Great Society

The 1960 Election & JFK’s Foreign Policy

The Election of 1960

  • Candidates:
      - John F. Kennedy (D) vs. Richard Nixon (R)

  • The "Experience" Theme:
      - Nixon highlighted his 8 years as Vice President.
      - JFK was perceived as the "younger guy" from Massachusetts.

  • Religion:
      - JFK was the first Catholic candidate since 1928.
      - He famously declared his independence from Church influence at the Greater Houston Ministerial Association.

  • The Great Debate:
      - The first nationally televised debate.   - Image vs. Substance:
        - TV viewers believed JFK won (looked rested/tanned).
        - Radio listeners thought Nixon won (sounded better but looked sickly).

  • Results:
      - JFK won by a narrow margin of 0.2% difference.

Early Cold War Tensions

  • Berlin Wall (August 1961):
      - Constructed by Soviets to stop the "brain drain" of East Germans fleeing to the West.

  • Bay of Pigs (April 1961):
      - A failed CIA-backed invasion by Cuban exiles aimed at overthrowing Fidel Castro; major embarrassment for JFK.

  • Operation Mongoose:
      - Secret CIA plans to sabotage or assassinate Castro (e.g., exploding cigars).

The Cuban Missile Crisis (October 1962)

  • The Trigger:
      - The Soviets placed nuclear missiles in Cuba.

  • JFK’s Response:
      - Ordered a naval "quarantine" (blockade) of Cuba.

  • The Resolution:
      1. Khrushchev removed missiles from Cuba.
      2. U.S. promised not to invade Cuba.
      3. U.S. secretly agreed to remove missiles from Turkey later.

  • Aftermath:
      - Established the "Hot-line" telephone and the 1963 Test Ban Treaty.

Civil Rights & The Great Society

  • JFK’s Domestic Policy:
      - New Frontier: JFK’s plan for reform and space exploration.

  • Assassination (November 22, 1963):
      - JFK was killed in Dallas by Lee Harvey Oswald.
      - Oswald was subsequently killed by Jack Ruby.

  • Warren Commission:
      - Concluded Oswald acted alone, despite criticism for not fully investigating conspiracy theories.

The Civil Rights Movement

  • Greensboro Sit-ins (1960):
      - Efforts to desegregate lunch counters.

  • Freedom Riders (1961):
      - Challenged segregated bus stations; achieved integration by 1962.

  • March on Washington (1963):
      - Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" speech to support the Civil Rights Bill.

  • Civil Rights Act of 1964:
      - Pushed through by LBJ; banned racial discrimination in public places and employment.

  • Voting Rights Act of 1965:
      - Outlawed literacy tests and poll taxes.

LBJ’s