The New Frontier and the Great Society The

The New Frontier and the Great Society The 50 s/60’s and its Presidents Chapter 24

l l l l l l l Bell Questions Whose name is Synonymous with the Montgomery Bus Boycotts? l Rosa Parks 9 Black students who would integrate Central High in Arkansas § Little Rock Nine Group that disagreed with King’s nonviolent approach; Believed in Racial distinctiveness rather than assimilation l Black Panthers Day of violence in Montgomery called “______”; in response to the March from Selma for Voting rights l “Bloody Sunday” Why did LBJ announced that he would not seek second full term as president l Dissatisfaction nationally with the Vietnam War l -------------------Term describing Middle Class white Americans leaving the cities for suburban home l White Flight First standardized suburbs were casually referred to as______ after their designer. l Levittowns A jump in birthrates across the nation between the end of WWII and the 60’s l The Baby Boom Finish this quote… ”Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your l country In his inauguration speech, where does JFK promise to take us? l Moon Peace Corps volunteers were paid how much a day to assist underdeveloped nations with education, economic, and health programs? l 11¢ Failed invasion by anti-Castro Cuban-Americans. l Bay of Pigs invasion (April 1961) Who wins the election of 1960? l John F. Kennedy Nixon and Khrushchev meet in a mock house to discuss the benefits of the capitalist American consumer market l Kitchen Debate Who pushed through more domestic legislation than any 20 th century president except FDR? l LBJ What determines who wins a presidential election? l Electoral college JFK is assassinated by a Pro-Castro malcontent named l Lee Harvey Oswald Landmark case that overturns Separate but Equal. l Brown v. the Board of Education What is the Court that makes a series of decisions that dramatically change the US known as? l The Warren Court l --------------------Name one of the rock groups from the 60’s mentioned in class l Beatles, the Rolling Stones, or the Doors Name one of the two significant civil rights legislation passed through Congress under LBJ l Voting Rights Act (1965) Civil Rights Act (1964) This resulted in 34 deaths and demonstrated frustration of urban blacks with unemployment and police practices l Watts Riots Who was assassinated in April 1968 further antagonizing racial tensions? l MLK What year is Freedom Summer? l 1964 Who is the first “face” of Black Power? l Malcolm X

Prosperity of 1950 s/1960 s l l Huge military budget, govt funded high tech industry Cheap energy – US controlled oil l l Higher productivity – better educated and better equipped l l l Increased standard of living Veterans were using the GI Bill for education Agribusiness – mechanized farming l l Highways, air conditioners, etc. workers shift to industry/white collar jobs Middle Class doubles to 60% of population

Suburban Living l l FHA/VA low interest loans Tax deductions for mortgage payers 1956 Interstate Highway Act By 1960, 25% of Americans live in suburbs l l By 2000, the percentage goes up to 50% White Flight – l Middle Class white Americans left the cities l Moved to the suburbs l Cities lose income l Poor suffers – education, police, fire

Suburban Living l l 1949 William Levitt produced 150 houses per week in suburbs dubbed “Levittowns” Applied techniques used in barracks construction in WWII Standardized plans, factory assembled frames $7, 990 or $60/month with no down payment.

Pitfalls and Criticism l Cookie-cutter uniformity l l Pressure to conform Housing restrictions Close-knit communities Overly-involved neighbors l Repression of individualism l l l Stereotypes/Gender roles “Stepford Wives” Racially homogenous (excluded Black Americans)

Consumerism l l l 1950 s Introduction of the Diner’s Card Modern advertising Mac. Donald's

Consumerism - Video l Prosperity of the 1950 s and 1960 s is consumer driven (rather than investment driven). l Increased prosperity (& more goods available) led new levels of middle-class mass consumption. l TV helps to fuel this. l Mickey Mouse Club—kids bought MMC merchandise. Modern kitchens and appliances. l

Baby Boom l l l It seems to me that every other young housewife I see is pregnant. -- British visitor to America, 1958 1957 1 baby born every 7 seconds Largest generation in US history Increase in school enrollments, canned food. Leads to a youth culture

Baby Boom

Dr. Benjamin Spock l Wrote influential book on child care: Baby and Child Care. l Said that a woman’s chief responsibility is to be a mother. l Must put the child’s needs before her own. l Lots of pressure on women.

