...Lyndon B. Johnson came into office as a former vice president to the president, John F. Kennedy, when John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963. Following Lyndon B. Johnson's inauguration, this new president created the “Great Society”; characterized as an era of programs aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice, something the United States had been struggling with for some time. This Great Society was only “part of his legacy” though, and led to an increased dependency on government assistance. Although Johnson created the Great Society, the Vietnam War was an “elephant” to his presidency, leading me to remember Lyndon B. Johnson as a dishonest and bad president. The Vietnam War was a major part of Lyndon B. Johnson’s...
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...of as a big deal. We all just assume that every 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...
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...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...
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...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 domestic program in the...
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...Q 15DBQ 15: The Resurgence of Conservatism, 1964-2005 Liberals had dominated American society for most of the 1900s. The 1960s was widely known for being the age of counterculture, social reforms, and liberals. The era witnessed many advancements like racial equality such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a strong advancement in political liberalism, and a significant increase in the power and influence of government-funded social programs as a result of Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society reforms. Beginning with the election of Nixon, however, followed a gradual return to conservatism whether religiously, politically, or economically. The resurgence of conservatism in American politics and government in the years 1964-2005, was caused in reaction to 1960s liberal political, economic, and social policies as well as the rise of religious political groups and the controversy over the Vietnam War. The government's political and economic policies contributed to the rise of conservatism. Most notable of the federal reforms were initiated by liberal Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson and his Great Society schemes. His "War on Poverty" speech, delivered on March 16, 1964, called for a war on poverty to give people a second chance by spending millions on education, job training, housing, and healthcare. Johnson's intention was in some ways a conservative one. He wanted to give people a hand-up, not a hand-out and make them dependent on the money earned from taxing the more fortunate (Document...
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...of her distaste for public life, her role can no longer be a private one; she acquires indirect power when her husband takes the oath of office as President of the United States.”[2] In the Era of 1964-1977 the role of the first lady began to transform from one of a political celebrity to the first lady as a Political savvy activist. One of the First Ladies during this era instrumental in the emergence of the first lady as a proactive political activist was Lady Bird (Claudia Alta Taylor) Johnson, wife of former President Lyndon B. Johnson. Through exploring Lady Bird’s roles as a wife, mother, conservationist, businesswoman, philanthropist and First Lady, one will further understand how her influences and actions transformed the role of the modern First lady and how she used her platform to eventually transform not only cities and states but an entire nation well after her role as First lady. In order to fully understand Lady Bird Johnson’s development of her legacy especially in the sense of defining roles and responsibility of a modern first lady one must look at her background filled with active campaign agendas, promotion of her husband’s issues, development of her own environmental issues and private influence on her husband decisions and rhetoric. Lady Bird’s Early Years Claudia Alta Taylor was born on...
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...Many people who worked closely with Johnson described him as being very self confident regarding domestic affairs, which is why he attempted to maintain the idea of the Great Society. However, he was described as being very anxious and fearful regarding foreign affairs, which is part of the reason why he acted to irrationally when making decisions about the war. He let his feelings of insecurity guide his political decisions, which left him concerned mostly with himself without regard to the people or to members of the government. Johnson’s attempt to preserve the Great Society while also trying to win a war against communism in Vietnam lead to decreased approval from the public and the government. Had Johnson thought rationally and accurately informed his advisers and America, he may have been able to maintain some credibility. Johnson’s presidency had the potential to be incredibly successful, as the economy was in a very good position at the start of his time in office, and his relationship with Congress allowed most of his Great Society programs to pass through. Johnson was unable to continue to persuade Congress, maintain a professional reputation among other members in the government, and uphold a trustworthy image to the people during the Vietnam War. These are all key elements of a successful presidency, which Johnson was unable...
