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
Prohibited above ground nuclear testing

12. Kennedy Inaugural
Watch the speech and while watching, list goals for the following: 1. Foreign Policy 2. Domestic Policy

13. John F. Kennedy
What kind of president was JFK? What should his legacy be?
Use the reading to answer the questions