Teen Culture l l In the 1950 s the word “teenager” entered the American language. 1951 “race music” “ROCK ‘N ROLL” roots lay mainly in rhythm and blues, country, folk, gospel, and jazz “Juvenile Delinquency” Between 1948 and 1953, there was a 45 percent rise in juvenile crime rates The youth had conformed for so long that they felt they needed to rebel l l

Teen Culture l l l The “Beat” Generation: rejection of mainstream American values celebrated non-conformity and spontaneous creativity l l Jack Kerouac On The Road Allen Ginsberg poem, “Howl” Neal Cassady William S. Burroughs

Beatniks

FASHION l Prior to the 1950’s, teen clothing very reserved/ proper but to some extent that changed in the 50’s. l Guys l l Hair longer w/ sideburns and slicked back with grease. Jeans Leather jackets (collar turned up to be “cool”) Girls l l l Ponytails Pedal pushers, Scarves. Poodle Skirts popular because l l 1) Easier dancing, being spun around letting the skirt twirled. 2) skirt was loose and free, a sign of freedom.

A Changing Workplace l l l Automation: 1947 -1957 factory workers decreased by 4. 3%, eliminating 1. 5 million blue-collar jobs. By 1956 more white-collar than blue-collar jobs in the U. S. Computers Mark I (1944). First IBM mainframe computer (1951). Corporate Consolidation: l By 1960 600 corporations (1/2% of all U. S. companies) accounted for 53% of total corporate income.

A Changing Workplace l l l New Corporate Culture: “The Company Man” 1956 Sloan Wilson’s The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit Women lose factory jobs in the post war period, but gain service sector jobs l l l “pink collar” sector – secretarial work Pop culture still glorifies the housewife and the cult of domesticity Betty Friedan and NOW reject this image l Feminine Mystique

Well-Defined Gender Roles The ideal modern woman married, cooked and cared for her family, and kept herself busy by joining the local PTA and leading a troop of Campfire Girls. She entertained guests in her family’s suburban house and worked out on the trampoline to keep her size 12 figure. -- Life magazine, 1956 The ideal 1950 s man was the provider, protector, and the boss of the house. -- Life magazine, 1955

Gender roles l l l Women focused on the traditional role of homemaker during the 50’s Many women had gone to the factories during the 40’s and now the nation felt that women belonged in the home Women were discouraged from looking for jobs A popular magazine Better Homes and Gardens add an article that said, “Let’s face it, girls that wonderful guy in your house and in mine is building your house, your happiness and the opportunities that will come to your children. ” Men : – Breadwinner, sole provider for the family – Head of the household

The Culture of the Car l l l Car registrations: 1945 25 m 1960 60 m 2 -family cars doubles from 1951 -1958 1956 Interstate Highway Act largest public works project in American history! l l Cost $32 billion. 41, 000 miles of new highways built.

The Culture of the Car • America became a more homogeneous nation because of the automobile.

The Culture of the Car l l l The U. S. population was on the move in the 1950 s. NE & Mid-W S & SW (“Sunbelt” states) 1955 Disneyland opened in Southern California. l l (40% of the guests came from outside California, most by car. ) Road Trips!

Television - Link l l l 1946 7, 000 TV sets in the U. S. 1950 50, 000 TV sets in the U. S. Mass Audience TV celebrated traditional American values. “Television is a vast wasteland. ” Newton Minnow, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, 1961

Television in the 1950 s and 1960 s l Leave It to Beaver 1957 -1963 l Father Knows Best 1954 -1958 l The Ozzie & Harriet Show 1952 -1966

Television – The Western Sheriff Matt Dillon, Gunsmoke Davy Crockett King of the Wild Frontier The Lone Ranger (and his faithful sidekick, Tonto): Who is that masked man? ?

