Chapter 27: The Changing 1960s

Who was elected president in 1964 over Republican Barry Goldwater?

Democrat Lyndon Johnson

What was The Great Society program?

anti poverty programs, civil rights legislation, medical insurance, renewing American education, consumer protection, rebuilding American cities and aid to the arts & humanities

What was the Economic Opportunity Act (aka “War on Poverty”)

created the Head Start program: free nursery schools for disadvantaged preschoolers, Job Corps program: job training & employment for high schoolers, and Volunteers in Service To America (VISTA) program: technical assistance to poor Americans

What was the Elementary and Secondary Education Act?

$1 billion in federal funds for teacher training & classroom funding

What was the Higher Education Act?

federal scholarships for college students

What is Medicare?

government healthcare for senior citizens

What is Medicaid?

government healthcare for the poor

What did Johnson do for the environment?

expanded national park system, protection of endangered species, cleanup of nation’s water & air, highway construction

What did the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) do?

housing support, rent relief, fighting against housing discrimination

What did Johnson do for urban mass transportation?

provided federal funding for it

What did Johnson do about child safety and consumer protection?

he passed laws for these causes

What did Johnson create for the humanities and arts?

the National Endowment for the Arts & National Endowment for the Humanities

What was the Great Society’s legacy?

from 1963-1968: percentage of Americans living in poverty dropped from 20% to 13%; African American poverty rate cut in half, Medicare & Medicaid helped millions of Americans access health care, preschool  programs set millions of children up for educational success, and American schools & workplaces became more diverse

What was the Equal Pay Act of 1963?

mandated that men & women performing the same job receive equal pay

How many married women and women with children were working full time by 1970?

40% of married women and 30% of mothers with children

What did Betty Friedan publish in 1963?

bestselling book The Feminine Mystique

What was The Feminine Mystique about?

it criticized the idea that women were happy in their roles as housewives and mothers; women should seek education and employment to find fulfillment in their lives

What did the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women report on?

job and educational discrimination

What did the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women call for?

elimination of barriers to women’s access to jobs & higher education and more support for women as mothers and caregivers

What organization did Friedan found that had 15,000 members by 1971?

the National Organization for Women (NOW)

What was the National Organization for Women (NOW)?

a civil rights organization for women to fight against gender discrimination, fight for abortion rights & equal access to jobs

What was Title IX?

part of the Education Amendments Bill which guaranteed women equal access & treatment in all educational institutions receiving federal funding & guaranteed women’s athletics on all college campuses

Who did the US support in South Vietnam since 1955?

South Vietnamese dictator Ngo Dinh Diem

What did South Vietnamese rebels join?

the South Vietnam Liberation Front (Vietcong) which was supported by North Vietnamese communists

What happened to Diem and South Vietnam in 1963?

he was killed by South Vietnamese generals, throwing nation into chaos

Who did Johnson pledge support for in Vietnam?

South Vietnam to prevent its collapse

What did North Vietnamese torpedo boats do in 1964?

attacked US destroyer Maddox in Gulf of Tonkin

What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?

it gave Johnson unlimited authority to conduct operations in Vietnam

What happened after the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was passed?

the first US troops arrived in South Vietnam in 1965 and by 1968, 536,000 US troops were deployed

What was Operation Rolling Thunder?

a massive bombing campaign against North Vietnam launched by Johnson in 1965

What were people’s opinion on the Vietnam War?

Johnson’s support was widespread at first, but video/photo evidence of the carnage turned public opinion against him

What did the government report but journalists on the frontlines question?

the government reported US forces were winning the war but journalists questioned those reports and noted the heavy costs of the war

How many men were drafted in 1960-1966 and 1967-1975?

1960-1966: 750,000 men drafted; 1967-1975: 1 million drafted

Among who did antiwar sentiment grow?

students, religious leaders, civil rights advocates, etc

How many people protested in 1965 in Washington DC against the war?

15,000

What became the centers of the protest movement and what did protesters do?

college campuses: sit-ins, protest marches, speeches

What were ways people protested the draft?

burning draft cards, fleeing the country, joining the National Guard

Where did massive protests happen in 1967?

