The Election of 1960

The presidency changes drastically as the sixties began due to the innovation of television.

It was estimated that 75 million watched the first ever televised debate.

Both parties had spent 6 million dollars in radio and television adds.

Who do you love?

Richard Millhouse Nixon

QuakerVice President under

EisenhowerFrom CaliforniaGrew up with financial

struggles

John F. Kennedy

CatholicYoung ,wealthyWar HeroFrom Massachusetts

Up for Debate

Portrayed himself as a cold warrior, who wanted to stop communism.

Wanted to boost the economy

Believed Kennedy's plan would boost inflation

Believed he was the only one with the foreign politics experience.

Portrayed himself as a cold warrior, who wanted to stop communism.

Wanted to boost the economy

Concerned with the missile gap, believed the U.S. lagged behind Russia in missile production

The result

It was Kennedy’s optimism and charisma that won out leading to his election.

Still the election was close as the country elected it’s youngest and first catholic President.

The New Frontier

After Kennedy became President he pushed his campaign promises stating that he would:

Stimulate the lagging economyReform educationProvide healthcare to the elderlyContinue the struggle for civil rightsAs well as win the Space Race

JFK and Communism

Kennedy felt the Eisenhower relied too much on Nuclear weapons. Kennedy instead increased funding to the special forces.

Kennedy appointed a group of young minded forward thinking men for his cabinet.

Flexible response

Kennedy’s policies started with building the military.

In 1961 there was a 6 billion dollar jump in military spending.

Termed by Robert McNamara as “Flexible Response” the growth of arms allowed the U.S. multiple options when containing communism.

Berlin Crisis

During a conference in Vienna both Khrushchev and Kennedy had a longing for peace in Berlin.

July 1 Kennedy speaks enlarging the military to bring about freedom for the world.

August 13 the U.S.S.R. Sealed off their end of Germany with the Berlin Wall.

Containment around the world

In fighting Communism Kennedy focused on aid as much as military.

20 billion dollars was spent in an alliance with Latin America, and South East Asia

The money went to developing schools , housing and health care.

Peace Corps

The most memorable being the Peace Corps.

An organization that sent Americans to provide humanitarian services in less developed nations.

Cuba

As Castro rose to power Kennedy backed the anti Castro movement

The Eisenhower Administration had been a group of Cuban exiles in Guatemala since 1960.

CIA planned to use this force to overthrow Castro

The Bay of Pigs Invasion

April 1961 1400 Cuban Exiles moved ashore the Bay of pigs on the southern coast of Cuba

Kennedy believed the action should remain covert. Holding back air support.

Without air support the invasion was a failureIn 48 hours 500 of the exiles had been killed,

and the rest had surrendered.

The Cuban Missile Crisis

With the failed invasion Castro went to the Soviet Union for aid.

The Soviet Union began to build weapons for the delivery of Nuclear missiles in Cuba

After sending aerial surveillance over Cuba the U.S. and Russia were in diplomatic stand still over the missiles.

The New Frontier moving forward

Civil Rights

Kennedy had pushed him self as a backer of the civil rights movement during the campaign.

Kennedy struggled in office in figuring out how t give rights to African Americans without alienating southern Democrats.

Originally Kennedy was behind Congress's approval of Eisenhower's civil rights work.

Civil Rights movement

Kennedy was able to appoint a number of African American's in high government positions. (Example Thurgood Marshall being appointed to the circuit court)

Vice President Johnson was placed in charge of a bureau for the equal employment of African Americans.

Freedom Ride

While had a laid back approach to achieving civil rights the movement itself would not accept his actions.

The congress of racial equality sponsored a freedom ride.They attempted to test a supreme court ruling outlawing

segregation in all bus and train stations.When arriving in Alabama the riders were attacked by a mob of

angry whites.Kennedy sent a letter asking them to stop since he was busy

with the Berlin crisis.Eventually the interstate commerce committee banned

segregation.

The Martin Luther King effect

Martin Luther king forced Kennedy to step up by starting a protest in Birmingham.

Look to end the segregation of public facilities many of the protestors were put in prison where King spoke you through writing letters.

After watching the violent actions Kennedy stepped in freeing the protestors and granting many of their demands.

From this point on the Kennedy began to back the movement.

The march on Washington

August in 1963 even though the government pleaded with them to stop the civil rights leaders scheduled a massive march on Washington.

200,000 marchers gathered for activities culminating in King’s “I have a dream speech”

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

After the close destruction during the Cuban missile crisis both sides decide to start consider the Nuclear crisis.

The U.S. and the U.S.S.R. sign the nuclear test ban treaty: Which stopped the testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere.

The Kennedy Era Ends

Shortly after the passage of the test ban treaty Kennedy and his wife were visiting Dallas Texas.