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...Lyndon Johnson The Civil Rights bill was brought before Congress in 1963 and in a speech on television on 11th June, Kennedy pointed o/ut that: "The Negro baby born in America today, regardless of the section of the nation in which he is born, has about one-half as much chance of completing high school as a white baby born in the same place on the same day; one third as much chance of completing college; one third as much chance of becoming a professional man; twice as much chance of becoming unemployed; about one-seventh as much chance of earning $10,000 a year; a life expectancy which is seven years shorter; and the prospects of earning only half as much." Kennedy's Civil Rights bill was still being debated by Congress when he was assassinated in November, 1963. The new president, Lyndon Baines Johnson, who had a poor record on civil rights issues, took up the cause. His main opponent was his long-time friend and mentor, Richard B. Russell, who told the Senate: "We will resist to the bitter end any measure or any movement which would have a tendency to bring about social equality and intermingling and amalgamation of the races in our (Southern) states." Russell organized 18 Southern Democratic senators in filibustering this bill. Johnson became President of the USA, in November 1963 after the assassination of Kennedy. It was then that Lyndon Johnson announced his vision of a "Great Society" for America, with "an end to poverty and racial injustice". In his first address...
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...Impact of US Foreign Policy on the Vietnam War The Vietnam War is one of the most talked about wars in history. It began in 1959 and did not end until 1975. These years saw protests, conflicts, casualties, and confusion for the United States, as well as the terms of three presidents: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon. When U.S. involvement in the war began under Kennedy, it was originally put out as a plan for the United States to only aid the South Vietnamese, but, after his assassination, Johnson was put in charge. The path that the war took under Johnson was filled with controversy and large numbers of casualties. When Johnson did not run for a second term, Nixon was left in charge to ultimately turn things around. Soon, all of the American troops were removed from Vietnam, and the war slowly began to come to a close. But what was it about Nixon’s foreign policy that was so much more successful than Johnson’s? Was Nixon’s policy more closely related to Kennedy’s successful strategy than Johnson’s was, and, if so, why didn’t Johnson do a better job modeling his policy after Kennedy? These are all questions that political scientists still look at today as a way to solve the many questions that are still being posed about the war. I have looked deeply into these questions, and found answers through researching the history of Vietnam as well as the three presidents. As I read about each event that unfolded, it became clear to me why there were such...
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...local governments, nonprofit organizations, and grassroots groups—created a new institutional base for antipoverty and civil rights action and, in the process, highlighted growing racial and ideological tensions in American politics and society. Marked by moments of controversy and consensus, the War on Poverty defined a new era for American liberalism and added new layers to the American welfare state. Legislatively, the first two years were the most active. Between President Lyndon Johnson’s State of the Union address in 1964 and the liberal setbacks suffered in the congressional elections of 1966, the Johnson administration pushed through an unprecedented amount of antipoverty legislation. The Economic Opportunity Act (1964) provided the basis for the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO), the Job Corps, Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), Upward Bound, Head Start, Legal Services, the Neighborhood Youth Corps, the Community Action Program (CAP), the college Work-Study program, Neighborhood Development Centers, small business loan programs, rural programs, migrant worker programs, remedial education projects, local health care centers, and others. The antipoverty effort, however, did not stop there. It encompassed a range of Great Society legislation far broader than the Economic Opportunity Act alone. Other important measures with antipoverty functions included an $11 billion tax cut (Revenue Act of 1964), the Civil Rights Act (1964), the Food Stamp Act (1964), the Elementary...
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...The Great Society Lost history, former president placed in between Presidents Kennedy and Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson. If one takes a deeper look into his presidency however, you will find he proposed a grand domestic policy which would revitalize America and truly create a “Great Society.” At the University of Michigan on May 22, 1964 Johnson first outlined his “Great Society. Speaking to the thousands of graduates in attendance, Johnson used his speech to explain a three-pronged plan in which America’s youth would rise up and tackle the mounting problems that the nation was facing. He was addressing not only the graduates in attendance but also the youth all across the country and the speech sent a notice to the establishment that the status...