Television - Family Shows V Glossy view of mostly middle-class suburban life. But. . . I Love Lucy Social Winners? . . . The Honeymooners AND… Losers?

Religious Revival l l Church membership: 1940 64, 000 1960 114, 000 Television Preachers: 1. Catholic Bishop Fulton J. Sheen “Life is Worth Living” 2. Methodist Minister Norman Vincent Peale The Power of Positive Thinking 3. Reverend Billy Graham ecumenical message; warned against the evils of Communism.

Progress Through Science l l l l 1951 -- First IBM Mainframe Computer 1952 -- Hydrogen Bomb Test 1953 -- DNA Structure Discovered 1954 -- Salk Vaccine Tested for Polio 1957 -- First Commercial U. S. Nuclear Power Plant 1958 -- NASA Created 1959 -- Press Conference of the First 7 American Astronauts

The 50 s Come to a Close vid l l 1959 Nixon-Khrushchev “Kitchen Debate” An entire house was built that the American exhibitors claimed anyone in America could afford. It was filled with labor saving and recreational devices meant to represent the fruits of the capitalist American consumer market.

The New Frontier of John F. Kennedy (1961 -1963) V l A. JFK defeated Richard Nixon in 1960 in a very close election partially decided by a series of televised debates l l l 1. JFK was a war hero from WWII when he survived a terrible attack by the Japanese while captain of the boat PT -109 B. Spirit of optimism and Camelot inspired Kennedy's supporters and frustrated opponents. C. Inauguration speech heralded new approaches l l l 1. "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. " 2. Promised a landing on the moon by the end of the decade 3. Strong challenge to the Soviet bloc to respect human rights

The Election of 1960

JFK (cont) l D. Success and failures of New Frontier l 1. Domestic l a) Promoted economic expansion by cutting taxes and holding down prices. Economy boomed thorough the 1960 s l b) Many domestic programs proposed to address civil rights, Medicare, education issues. Very few actually won Congressional approval.

New Frontier (cont) l 2. Foreign l a) Alliance for Progress--economic aid for Latin American nations l b) Peace Corps--paid volunteers 11¢ a day to assist underdeveloped nations with education, economic, and health programs l c) Bay of Pigs invasion (April 1961)-Failed invasion by anti-Castro Cuban. Americans embarrassed JFK as the CIA had trained and financed the mission V

Cont. V l d) Cuban Missile Crisis (October 1962)--Soviets placed offensive missiles in Cuba. U. S. used diplomatic and military pressure (embargo of ships bound for Cuba). After tense two-week period, Soviets removed missiles.

D. New Frontier (cont) le) Berlin Visit (1962)--JFK declared "I am a Berliner" to huge crowd in challenge to Soviet presence and response to building of the Berlin Wall ("For those who say communism is a better system, let them come to Berlin") V l

Cont. V l f) V* Vietnam Quagmire. JFK continued Eisenhower's policy of support for anticommunist forces in Southeast Asia to prevent "domino effect" of nations falling under communist control

The Cuban Missile Crisis

JFK (cont) V l JFK is assassinated (November 22, 1963) in Dallas, Texas by Lee Harvey Oswald (a pro. Castro malcontent). Still today, Historians have widely differing assessments of the events which took place. l 1. His death is then investigated by the Warren Commission, which ruled it was not a conspiracy and Oswald did commit the murder. l V

Johnson Presidency (1963 -1969) l A. LBJ pushed through more domestic legislation than any 20 th century president except FDR l l 1. Declared a war on poverty and creation of a Great Society l a) Medicare and Medicaid programs l b) VISTA--domestic Peace Corps l c) New cabinet offices created in Transportation and Housing and Urban Development l d) Head Start programs to aid underprivileged children l e) Food Stamp aid to help poor families 2. Significant civil rights legislation passed through Congress, including Voting Rights Act 1965 and Civil Rights Acts 1964

Poverty in America

The Great Society

II. LBJ (cont) l B. Urban unrest l l 1. Watts Riot (1965) resulted in 34 deaths and $35 million damage and demonstrated frustration of urban blacks with unemployment and police practices 2. Riots followed in black neighborhoods in Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, Newark, and Jacksonville from 1965 -1967.

