Election of 1960-
John F. Kennedy (Democrat) defeated Richard M. Nixon, (Republican) Vice Pres. Very close election. First TV debate. Over 70 million watched. Kennedy coached on how to appear on TV. Most people that viewed debate said he won. Kennedy wins by 119,000 votes.
John F. Kennedy
was young, 43 and a Roman Catholic. People were nervous about him taking orders from Pope. Kennedy had charisma. African Americans saw him as modern day Lincoln.
The New Frontier Speech-
Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country. Kennedy wanted volunteerism. The New Frontier was Kennedy's domestic policy in the US. It never was well defined.
The Peace Corp -
Young volunteers would give up 2 years after graduation in a developing nation in Asia, Africa, or Latin America. They would use their skills as doctors, nurses, engineers, farmers, etc.......to help these people. It still exists today.
Alliance of Progress-
program designed by Kennedy to stop communism from spreading in Latin America. Gave over $20 billion to help but most ended up in wrong hands. Program became very corrupt.
Military policy under Kennedy.
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Flexible Response-
was a policy created by the Kennedy Administration to use conventional military force, not nuclear, to stop all arguments.
The Green Berets
would live with the people of an area to help keep them from becoming communist. Kennedy did not want to use nuclear weapons as the only option.
Fidel Castro
had taken over control of Cuba in 1956 and declared himself a communist. Jan. 31, 1961, Eisenhower cut off diplomatic relations with Cuba. About 10 % of Cuba's population left Cuba and moved to the US.
The Bay of Pigs Invasion-
President Eisenhower gave the CIA permission to secretly train Cuban exiles for an invasion of Cuba. Kennedy allowed plans to continue. April 17, 1961, Cuban exiles supported by US, land at Bay of Pigs. Plan went wrong and it was crushed by Castro forces
The Cuban Missile Crisis-
On Oct. 14, 1962, US spy plane found Soviet military bases in Cuba, building missiles that could reach US cities. Kennedy set up Naval blockade of Cuba to keep Soviets out. For 6 days, tensions were very high. This is the closest both sides ever came to N
Crisis in Berlin 1961-
Khrushchev ordered a wall to be built to stop the refugees from leaving the east Germany to go to the west. On Aug. 13, 1961, East German troops began to build the Berlin Wall. Became Symbol of the Cold War. Nov. 9, 1989, The Berlin Wall will come down.
The Hotline
was created between the White House and the Kremlin. This was a direct line that allowed instant communication between the two leaders, Kennedy and Khrushchev.
The Limited Test Ban Treaty-
direct result of the Berlin Crisis and Cuban Missile Crisis. The US, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union agreed in Oct. 1963, not to test nuclear weapons above ground or in the atmosphere. France and China did not sign, so they still test above ground.
Mandate-
a clear indication that voters approve a plan.
New Frontier
Outer Space. Kennedy wanted Americans to be new pioneers and to explore new areas of space and science.
Deficit Spending
When government spends more than it takes in. Kennedy wanted to stimulate economy by increasing gov spending. Congress approved the Dept. of Defense increased spending by 20%. They built new nuclear missiles, nuclear subs and expanded military. Also incre
Peace Corps-
program of volunteerism in developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Kennedy really wanted young Americans volunteering in nations that needed help. Critics called volunteers "Kennedy's Kiddie Korps" most new college graduates. Peace Corps
Alliance of Progress-
foreign aid program to offer economic and technical assistance to Latin American countries. Designed to keep Castro's revolutionary ideas out of Latin America. Most of the money went to the wrong people and there were very little in the form of reforms in
Sputnik-
was the first artificial satellite put in space in 1957 by the Soviet Union.
Yuri Gagarin-
was the first person in space, April 12, 1961. He was a Soviet Cosmonaut.
NASA- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
were created by the government to compete with the Soviets in the space race. Will build new launching facility at Cape Canaveral, Florida and mission control headquarters in Houston, Texas.
