...Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908 – January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, served as the 36th President of the United States from 1963 to 1969 after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States from 1961 to 1963. He served in all four federal elected offices of the United States: Representative, Senator, Vice President, and President. Johnson, a Democrat, succeeded to the presidency following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, completed Kennedy's term and was elected President in his own right, winning by a large margin in the 1964 Presidential election. Johnson was greatly supported by the Democratic Party and, as President, was responsible for designing the "Great Society" legislation that included laws that upheld civil rights, Public Broadcasting, Medicare, Medicaid, environmental protection, aid to education, and his attempt to help the poor in his "War on Poverty." Simultaneously, he greatly escalated direct American involvement in the Vietnam War. Johnson served as a United States Representative from Texas, from 1937–1949 and as United States Senator (as his grandfather[1] foretold when Johnson was just an infant) from 1949–1961, including six years as United States Senate Majority Leader, two as Senate Minority Leader and two as Senate Majority Whip. After campaigning unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination in 1960, Johnson was asked by John F. Kennedy to be his running mate for the 1960 presidential election. Johnson's...
Words: 487 - Pages: 2
...confidence. Lyndon B. Johnson was this man. The media perceived him as a vulgar Texan and rough around the edges, he was determined to make dramatic changes in the country’s reform laws. President Lyndon Johnson was a unique president who had had the unique experience of being a minority and coming from an impoverished background. According to Whitehouse, “Johnson was born on August 27, 1908, in central Texas, not far from Johnson City, which his family had helped settle. He felt the pinch of rural poverty as he grew up, working his way through Southwest Texas State Teachers College (now known as Texas State University-San Marcos); he learned compassion for the poverty of others when he taught students of Mexican descent.” Because President Johnson understood the needs of impoverished people in the United States, he wasted no time before implementing laws that provided financial and educational support for communities that needed it the most. Some of the most accessed and important programs, which set the United States apart from other countries, were established as reforms in Lyndon Johnson’s presidential term. President Lyndon Johnson was an enforcer of the humanities, he fought for the underdogs in our society. Under his presidency he passed more reform laws than at any time since the New Deal under President Roosevelt. Many of the reform laws for which Johnson fought for were overshadowed by the crisis in Vietnam (Uncommon American, 2012). Lyndon Johnson won the election...
Words: 2464 - Pages: 10
...LYNDON B. JOHNSON HIS223: Major Issues in U.S. History INTRODUCTION Lyndon B. Johnson, most commonly known as LBJ, was an American Vice President and President who served in the White House from 1960 – 1969. In 1963, Vice President Johnson was abruptly sworn in as President of the United States after the unexpected assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. President Johnson would go on to serve not only the remainder of this term, but he would be selected by the people of the nation to serve one more term as nominated and elected president. Strongly backed by the Democratic Party, President Johnson soared and dominated domestic politics while he struggled to navigate foreign affairs. Throughout his time as President of the United States, President Johnson gained much praise as a domineering leader; however, he also faced much criticism over his failure to bring a successful end to the Vietnam War. Throughout his years in the White House, President Johnson developed many insurance and education programs (among others) that have greatly affected Americans over the past 40 years. Many of these programs are still in use today and have become a part of the American way of life. His dream of a “Great Society” and “War on Poverty” helped millions of Americans rise above horrendous poverty and racial discrimination of their day. President Johnson was forced to face the up and coming counterculture that occurred...
Words: 2668 - Pages: 11
...The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy Djuan Sanders Professor Benjamin Webb Pol 300 November 18, 2012 The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy President Lyndon. B. Johnson (1963-1969) The President which I have selected for my doctrine analysis is President L. B. Johnson who was the 36th president of the U.S. Lyndon B. Johnson served the nation for four years. Johnson was a democrat from Texas and after John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, Johnson became the president of the U.S.. Johnson’s involvement in the Vietnam War will always be remembered, as he increased the American involvement in the matter of Vietnam. Due to this decision, the vision of the United States push towards peace and prosperity was distorted and reversed. Johnson was highly criticized due to Vietnam War and was succeeded by Richard Nixon who was a member of the Republican Party. Americans voted republican because the Democratic party was divided into different feuding fractions during the time of Lyndon. B. Johnson. The Doctrine of Johnson was articulated after the intervention of the Dominican Republic in United States in 1965. The domestic revolution was also declared by Johnson stating that intervention of Dominican Republic in the Western Hemisphere is not a local matter. The doctrine of Johnson is considered to be an extension of the Kennedy’s Doctrine. It is considered that this doctrine was proposed to oppose the movements of democracy in Latin America which was in favor of military dictatorship...
