The 1960s John Fitzgerald Kennedy n JFK bc
The 1960’s
John Fitzgerald Kennedy n JFK b/c president in 1960 at the age of 43 – The youngest elected president in history – JFK was assassinated on November 22, 1963 § By Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas n Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) took over the presidential office – Johnson also won his own presidential election in 1964
The Berlin Wall (1961) n Nikita Khrushchev – new leader of the SU – 1961 – SU builds a wall that separates East and West Berlin n The Berlin Wall – A massive barrier guarded by barbed wire, flood lights, machine gun towers, minefields, and vicious dog patrols – Built to stop East Berliners from escaping to West Berlin § Getting away from communist oppression
Bay of Pigs (1961) n Fidel Castro has taken control of Cuba – Set up a Soviet supported communist govt. n John F. Kennedy is US President – JFK approves a secret plan to help Cuban exiles invade Cuba and start a revolution against Castro – Once the b/g the revolt JFK calls off US air support § It turns into a disaster – the expected uprising from Cuban citizens never happened § Many of the US trained invaders were killed or captured
Cuban Missile Crisis n SU sends arms and military advisers to Cuba – After the US Bay of Pigs disaster – 1962 – Khrushchev b/g to place nuclear missiles in Cuba w/i easy range of America § In response to US nuclear weapons that were placed in Turkey w/i easy range of the SU – JFK orders a blockade to stop more missiles from getting into Cuba § This gave each side time to negotiate a peaceful solution
Cuban Missile Crisis Effects n The agreements… – Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles in Cuba – JFK agreed not to invade Cuba n The crisis brought the world too close to nuclear war! – This terrifying fact had a huge effect on both sides – A hotline communications system b/w Moscow and Washington, D. C was installed in 1963 § They could now communicate quickly in a time of crisis
The Johnson Administration n Johnson’s goal was to create what he called a “Great Society” n Johnson’s welfare state – Health care for the elderly – Combat poverty – Federal assistance for education – Civil Rights for African Americans
Martin Luther King, Jr. n Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was the leader of Civil Rights Movement – He advocated passive disobedience § Peaceful protests such as marches, sit-ins, etc. – King was assassinated in 1968 § By James Earl Ray in Memphis, Tennessee – The movement continued w/o him, but he is remembered as the most influential person of the movement
Vietnam n 1964 – US president Lyndon B. Johnson sends rising numbers of troops to Vietnam – The goal – to keep the Communist regime of N. Vietnam from gaining control of S. Vietnam § Stop the spread of Communism Containment!!! – US sees Vietnam in terms of the domino theory § Domino Theory – if S. Vietnam falls to Communism, then other Asian countries will fall too § CONTAINMENT US foreign policy!!!
The Vietnam War n Vietnam was the first war to be brought into American homes every evening on television – Huge effect on the support, or lack thereof § Turned American support against the war n An antiwar mvmt b/g to form in the US – Especially among college students of draft age n US failed to defeat the determined N. Vietnamese – Even w/ the massive superiority in equipment and firepower
US Gets Out of Vietnam n LBJ does not run for reelection – He was condemned for his handling of the war – Richard Nixon b/c the new US President § He ran on the campaign to get the US out of Vietnam n 1973 – Nixon reaches an agreement w/ N. Vietnam that allowed US to w/draw – Within 2 years of the US w/draw, S. Vietnam fell to the communist N. Vietnamese forces § Vietnam showed the limitation of American power!
Equality For All! n Women’s Liberation Movement – Also called Women’s Lib – B/g in the late 1960’s – Women b/g to assert their rights for equality § Equal opportunity, equal treatment § Especially in the workplace equal pay! – Women b/g to burn their bras in protest to the bondage they had suffered by the hands of men
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