B. Urban Unrest (cont) l 3. King's assassination in April 1968 further antagonized racial tensions. National Commission concluded "Our nation is moving towards two societies, black and white, separate and unequal. "

II. LBJ (cont) l C. Foreign problems l l 1. U. S. invasion of Dominican Republic to bolster pro-American dictator put down revolt but weakened LBJ's credibility in foreign affairs 2. Vietnam. Because of criticism, LBJ announced on March 31, 1968 he would not seek second full term as president in 1968 election.

III. The Warren Court • A. Led by Chief Justice Earl Warren, the Supreme Court makes a series of decisions that dramatically change American society and the federal government’s relationship to citizens. • 1. In Reynolds v. Sims the Court requires states to adhere to the principle of one person, one vote.

III. The Warren Court (cont) • 2. In four cases, Mapp v. Ohio, Gideon v. Wainwright, Escobedo v. Illinois, and Miranda v. Arizona, the Court extends due process, giving more protection to those accused of crimes.

The Warren Court

IV. Counterculture l A. Radicalization of American students led to challenge to Establishment norms and laws l l l 1. Youth culture openly scornful of middle class values 2. Increased and public use of hallucinogenic drugs 3. Rise of hippies ("tune in, turn on, drop out") led to development of communes and other counterculture movements

A. Radicalization (cont) l 4. Rock and folk music reflected iconoclastic views of the counter culture. l l a) Rock groups such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Doors expressed mystical approach that embraced drugs and Eastern religions as well as themes of anger, frustration, and rebelliousness b) Folk singers (Joan Baez, Bob Dylan) expressed explicit radicalism and challenged traditional mores.

IV. Counterculture (cont) l B. New militancy among ethnic groups and feminists also challenged values and laws through affirmative action and university programs that focused on correcting past abuses and stridency in pushing for equal treatment and legal protection.

Plessy v Ferguson Is Separate Equal? l l l Facts: § 1896 Homer Plessy took a seat in the “Whites Only” car of a train and refused to move. He was arrested, tried, and convicted in the District Court of New Orleans for breaking Louisiana’s segregation law. Question: § Was the Louisiana law separating blacks and whites on railroad cars legal? Decision: § Split decision that “separate but equal” law did not violate the 14 th amendment

Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka KS Is Separate Equal ? l l l Facts: § Linda Brown’s parents wanted her to attend the school close to her home. Kansas law stated she had to attend a segregated school. NAACP and attorney Thurgood Marshall tested the law. Question: § Can Linda Brown attend an “all white” school? Decision: § § “separate educational facilities inherently unequal” desegregation required across the nation

The Civil Right Movement!

Civil Rights Movement l 1955 – Montgomery Bus Boycott V* l l l 1955 – Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat and was arrested V V* Jo. Ann Robinson suggested a boycott of the buses Leaders of the African American community formed the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) l l l Elected 26 yr old Martin Luther King to lead Dr. King made a passionate speech and filled the audience with a sense of mission African Americans boycotted the buses for 382 days and filed a lawsuit l l l African Americans were impatient with the slow speed of change Took direct action Organized car pools Walked long distances 1956 – Supreme Court outlawed bus segregation

Civil Rights Movement l 1957 – Little Rock 9 - State had been planning for desegregation V l l Governor Faubus ordered the National Guard to turn away the “Little Rock Nine” l the 9 African American students who would integrate Little Rock Central High A Federal judge and the President order Faubus to let the students attend the school Eisenhower placed the 101 st Army Airborne to watch the 9 attend school A year later, Faubus shut down the high school

Civil Rights Movement l Freedom Riders of 1961 (LINK) l Civil Rights activists (CORE) would ride busses to test the Supreme Court decision that banned segregation on buses and in bus terminals l Provoking a violent reaction to force the JFK administration to enforce the law l Riders were tormented and beaten l Newspaper coverage and the violence provoked JFK to send federal marshals to protect the riders l Segregation in all interstate travel facilities was banned