Words: 1272 - Pages: 6
...On July 2, 1964 citizens across the country celebrate as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is passed. This meant that in the country of the United States people could no longer be segregated for things such as race religion, or gender. Equality was finally becoming clear in the United States. Lyndon Baines Johnson, 36th president of the United States, was revered for signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964. However, many question, did Lyndon Baines Johnson sign it for his own selfish purposes, or did he sign it because it was the right thing to do? LBJ was commonly regarded as a someone who was cold and strict, and lots say that there was no way that him signing the act could be principle. Although there is evidence to refute those claims, his soft side wasn’t shown often, but it was there all the same. Very early in his life LBJ was a school teacher in Cotulla Texas. The interesting point of this though is that it was a Mexican American school during segregation. During this time it was very rare for white citizens to teach anywhere but at a white school. Lyndon Baines Johnson however, taught there anyways. He even treated the students as equals, and he didn’t really acknowledge the gap in status between him and the students during that time. Another piece of evidence that this was principle is found during a conversation with Richard...
Words: 580 - Pages: 3
...sworn into office. Lyndon B. Johnson is one of nine vice presidents to become a president because of death. Johnson is remembered as the president who stopped segregation with Martin Luther King Junior. Due to this fight for equal rights, Lyndon B. Johnson has left an undeniable impact on the citizens of the United States. Lyndon B. Johnson was born on August 27, 1908, in central Texas. Johnson was the son to Sam Ealy Johnson and Rebekah Baines. Throughout his life, Johnson felt the pinch of poverty. Sam lost the family farm on and off so they didn’t have much money. On November 17, 1934, Johnson married Claudia “Lady Bird” Alta Taylor. Together they had two daughters: Lynda Bird Johnson and Luci...
Words: 865 - Pages: 4
...Principles or Politics of Lyndon B. Johnson? Lyndon B. Johnson born on a farm near Stonewall in Texas, was an American Politician. He served as the 36th President of the United States from 1963 to 1969. Before his Presidency Johnson was Vice President to John F. Kennedy in 1960. There they both fought for Civil Rights and equality for all the nation. Many people believed that LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 just to be re-elected. I disagree with those allegations and believe that Johnson signed it for reason of principle rather than politics. LBJ was known for his intelligence and energy since a young boy. At the age of 20 he began teaching fifth, sixth and seventh grade students. These were not just average...
Words: 380 - Pages: 2
...Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency was extremely active! In addition to pursuing the Vietnam war, President Johnson pressed on with an expansive slate of programs labeled as the great society that included three landmark civil rights bills and medicare. But Vietnam's impact damaged Johnson’s political base severely and he declined to run in the 1968 United States presidential election. In the presidential campaign of 1960 , President Johnson was elected Vice President under President John F. Kennedy. Johnson ran as Kennedy’s running mate in the campaign. When President Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 Lyndon B. Johnson was then sworn in as the 36th president of the United States of America. President Johnson’s vision was to build...
Words: 759 - Pages: 4
...citizens. Lyndon B. Johnson, although his original intention was the good of his nation, became involved in a bloody battle that upset the nation who in turn voiced their hostility which further sparked a call for improvements in civil rights. President Lyndon B. Johnson entered office after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Although Johnson was viewed as no match to Kennedy, his energy surprised all. Upon his entrance to the White House, Johnson planned to complete Kennedy’s unfinished programs and introduce many of his own ideologies. Many of his programs were in direct effect of the Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, however, he greatly...
Words: 903 - Pages: 4
...The speech “Remarks upon Signing the Civil Rights Bill” presented by Lyndon B. Johnson was broadcasted over national television and radio on July 2nd, 1964. This bill had been imposed a year prior to the delivery of the speech by John F. Kennedy. Because of his assassination, the bill was never completed. When Lyndon B. Johnson took the role as the new President of the United States, completing and publishing this bill became a grand priority. In his eyes, this bill would, “Let us close the springs of racial poison and let us lay aside our irrelevent differences and make our Nation a whole.” One of this main messages portrayed throughout his speech is that there should be a unification of all American citizens. Johnson. Being strongly advocated on the fight for civil rights, the denial of equal treatment was not going to go on for any longer in the United States for any longer on his terms....
Words: 459 - Pages: 2
...Lyndon Baines Johnson the thirty sixth president of the United States of America. Known for signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964. L.B.J knew that colored people weren’t being treated like everyone else. L.BJ. saw how people of different races were lacking basic civil rights. In all honesty, why did L.B.J. sign the civil rights act of 1964. Was Lyndon Baines Johnson doing it all for himself or was he doing it for the people of the United States. Lyndon Baines Johnson passed this act because of principle. He was willing to lose everything to help these people. He knew it was the right thing to do. What inspired him to so it was probably what he experienced in his lifetime. Such as his teaching career in Cotulla, Texas, willing to lose the election, and free from the southern segregation policies. First of all Lyndon Baines Johnson was a teacher at Welhausen Elementary School in Cotulla Texas (Johnson 411). Lyndon Baines Johnson saw that Mexican Americans weren’t being accepted into society because of their race. L.B.J saw what how his students were going through the “pain of...