As the motorcade was moved down the street President Kennedy was shot once in the throat and head

The believed gunman was Lee Harvey OswaldOswald would later be killed in police custody

Johnson’s Reforms

Johnson attempted to continue the reforms of Kennedy with some success.

War on poverty: Trying to thin the number of poor citizens in the country Johnson used government money to provide:Adult remedial servicesChild careConsumer education classes

The Great Society

As Johnson entered his first term as President congress accepted his push for what he called the Great society Program.

Especially since he broke the conservative grip on congress.

Medicare and Medicaid

Johnson pushed for two traditional reforms. Healthcare and aid to education.

Medicare: mandated health insurance under the social security program for those over 65.

Medicaid: Gave health care to those below the poverty line.

The main argument was that they added to entitlements.

Civil Rights act of 1965

The Vietnam War

Dien Bien Phu

In the interior of Northern Indo-China 10,000 French troops had been surround by the Vietnamese.

The French turned for support from AmericaAs the U.S. lingered on action the French were

pushed out of North Vietnam

The U.S. would later take over for the French in south Vietnam

Vietnam Dilemma

Vietnam during the Kennedy era fell into political upheaval.

Kennedy sent economic aid along with military advisors.

Johnson continued Kennedy's plan until………

The Gulf of Tolkien Resolution

August 2, 1964 the Maddox was sunk by torpedoes. The ship was gathering information off the coast of North Vietnam.

Two ships investigated the issue resulting in U.S. airstrikes on two shipyards.

Johnson then asked congress to pass a resolution to authorize him to take all necessary measures to repel armed attacks on U.S. forces.

Lead to the escalation of the war.

The early days

The original plan was to use bombing and troop movements to cut off supplies to North Vietnamese rebels.

Johnson was warned that he may be getting into something that can’t be finished in two t three years.

Stalemate

The main supply line was known as the Ho-Chi- Minh trail. That ran through Laos and Cambodia.

The U.S. bombed this area constantly but saw little results.

In the south the search and destroy programs of General Westmorland went no better, as the Vietcong were supported by the North Vietnamese.

Cultural push back

The war became a growing movement for youth protest.

Across the country starting college campuses students began to speak out against the war. Starting at Berkeley.

Full expression started in 1962 with Students for a democratic society.(Started in Port Huron Michigan)Group wanted to end poverty, violence, racism in the country.

Controversy Continues

By 1966 1967 protest became only more tense.

The students did not end the war but atleast gave protestors a voice.

Tet Offensive

By 1968 the Tet Offensive would break the stalemate and drive Johnson from office.

During the holiday known as Tet there was normally a lull in fighting.

The Vietcong considered this a perfect time for a surprise attack.

The attack struck 36 of the 40 important provincial cities including the capital Saigon

6 hours were caught on film.

Democratic party Problems

Johnson decided to remove himself fro reelectionThe vice President Hubert Humphrey stepped in

along with Robert or Bobby Kennedy.Bobby looked like he could be the winner until he

was shot outside a California hotel.

Humphrey got the nomination only to run against……

Nixon’s campaign plan

Nixon ran by appealing to what became known as the “Silent majority”

The idea that the student protestors may have had a loud voice but did not truly speak for America.

Upon election Nixon said he would bring the country together.

Achievements

Nixon was the first President to bring aboutAffirmative actionThe establishment of the EPAThe lowering of the voting ageThe introduction of food stamps

Detente

The policy in which Nixon tried to relax tensions with communist countries

Opened trade with China

Salt conference: Visit to Moscow agreed to arms control and reduction

Ending the war in Vietnam

Nixon had a three scale tactic to end the war

1st renewed bombing including a secret order to bomb Cambodia

2nd slowly reducing troops

3rd Secret talks in Hanoi about ending the war

Water gate Scandal

With Nixon’s detent policy he was afraid of leaks making him look weak on Communism.

Develops a covert surveillance group

Same group is caught and covered up during the 1972 election

Carter administration

Carter hoped to simply balance the budget and expand the American economy.

Iranian hostage crisis: In 1979 Americans were taken hostage in Iran

Originally carter used economic constraintsWhen that didn’t work there was a failed military rescueEventually freedom was negotiated after lasting from the

summer to fall of 1980

The Reagan administration

Economics:

Reagan cut taxes on the rich hoping for a trickle down affect

Also began to deregulate the free market giving more strength to the private sector economy

Reagan Foreign Policy

Increased arms funding to Afghanistan to halt a soviet invasion.

Developed SDI which was an advanced laser based anti missile system

Began the Nicaragua group the contra to fight the sandonistas.

Iran Contra Affair

1985 Robert McFarlane began to a new iniative to restore American influence in the Middle East

When six American hostages were taken McFarlane proposed trading weapons for hostages

Secondly after a congressional cut on abroad spending the administration began soliciting money from wealthy donors to buy weapons for the contras.