Civil Rights Movement l Birmingham 1963 l l Strictly enforced its segregation Reputation for racial violence Reverend Shuttlesworth, MLK, and the SCLC tested their non-violence MLK and others were arrested during a nonviolent demonstration l l With MLK out of jail, the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership conference) planned a children’s march in Birmingham (LINK) l l l MLK wrote Letters from a Birmingham Jail Police Commissioner “Bull” Connor arrested them Later, the police met the marchers with high pressure fire hoses and attack dogs TV cameras captured the scene Birmingham officials finally ended segregation Convinced JFK to write a civil rights act

Civil Rights Movement l 1963 - March on Washington l To show support for JFK’s civil rights bill, a march on Washington was formed l l Aug. 28, 1963, 250, 000 people assembled in Washington MLK gave his “I have a Dream” speech l l Appeals for peace and harmony V Two weeks later, 4 girls were killed in a Birmingham church V Two months later, JFK is assassinated LBJ pledges to carry out JFK’s work l l l Passes Civil Rights Act of 1964 Prohibited discrimination Gave equal access to public accommodations

II. The Kennedy Years A. Kennedy and Civil Rights l l Kennedy failed to protect civil rights workers from violence, insisting that law enforcement was a local matter The events in Birmingham in 1963 forced Kennedy to take more action B. The Assassination l Kennedy was shot on November 22, 1963, in Dallas

III. Lyndon Johnson’s Presidency Civil Rights under Johnson l l l Immediately after becoming president, Lyndon Johnson identified himself with the black movement more passionately than any previous president In 1964, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act Freedom Summer l l l The 1964 law did not address a major concern of the civil rights movement—the right to vote in the South Freedom Summer was a voter registration drive in Mississippi

Lyndon Johnson’s Presidency (con’t) V C. Selma and Voting Rights l March 7, 1965 King led 600 in a march from Selma to Montgomery l l Alabama state troopers respond with Billy clubs and gas masks, beating the protesters back over the bridge; “Bloody Sunday” V* V The federal government took action when there was violence against nonviolent demonstrators l l l 1965 Voting Rights Act Twenty-fourth Amendment March 21; March again with over 8, 000 supporters and MLK to Steps of Capitol "How Long, Not Long“ V V*

Lyndon Johnson’s Presidency (con’t) D. Freedom and Equality l l Johnson’s Great Society may not have achieved equality “as a fact, ” but it represented a remarkable reaffirmation of the idea of social citizenship Coupled with the decade’s high rate of economic growth, the War on Poverty succeeded in reducing the incidence of poverty from 22 percent to 13 percent of American families during the 1960 s

IV. The Changing Black Movement l The Ghetto Uprising l l In 1965 a Watts uprising left 35 dead, 900 injured and $30 million in property damage By the summer of 1967, violence had become so widespread that some feared racial civil war

The Changing Black Movement (con’t) B. Economic Freedom l With black unemployment twice that of whites and average black family income little more than half the white norm, the movement looked for ways to “make freedom real” for black Americans

The Changing Black Movement (con’t) l Many young African Americans called for black power, an idea that disagreed with King’s nonviolent approach. l racial distinctiveness rather than assimilation.

The Changing Black Movement (con’t) l Malcolm X V l l a symbol of the black power l joined the Nation of Islam, or Black Muslims l should separate themselves from whites and form their own self-governing communities. Discouraged by scandals involving the Nation of Islam’s leader, he broke with the group. l After criticizing the organization, members shot him in February 1965. l V

The Changing Black Movement (con’t) l Influenced by Malcolm X, three men organized the Black Panthers l Blacks should arm themselves and prepare to force whites to grant them equal rights.

King is Assassinated l l Went to Memphis to support a strike of African American sanitation workers l planning another march on Washington to lobby the federal government to commit billions of dollars to end poverty and unemployment in the U. S. On April 4, 1968, a sniper, James Earl Ray, assassinated King civil rights movement - lacked the unity of purpose and vision that Dr. King had given it. V