jfk's new frontier

JFK's New Frontier

President Kennedy's domestic and foreign policy agenda that called for national sacrifice to win the Cold War, expand social welfare, and advance civil rights, though much was blocked by Congress

Election of 1960

the pivotal contest between Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard Nixon, notable for the first televised debates and Kennedy's narrow victory, aided by key Black voters

JFK's Domestic Policy

an ambitious liberal agenda largely blocked by the Conservative Coalition in Congress; it achieved some successes like raising the minimum wage and passing the Housing Act

Peace Corps

a key New Frontier program that sent American volunteers abroad to provide technical, educational, and health services in developing nations, promoting U.S. ideals

Alliance for Progress

a massive U.S. economic aid program for Latin America, intended to promote development, democracy, and blunt the appeal of socialism and communism in the region

Equal Pay Act of 1963

landmark federal law that prohibited sex-based wage discrimination, requiring men and women to be paid equally for equal work in the same establishment

JFK's Civil Rights Stance

President Kennedy moved slowly initially, fearing a Southern Democratic revolt, but was pushed to act more forcefully by the escalating Civil Rights Movement

Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)

a failed CIA-backed invasion of Cuba by trained exiles, aimed at overthrowing Fidel Castro; it was a major foreign policy embarrassment for Kennedy

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

a 13-day confrontation when the U.S. discovered Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba; it brought the world to the brink of nuclear war before a secret deal was struck

Resolution of Cuban Missile Crisis

the U.S. publicly pledged never to invade Cuba, and the Soviets removed their missiles; in a secret part of the deal, the U.S. also removed its missiles from Turkey

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (1963)

a treaty between the U.S., USSR, and UK that prohibited nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere, in outer space, and underwater, easing Cold War tensions

JFK and Vietnam

Kennedy escalated U.S. involvement, accepting the domino theory; he supported the unpopular President Diem until Diem's U.S.-backed overthrow and assassination in 1963

Greensboro Sit-Ins (1960)

a pivotal protest where four Black college students sat at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter in North Carolina, sparking a wave of similar direct-action protests

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

a student-led civil rights organization founded in 1960 that became a major force organizing sit-ins, freedom rides, and grassroots voter registration