Alan Sheppard -
will be the first American in space. May 5, 1961 in the capsule Freedom 7. The entire flight, start to finish, took 15 minutes.
John Glenn-
was the first American to go into orbit around Earth
Programs that got US to moon and back
Mercury- the original 7 astronauts...1 man capsule, Gemini- 2 man capsule, Apollo- 3 man capsule
July 20th 1969-
Apollo 11 landed on the moon. Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on moon.
The space program
helped to develop computers, computer chips, medical devices for monitoring the body, telecommunication, aviation advances, freeze dried food, instant beverages, microwaves and more.
Michael Harrington's "The Other America
1962 was a book about the problem with poverty in America. Nearly 20% of America, about 50 million people, were barely living at or under the poverty line of about $7,000 per person.
Tragedy in Dallas, TX
Nov. 22, 1963- On a campaign trip in Dallas, Texas, President Kennedy will be assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. Two days later, Oswald was killed by Jack Ruby, a night club owner.
Lyndon B. Johnson
Vice President became President on Air Force One going back to Washington, DC with Kennedy's body on board.
The Warren Commission -
was created in 1963 to investigate the death of the president. They concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby worked alone and there was no conspiracy.
President Johnson's Great Society Program
Johnson wanted Congress to pass civil rights laws and cut taxes. ($10 billion in tax cuts).
The Civil Rights Act of 1964-
was passed because Johnson persuaded southern senators to vote for the bill. It prohibited discrimination based on race, religion, national origin and sex, in public places.
Job Corps-
Great Society program, provided job training for unemployed young people in the inner cities, ages 16 to 21.
VISTA-
Great Society program, Volunteers in Service to America was a domestic Peace Corps. Volunteers who worked in economically depressed areas of the US to help reduce unemployment and illiteracy.
Head start-
Great Society program, was a program for pre-school children from poor families to help them to prepare to succeed in elementary schools.
Economic Opportunity Act (EOA) 1964-
Congress approved $1 billion for youth programs, antipoverty measures, small business loans and job training such as Job Corps Youth Training Programs, VISTA, Head Start and Community Action Programs.
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965-
provided over $1 billion in federal aid to help public and parochial schools purchase books and new library materials.
Higher Education Act-
gave scholarship money and low interest loans to students who qualified for it.
Medicare and Medicaid-
added to Social Security Act of 1935 in 1965. Medicare, health care for elderly funded partially through Social Security taxes. Medicaid, health care for those on welfare funded through federal and state taxes.
Voting Rights Act 1965-
ended the practice of requiring voters to pass literacy tests or pay poll taxes to vote in federal elections. It also monitored voter registration.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) -
provided federal funding for low income families to get better housing.
The Immigration and Nationality Act 1965-
opened the door for nonwestern European immigrants to settle in the US by ending quotas based on nationality.
Ralph Nader 1965-
wrote the book "Unsafe at Any Speed" It sharply criticized the US automobile industry for ignoring safety concerns. He also was critical about the safety of highways.
Rachel Carson "Silent Spring", 1962-
book about the effects of pesticides on the environment. Helped create Water Quality Act 1965 which required states to clean up rivers and water ways. Later Air Quality Act 1967 set federal standards for emission control for new cars.
Warren Court
The Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren became very liberal and brought in a lot of reforms.
Banned School Prayer
1962 in public schools. It said it violated the 1st amendment which prohibited government from establishing religion in the US
Baker vs. Carr
1962 they restructured the voting districts in states by making it more balanced based on population. Urban areas were given more representation because of population compared to rural areas.
Mapp vs. Ohio 1961-
the Supreme Court ruled that evidence seized illegally could not be used in state courts.
Gideon vs. Wainwright 1963-
judges were required to provide free legal counsel (lawyer) if a person could not afford one.
Escobedo vs. Illinois 1964-
judges ruled that a person has a right to have a lawyer present during police questioning.
Miranda vs. Arizona 1966-
All suspects must be read their rights before questioning (Miranda Warning).