250,000 protesters marched in New York City; 100,000 marched in San Francisco; 100,000 marched in Washington

What was the Tet Offensive launched on January 30, 1968?

North Vietnamese & Vietcong forces launched massive assault into South Vietnam but all were beaten back by US & South Vietnamese forces with heavy losses

What did Americans think about the war after the Tet Offensive?

many were convinced the war was unwinnable despite official reports

Before Tet how many people supported the war vs were opposed?

56% of Americans were “hawks” (supporters of the war) vs 28% “doves” (war opponents)

After Tet how many people supported the war vs were opposed?

42% of Americans were “doves” vs. 41% “hawks”

What did Johnson announce in March 1968?

he would not seek reelection

Who was Martin Luther King Jr assassinated by?

former KKK member James Earl Ray in Memphis

What happened after MLK was assassinated?

rioting in dozens of cities across the country; dozens killed

Who was Robert Kennedy?

JFK’s brother and leading Democratic nominee for president

Who was Robert Kennedy assassinated by and why?

Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian who opposed Kennedy’s support for the sale of US fighter jets to Israel in Los Angeles

Who won the 1968 Presidential Election?

Republican Richard Nixon (Eisenhower’s VP) defeated Democrat Hubert Humphrey (Johnson’s VP)

Who was the 3rd party candidate in the 1968 election?

American Independent George Wallace (Alabama governor)

What was Vietnamization?

turning control of the war to South Vietnamese soldiers & gradually reducing American troop levels

What happened as a result of Vietnamization?

1968: 543,000 US troops in Vietnam; by 1973, only 24,000 US troops remained but the bombing campaign against North Vietnam continued

What was the My Lai Massacre?

US troops killed 500 South Vietnamese civilians, mostly women & children for suspected enemy activities

Who was convicted of leading the My Lai Massacre?

Lt. William Calley

What did Nixon announce in 1970?

US forces would invade Cambodia to attack suspected enemy forces

What was the Kent State Massacre?

antiwar students at Kent State attacked by National Guardsmen; 4 dead, 9 wounded

What was the Jackson State Massacre?

antiwar students at Jackson State attacked by National Guardsmen; 2 dead, 12 wounded

What is a detente?

a lessening of tension

What did Nixon do with detente?

he used it between the US & USSR and a new openness with China

Who convinced Nixon to talk with China?

Secretary of State Henry Kissinger

Who did Nixon meet from 1970-1972?

USSR leader Leonid Brezhnev

What was SALT I (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty)?

signed between the US and USSR to limit the number of nuclear missiles

What did Nixon do in 1972 in Asia?

visited China and met president Mao Zedong

What did Nixon do as a result of Vietnam peace talks in Paris stalling?

ordered more bombings of North Vietnam & the mining of North Vietnamese ports, hoping to force peace talks to conclude

What ended the Vietnam War on January 27, 1973?

Paris Peace Accords

What happened in Vietnam in 1975?

North Vietnamese troops launched full assault and overran South Vietnamese defenses, unifying into one communist nation

What was Vietnam’s Legacy?

millions of Vietnamese civilians dead/wounded, 58,000 US soldiers killed; 300,000 wounded or MIA, in Cambodia: Khmer Rouge, Communist ruling party, seized power & murdered 1.7 million of its own people

Who was the Supreme Court Chief Justice in the 1960s?

Earl Warren

What was Engel vs. Vitale?

prayers & Bible reading in public schools are unconstitutional

What was Gideon vs. Wainwright?

people who are arrested have a constitutional right to a lawyer even if they can’t afford one

What was Miranda vs. Arizona?

anyone arrested must be informed by the police of their rights (right to remain silent, right to counsel, etc.)

What was Swann vs. Charlotte-Mecklenburg?

federal courts have authority to enforce school desegregation

How did states enforce Swann vs. Charlotte-Mecklenburg?

by using busing: students would ride buses to integrate schools

What happened to the ruling of Swann vs. Charlotte-Mecklenburg?

it was reversed in 1974