Civil Rights and Kennedy/Johnson

How was the 1960 election between Kennedy and Nixon different from any other prior?

The two men were similar(had same ideas), became a contest between Kennedy's charisma(style + wit) vs. Nixon’s experience, closest in history. Kennedy was first catholic president.

Warren Commission

Created by President Lyndon B Johnson to investigate the assassination of Kennedy. Controversial results: Lee Harvey Oswald.

Cuban Missile Crisis

Soviet missiles in Cuba, Kennedy blocks Cuban shipping lanes, Khrushchev agrees to remove them if the u.s. never attacks Cuba and removes their missiles from Turkey. Kennedy agrees to 1st but ignores the 2nd (secretly does it)

2 positive aspects of the Cuban missile crisis

1- Kennedy and Khrushchev later get a “hot line”(direct line of communication)

2- Signed the limited test ban treaty - barred nuclear testing in the atmosphere

Berlin Wall significance

Symbol of the cold war

Kennedy’s domestic program

The new Frontier

Lyndon B. Johnson’s domestic program

Great Society

Main goal of Lyndon B. Johnson’s domestic policies

To eliminate poverty and hardship in the u.s.

Medicare

Federally funded health care for the elderly

Medicaid

Federally funded health care for the needy that didn’t qualify for medicare(too young).

HUD

Housing and Urban Development

VISTA

Domestic Peace Corps, citizens in poor neighborhoods

Head Start

Gave preschoolers from disadvantaged families a leg up on elementary school education

Warren Supreme Court

Went further in making reforms its business than any other court in history. Rights when accused of a crime.

Baker vs. Carr

Ruled Federal courts would settle issues because the Constitution stated “1 man, 1 vote”, votes needed to be equal

Gerrymandering + Malapportionment

Drawing districts to give one group a benefit over the other + one vote counts more (1/10 vs 1/500)

Gideon vs. Wainwright

Criminal courts must provide free legal counsel to people who can't afford it.

Miranda(rights) vs. Arizona

All suspects must be read their rights before questioning

Mapp vs. Ohio

Ruled evidence seized illegally could not be used in court

March on Washington in 1965

To pressure congress to pass a civil rights bill. King delivered his famous I have a dream speech. To promote the civil rights act of 196?

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Prohibited discrimination because of Race, Religion or Gender in public accommodations. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission created.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Eliminated the literacy tests + grandfather clause. Could enroll voters who were denied suffrage due to race.

Plessy vs. Ferguson

Supreme Court held that separate but equal facilities were legal

Brown vs. Board of Education

Overturned Plessy vs. Ferguson case, segregated schools were unconstitutional. Had to walk to an all black elementary school, NAACP helped them take the case to court(Thurgood Marshall argued for them)

Rosa Parks

NAACP officer and seamstress, was asked to give up her seat but refused and was arrested. Started the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Pastor elected to lead the Montgomery Improvement Association. Attempts on his life and arrested many times. Part of the SCLC. Preached non-violence. Assassination led to riots in 60+ cities

SNCC

Student non-violent coordination committee. Student group organized as a protest group to work with the SCLC. Wanted more confrontational strategies(impatient)

SCLC

Southern Christian Leadership Conference. King. Purpose was to carry out non-violent crusades(protests).

Freedom Riders primary goals

To test the decision of banning segregation of bus routes

Montgomery Bus Boycott goal

To end bus segregation, giving up seats for white people, caused the bus system to lose a lot of money.

Freedom Riders

Historic bus trip to test the decision to ban segregation on bus routes, attacked by white groups. Bus companies refused to carry them any further, buses destroyed. Successful, images of attacks made papers. Sympathy.

Selma March to Montgomery Alabama “Bloody Sunday”

50 mile protest march, 600 people, Americans watched in horror as police swung whips and clubs and clouds of tear gas swirled around fallen marchers, Bridge, John Lewis(permanent brain damage)

Watts Riot

Lasted 5 days, 34 died, $200 million property destroyed(burning buildings/flipping cars) brought in the the national guard after 15 days.

Malcolm X

Nation of Islam - black Muslims. Blacks should separate from white society + have self defense, “ballots or bullets”, changed his views after a pilgrimage to Mecca(white men no longer enemy, shot and killed at a speech)

Black Panthers

SNCC taken over + kicked out the whites. Stokely Carmichael, advocated for self-sufficiency for African Americans, full employment, and decent housing

Affirmative Action

Positive actions taken by the gov. to end the effects of post discrimination.