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...Rock, Birmingham, the careers of Martin Luther Kingand Stokely Carmichael. However, some very important civil rights issues were covered in his presidency. Truman’s ancestors had owned slaves. His first recollection of African Americans was a household servants within his family - and he did not come from a prosperous family. While he was dating his future wife Bess, she claimed that he told her that he felt that one person was as good as any other as long as they were not black. He also criticised the Chinese in America, the Jews - to whom he referred to as "Kikes" and the Italians in America who he called "wops". Hence, Truman’s background produced what one would have expected and the young Truman would have had the same views as most other youths in Independence. When he got involved in politics at an early age, he did what any aspiring politician did in the South, he paid $10 to join the KKK. Public office changed Truman. Why? Did he feel that America could not claim to be the democratic capital of the world while African Americans were treated thus? Or were his motives political? The African American population was big enough to have some political clout. Was he out to fish for their votes with his adoption of the civil rights cause? Truman and civil rights legislation: Before he became president, Truman show demonstrated that he had some civil rights credentials. In his campaign to be re-elected senator for Missouri, he said the following in 1940: "I believe in brotherhood…...
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...History 112 | John F. Kennedy | A Brief Biography of a Great and Good President | Lam Bui 12/11/2011 | Being the youngest and first catholic president; John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) brought a new perspective into the White House. His upbringing and experiences, from school to World War two, are what contributed to his future decisions made as president. During his administration, he was successful in creating and promoting the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which helped encourage Americans to leave racism in the past. Another significant legislative for Kennedy was the Alliance for Progress in whom mission lies in providing aid and creating a better standard of human rights in different regions. Daily choices made by any individual are based on values they’ve accumulated throughout their alive. John F. Kennedy values can be said to have accumulated from his years as a youth in Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut to attendance at Harvard University. Then in World War 2, he demonstrated grit and perseverance as his rescues his fellow shipmate by tugging him back to land with his bare teeth. Born and raised in the wealthy neighborhoods of Brookline, Massachusetts with eight other siblings. His father, Joseph Kennedy was the chairman of United States Securities and Exchange Committee (SEC), and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy was a homemaker. Rose family had a lineage of popular politicians such as John Francis Fitzgerald, mayor of Boston. His father, Joseph Kennedy came from...
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...April 29, 2013 Cause and Effect of War The Vietnam War was during the years of 1964-1975. This is the longest military conflict in U.S. History. Around 85,000 Americans were killed during this war. This war cost over 150 billion dollars. The war involved the North Vietnamese army and the National Liberation Front on one side against the United States and the South Vietnamese army. The war was fought in South Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and a little in North Vietnam. One cause of the war was that the Vietnamese had struggled for their independence from France which was a result of the First Indochina War. As a result of this war, the country was divided into North and South Vietnam. The United States got involved in Vietnam because U.S. authorities thought that if the whole country fell under communist control, this would cause a domino effect and communism would spread through all of Southeast Asia. This was the reason to get involved in Vietnam. When the Japanese finally surrendered on September 2, 1945 in the First Indochina war, Ho also declared independence for Vietnam. The French refused to accept Vietnam’s independence, and later drove the Viet Minh into the north of the country. In 1965, the United States sent troops to help maintain the Southern Vietnamese government. Unfortunately, their plan didn’t work and in 1975 Vietnamese was under Communist control. The United States demanded for Japan to leave Indochina, or else they would be forced to use military action. After...
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...The Welfare System Orsola Nelson May 16, 2012 Kaplan University Human Services and Social Policy – HN300-01 Michelle March The Welfare System got its start in the 1930’s under President Franklin D. Roosevelt following The Great Depression. It started with The New deal but it was not until 1935 when individuals saw welfare for them and their needs. This was the start of The Social Security Act of 1935. In this act provisions were setup to include Old Age assistance and benefits, unemployment compensation, aid to dependent children, maternal and child welfare, services for crippled children, child welfare, public health work and vocational rehabilitation (National Center, n.d). The Food Stamp Program started in 1939, but was ended because there was no longer a widespread food surplus or unemployment. However, the program resurfaced in 1961 after reports, studies and federal proposals in 18 years showed a need for the program to continue (USDA, 2012). The next set of welfare programs came during Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency in the 1960’s. President Johnson had The Great Society that was like President Roosevelt’s New Deal. The Great Society included the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 which aimed at attacking poverty in America. The Job Corps, Head Start Program, Medicare, The Peace Corps, Omnibus Housing Act, The Elementary and Secondary Education Act and The National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities were all created in 1964 under Johnson (U.S. History...
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