JFK and Lyndon B. Johnson

John F. Kennedy

U.S. president from 1961–1963 who promoted Cold War policies, civil rights, and new social programs before his assassination.

Lyndon B. Johnson

U.S. president from 1963–1969 who enacted major civil rights legislation and launched the Great Society domestic programs.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Landmark law that banned segregation in public places and outlawed employment discrimination based on race, religion, sex, or national origin.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Federal legislation that aimed to eliminate racial discrimination in voting, especially in the South.

Social Security Act of 1965

Expanded Social Security to include Medicare and Medicaid, providing health coverage for the elderly and poor.

The Great Society

Lyndon B. Johnson’s set of domestic programs aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice in America.

War on Poverty

A series of government initiatives under LBJ targeting poverty through education, job programs, and social welfare.

Alliance for Progress

A program initiated by Kennedy to promote economic cooperation and social reform in Latin America to prevent the spread of communism.

Peace Corps

A volunteer program established by Kennedy that sends Americans abroad to provide education, health, and development assistance.

Limited Test Ban Treaty

A 1963 agreement between the U.S., Soviet Union, and the UK to prohibit nuclear tests in the atmosphere, outer space, and underwater.

Flexible Response

Kennedy’s military strategy that emphasized the ability to respond to aggression with a range of options, not just nuclear weapons.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

A failed 1961 attempt by U.S.-backed Cuban exiles to overthrow Fidel Castro’s government in Cuba.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 1962 confrontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, bringing the world close to nuclear war.

OAS (Organization of American States)

A regional organization of Western Hemisphere nations promoting political, economic, and social cooperation.

Nepotism

Favoritism shown to relatives or friends, often by giving them jobs or advantages; criticized in reference to Kennedy’s appointments of family members.