Key Events and Policies of the 1960s in America

1960 Election

Presidential election where John F. Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon in a close race.

John F. Kennedy

35th U.S. President (1961-1963), known for his New Frontier policies and handling of the Cold War.

Camelot

Term referring to the idealized Kennedy administration, inspired by the mythical kingdom.

Cabinet

Kennedy's appointed advisors, including Robert McNamara (Defense) and Dean Rusk (State).

New Frontier

Kennedy's domestic and foreign policy agenda focusing on social reforms and Cold War challenges.

Robert McNamara

Secretary of Defense under JFK and LBJ, architect of 'Flexible Response' in Vietnam.

Flexible Response

Military strategy emphasizing varied options (conventional, nuclear, guerrilla) over massive retaliation.

Peace Corps

JFK's program sending American volunteers abroad for humanitarian and development work.

Alliance for Progress

U.S. initiative to promote economic cooperation and counter communism in Latin America.

U-2 Spy Incident

1960 crisis when a U.S. spy plane was shot down over the USSR, escalating Cold War tensions.

Kennedy's Programs and Policy

Included Equal Pay Act, Fair Housing, Commission on Status of Women, and Civil Rights advocacy.

Deficit Spending and John Maynard Keynes

Economic policy using government spending to stimulate growth, influenced by Keynesian theory.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

Failed 1961 CIA-backed invasion of Cuba to overthrow Fidel Castro.

Fidel Castro

Communist leader of Cuba who allied with the USSR after the Cuban Revolution.

Cuban Missile Crisis

1962 standoff between U.S. and USSR over Soviet missiles in Cuba, narrowly avoiding nuclear war.

Nikita Khrushchev

Soviet Premier during the Cuban Missile Crisis and early Cold War tensions.

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and Hot Line

1963 agreement limiting nuclear tests; direct U.S.-USSR communication line established.

Berlin Crisis and Berlin Wall

USSR erected the Wall in 1961 to stop East Germans from fleeing to West Berlin.

Space Race

Cold War competition between U.S. and USSR, culminating in the 1969 moon landing.

JFK Assassination and Warren Commission

Kennedy was killed in 1963; the Commission concluded Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.

Lyndon B. Johnson

36th U.S. President (1963-1969), expanded Great Society programs and escalated Vietnam War.

Great Society

LBJ's domestic agenda to eliminate poverty and racial injustice (e.g., Medicare, Civil Rights Act).

Economic Opportunity Act

1964 law creating programs like Job Corps and VISTA to combat poverty.

VISTA

Volunteers in Service to America, a domestic Peace Corps program.

Head Start

Early childhood education program for low-income families.

Medicare

Federal health insurance for seniors.

Medicaid

Health coverage for low-income individuals.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act

1965 law funding K-12 schools, especially in poor areas.

Immigration and Nationality Act

1965 law ending quotas based on nationality, favoring family reunification.

Environmental and Safety Legislation

Included Clean Air Act, Highway Safety Act, and consumer protection laws.

Barry Goldwater and Election of 1964

Conservative Republican who lost to LBJ but reshaped the GOP's future.

Warren Court

Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren (1953-1969), known for liberal rulings.

Judicial Interpretation

Warren Court expanded civil rights and individual liberties via broad constitutional readings.

Gideon v. Wainwright

1963 ruling guaranteeing legal counsel for indigent defendants.

Miranda v. Arizona

1966 decision requiring police to inform suspects of their rights ('Miranda rights').

Tinker v. Des Moines

1969 case protecting students' free speech rights in schools.

Vietnam War and Its Origins

Conflict (1955-1975) between communist North Vietnam and U.S.-backed South Vietnam.

Domino Theory

Cold War belief that if one nation fell to communism, others would follow.

Ho Chi Minh and Viet Minh

Communist leader and his nationalist group fighting French then U.S. influence.

Dien Bien Phu

1954 battle where Viet Minh defeated French forces, leading to Geneva Accords.

