Johnson Takes the Reins . Shortly after Johnson took over as President, he urged Congress to enact Kennedy’s New Frontier to work for the poor of America by saying, “Let us continue.” . Although America was in a boom, there were many Americans who lived in poverty . 1/5th of American families earned less than $3,000/year . Mostly those who lived in hidden slums, Appalachia, the Deep South, and Native American reservations . Johnson will launch an antipoverty crusade known as the Great Society. . Although Johnson had similar beliefs to Kennedy, his style of leadership was quite different. . He spoke directly and convincingly. . He became president at age 55 and already had 26 years of congressional experience. . He had a reputation for a man that got things done. . He was able to build coalitions very successfully. . He was one of the most powerful and effective leaders in Senate history. . LBJ had grown up in hard times and he had been a teacher in a low-income area for a time. . Very shortly after he gained office, LBJ was up for election as president. . The Republican candidate running against him was Senator Barry Goldwater from Arizona . Goldwater was known for his strong conservatism and said “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” . This made people nervous because it seemed to aggressive for a nation on the verge of nuclear war. . Johnson won in a landslide and saw it as a mandate for his dream of a “Great Society.” . Goal was to improve the quality of life for everyone in America. . This created several important programs
Assignment: Complete your assigned Great Society program on the Google Classroom document. New Deal Great Society
. Response to an economic depression . Enacted during a period of economic prosperity . Also included legislation to protect civil liberties & voting rights of African Americans . Watch this video: The Great Society’s triumphs and tragedies https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont inue=8&v=EClpFLDrK0g&feature=emb_log o Both . Used power of the federal government to promote social justice, fight poverty & solve social problems . Increased federal spending for social services . Encourage housing construction, helped the elderly and government-sponsored employment programs “ That war killed the lady I really loved – the Great Society.” LBJ
Both the War on Poverty and the Great Society were sacrificed to the war on Vietnam. . Characterized the Great Society and its attempts to end discriminatory practices. . Earl Warren . Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 1953 to 1969 . Oversaw substantial number of landmark decisions in civil rights, individual liberties and expansion of federal power. Remember…? . Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka, KS 1954 Assignment: Complete your assigned court case on the Google Classroom document. . The New Left . Activist student moment at Big 10 and Ivy League universities . Expressed disillusionment with materialistic values of American society, Cold War Polices and lack of action on racial and economic inequality . Formed Students for a Democratic Society in 1962 . Port Huron Statement: In 1967, 70% of Americans saw war protests as acts of disloyalty. •Antiwar Protests – Most college students did not share the radical political view of the New Left but they did participate in the national debate over the Vietnam War and US involvement – College professors organized “teach- ins” to discuss American policy in Vietnam convincing many students that the war was immoral – Led to thousands of students organizing/participating in demonstrations across the country
Protests became more widespread as war continued: including MLK, Mohammad Ali, actress and singers like Joan Baez and even high school students Many protests centered on the draft which was taking 50,000 men (ages 18-26) each month in 1967 for 1 Year Tours 1.7 million men drafted to fight (1965-1973)
80% =Lower class whites and minorities
20% combat deaths were African American
50,000 left the county to avoid draft Hippies or Flower Children Rejected the values of the mainstream society of their parents- hard work, neat appearance & economic success Believed they were leading America into a new age of harmony & understanding Long hair, jeans, sandals, beads, free love, peace, and drugs characterized the counterculture Summer of Love in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district in 1967 LSD, marijuana, speed & heroine became popular Singers like Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Jefferson Airplane & Jimi Hendrix The Counterculture WOODSTOCK
What was it: “three days of peace, music, and love”
When was it: August 1969
Where was it: upstate New York 300,000 to 400,000 people attended
Watch “5 Rockin’ Facts about Woodstock” https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_co ntinue=11&v=uUpHakmt93s&feature=emb_l ogo Watch Jimi Hendrix play the National Anthem at Woodstock https://www.youtube.com/w atch?v=MwIymq0iTsw . Its commitment to liberation inspired both the women’s movement and gay rights movement later. . It’s rejection of traditional values and lack of trust of authority figures became important strands in the national mindset of the 1960s. . Stunned and repelled Americans who embraced the nation’s traditional values. This group would be dubbed “the silent majority,” who would becomes part of the cultural/political backlash that rejuvenated the conservative movement, playing a key role in electing Ronald Reagan as president in 1980.