Today we stand on a New Frontier Explore

“Today we stand on a New Frontier” “Explore unconquered pockets of ignorance and prejudice, unanswered questions of poverty and surplus” The New Frontier

The New Frontier • New legislative agenda • Increase aid to education • Health insurance to the elderly • Create a dept. of Urban Affairs • Help migrant workers • He had difficulty passing his ideas into real legislation • Little support from Democrats • Thought the New Frontier was too costly • Gave the Federal gov’t too much power

Strengthening the Economy • At the end of the 1950 s, the booming economy had slowed • 2% GNP increase • 7% unemployment • Growth through a New Deal strategy of deficit spending • Increase spending • Lower taxes • Funds for defense and in space exploration • Created more jobs & stimulated economic growth

Strengthening the Economy • Cut taxes for business • More money to expand • Create new jobs • ^ minimum wage to $1. 25 • $400 million in aid to distressed areas • Housing Act – • Extensive home-building + slum clearance program = thousands of construction jobs

Foreign Policy: • Redesign nuclear strategy • Truman’s? ? • Eisenhower’s? ? • Flexible Response • ^ defense spending • Build up conventional military • Special Forces • Tripled nuclear capability

Space Race • 1961: • Yuri Gagarin – First man in space (Soviet) • U. S. Challenge: • 1 month later, U. S. does the same • Better satellite technology • New launch facilities • 1 st man on the moon • Neil Armstrong • “The eagle has landed”

Alliance 4 Progress • Economic and technical assistance to LA • $12 billion • Deter LA from being communist like Cuba • Results: • Gave $ • No fundamental reforms

Peace Corps • Volunteer program for developing nations • In Asia, Africa, and Latin America • Criticisms: • Volunteers were straight out of college • Questioned whether Americans understood cultures • Successes: • Diverse group of volunteers • 1968: 35, 000 volunteers in 60 nations

JFK Assassination

Death of Kennedy • November 21, the President and First Lady departed on Air Force One for the two-day tour of Texas • Feud among party leaders in Texas • Jeopardize his chances of carrying the state • Aim: to bring Democrats together • Small but vocal group of extremists in Texas • Dallas: UN Ambassador Adlai Stevenson had been attacked a month earlier after making a speech there

Kennedy’s in Dallas • Governor John Connally and his wife, Nellie, were already seated in the open convertible as the Kennedys entered and sat behind them • Since it was no longer raining, the plastic bubble top had been left off • Vice President and Mrs. Johnson occupied another car in the motorcade Jackie JFK Gov Connally Nellie

• This is a map of Dealey Plaza • The motorcade route followed the green line • There are direct signs indicating that the route was initially - even still on the day of the assassination - planned to lead via Main Street and not via Houston and Elm Street

JFK Assassination

Witnesses • Ed Hoffman - who claimed to have seen a Grassy Knoll shooter • Howard Brennan - Brennan was the Warren Commission's star witness to a rifleman matching Oswald in the 6 th floor "sniper's nest" in the Book Depository building. • Robert Jackson - Dallas Times-Herald photographer Bob Jackson saw a rifle being withdrawn from the "sniper's nest" window, but did not obtain a photograph of it • Charles Brehem – Heard shots come from the Texas School Depository

• This well-known Polaroid picture was being taken at the moment of the assassination.

• From this building, Oswald was claimed to have shot at President Kennedy (arrow on sniper's nest) • Yet many witnesses reported to see men with rifles at the sniper's nest and at the opposite end of the sixth floor • The Commission denied this assumption

Lee Harvey Oswald GUILTY

Jack Ruby • Oswald was scheduled to be transferred from police headquarters to the county jail • Viewers across America watching the live TV coverage suddenly saw a man aim a pistol and fire at point blank range • The assailant was identified as Jack Ruby, a local nightclub owner • Oswald died two hours later at Parkland Hospital “I couldn't bear the idea of the President's widow being subjected to testifying at the trial of Oswald".

LBJ Sworn In

Warren Commission •

Warren Commission The Warren Commission declared after months of investigation: • Lee Harvey Oswald was the only assassin and acted on his own • He shot from the 6 th floor of the Schoolbook Depository Building which was behind the President's limousine at the time of the assassination • He used the found rifle • Oswald shot police officer Tippit

• The Magic Bullet is the bullet that is claimed to have caused seven wounds on Kennedy and Connally • Initially this bullet had not been found. • Mysteriously, it appeared later in the Parkland Memorial Hospital - you can see - in an almost pristine condition

• The mysterious path of the bullet according to the Warren Commission.

Magic Bullet

Conspiracy Theories • Lee Harvey Oswald • Second Unidentified Assassin on the Grassy Knoll • The Cubans • The Soviets • Mafia • LBJ • FBI • White Supremacist • Jacky Kennedy