Geneva Conference

1954 meeting dividing Vietnam at the 17th parallel, setting elections (never held).

SEATO

Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, a U.S.-led alliance to contain communism in Asia.

Ngo Dinh Diem

U.S.-backed South Vietnamese leader assassinated in 1963 due to corruption.

Viet Cong

Communist guerrillas in South Vietnam fighting U.S. and South Vietnamese forces.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

Supply route from North to South Vietnam via Laos/Cambodia.

Tonkin Gulf Incident and Resolution

1964 alleged attack on U.S. ships led to Congress authorizing military force in Vietnam.

William Westmoreland

U.S. general commanding troops in Vietnam, advocated troop escalations.

Operation Rolling Thunder

Sustained U.S. bombing campaign (1965-1968) against North Vietnam.

Napalm and Agent Orange

Chemical weapons used by U.S.; Agent Orange caused long-term health/environmental damage.

Selective Service System

Draft system requiring young men to serve, disproportionately affecting minorities/low-income.

Draftees and Stop-the-Draft Week

Protests against conscription, including 1967 demonstrations.

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)

Radical student group leading antiwar and civil rights activism.

26th Amendment

Lowered voting age to 18 (1971), partly due to youth opposition to Vietnam draft.

Hearts and Minds

U.S. strategy to win Vietnamese civilian support, largely unsuccessful.

Hawks vs. Doves

Supporters (hawks) vs. opponents (doves) of U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

J. William Fulbright

Senator who turned against the war, held critical hearings in 1966-1967.

Tet Offensive

1968 surprise Viet Cong/NVA attacks, turning U.S. public opinion against the war.

My Lai Massacre

1968 U.S. soldiers killed hundreds of unarmed Vietnamese civilians, fueling antiwar sentiment.

Credibility Gap

Public distrust of government statements about Vietnam.

1968 Election and DNC

Nixon won amid chaos; Democratic National Convention saw violent protests.

Eugene McCarthy

Antiwar Democrat who challenged LBJ in 1968 primaries.

Robert Kennedy

JFK's brother, antiwar presidential candidate assassinated in 1968.

George Wallace

Segregationist third-party candidate in 1968.

Hubert Humphrey

LBJ's VP, Democratic nominee in 1968 who lost to Nixon.

Richard Nixon

37th President (1969-1974), escalated then ended Vietnam War, resigned over Watergate.

Silent Majority

Nixon's term for Americans who quietly supported his policies.

Vietnamization

Nixon's plan to transfer combat duties to South Vietnamese forces while withdrawing U.S. troops.

Khmer Rouge

Communist group in Cambodia, fueled by U.S. bombings, later committed genocide.

Kent State Massacre

1970 National Guard killed four student protesters, intensifying antiwar backlash.

Pentagon Papers

Leaked 1971 documents revealing government deception about Vietnam.

Paris Peace Accords

1973 agreement ending U.S. involvement in Vietnam; North later conquered South in 1975.

Withdrawal and Results of the Vietnam War

U.S. left in 1973; South Vietnam fell in 1975, leading to communist reunification.

Counterculture Movement

1960s youth rebellion against mainstream values, embracing peace, drugs, and alternative lifestyles.

Hippies

Counterculture adherents promoting peace, love, and communal living.

Communes

Shared living spaces where hippies practiced collective lifestyles.

Generation Gap

Cultural divide between young activists and older, more conservative adults.

Buddhism

Influenced counterculture spirituality, notably via figures like Thich Nhat Hanh.

Monterey Pop Festival

1967 music festival epitomizing counterculture ideals.

Haight-Ashbury

San Francisco neighborhood, hub of hippie culture.

Timothy Leary

Psychologist who advocated LSD use ('Turn on, tune in, drop out').

Woodstock, Acts and Impact

1969 iconic music festival symbolizing peace and music's unifying power.

Altamont Music Festival

1969 concert marked by violence, signaling the end of the 'peace and love' era.