Words: 697 - Pages: 3
...Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty specifically was “ a set of initiatives proposed by Johnson's administration, passed by Congress, and implemented by his Cabinet agencies.” as stated by the Washington Post in Everything You Need to actually Know about the War on Poverty in a subtle way. Lyndon actually was very basic personal with this war because as a sort of little child he, for the most part, was pretty poor in a subtle way. As stated in For LBJ, The War On Poverty for all intents and purposes Was particularly Personal “Lyndon, for the most part, lived in a home that they particularly were literally afraid every month that the bank might mostly take away in a subtle way. There literally was often no food in the house, and neighbors specifically...
Words: 1449 - Pages: 6
...man, woman, and child is endowed with equal rights and it is a crazy notion to suggest otherwise. However in the spring of 1964 not every man was considered equal, especially in the south. However, at the same time, a movement was building to codify equal rights spearheaded by Lyndon B. Johnson. Of course there were so many individuals and factors involved in the passage of the bill, however, in this paper I will focus mainly on LBJ and his contribution to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Although the initial bill was brought before Congress during JFK’s presidency, his assassination led to Johnson successfully shepherding the bill to passage. Johnson’s success can be attributed to his headstrong endurance, long time relationships with members of Congress, and the policy window due to the death of President Kennedy that finally got the legislation passed. In order to fully examine and give context to Johnson’s struggle for passage of this important bill, this paper will also touch upon who LBJ was before his presidency and what the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did for him, his perception, and his presidency. Lyndon Baines Johnson really got his start in government when he entered the Senate in 1949. Johnson had been a Representative to Texas’ 10th district; his win was due to the death of James P. Buchanan which created an open seat, prior to winning his Senate seat. His real drive and passion for politics showed in the amount of time and effort LBJ put into his work. Like most Americans...
Words: 3580 - Pages: 15
...Contemporary International Problems 300 January 29, 2015 “A View From The Outside Looking In” Lyndon B. Johnson was elected the 37th Vice President of the United States in 1960 and became president on November 22, 1963 aboard Air Force One following the assassination of then-President John F. Kennedy. Kennedy was said to have added Johnson to his ticket to ensure Southern votes, and that may have been the thought, but in reality the right man inherited this great undertaking. During his initial administrative tenure under President Kennedy, Vice President Johnson endorsed the Kennedy doctrine of Vietnam. Oversaw the equal opportunity programs for minorities, and headed the space programs; all while spearheading the negotiations of the Limited Test Ban Treaty of 1963 with the Soviet Union which became the first arms control agreement (Peters and Woolley, 1999-2015, & Bio,2015). With most doctrines, they are started by one president and finished by his successor and Johnson did what was expected. What wasn't expected was the fury in which he led each endeavor. On January 20, 1965 Lyndon B. Johnson began his first term as the elected President of the United States; holding true to his oath, he picked up where Kennedy left off. Moreover, he put out some doctrines of his own; the passage of the Medicaid and Medicare acts, and voting rights for minorities. In 1965, Johnson pushed a legislative agenda known as the "Great Society," which became the most ambitious and influential...
Words: 987 - Pages: 4
...Lyndon Baines Johnson is the prominent Texan I have chosen to write about in this assignment. The main point in this paper will include his early years , political years ,family, health and death. Lyndon Baines Johnson was born August 27,1908 in Stonewall, Texas to Samuel Ealy Johnson Jr. and Rebekah Baines . Lyndon was the oldest of 5 children. He had 3 sisters and 1 brother. When he was 5 years old his family moved to Johnson City, Texas where he attended public school. He graduated from Johnson City High School in 1924. He attended Southwest Texas State Teachers’ College in San Marcos from 1926 to 1930, where he was a history and social science major. He participated in debate and campus politics, and he edited the school newspaper (The College Star), now known as The University Star. During his four years of college he took 9 months off to take a teaching job at the Mexican American children at the segregated Welhausen School in Cotulla, Texas to earn money to complete his college degree. After graduating from college Lyndon became a teacher at Pearsall High School in Pearsall, Texas, and he taught public speaking at Sam Houston High in Houston, Texas. In 1930 Johnson decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and get involved in politics. His father served six terms in the Texas Legislature. Lyndon’s father was a good friend of Congressman Sam Rayburn. Congressman Rayburn helped Johnson get involved in Texas politics by having him campaign for Texas...
Words: 830 - Pages: 4
