Chapter 27 Notes: Liberalism, Vietnam War, and Social Movements during 1961-1972

AP Concept Outline

  • 8.1 The United States assumed a position of global leadership in the postwar period, marked by domestic and international repercussions.
  • 8.2 Liberalism peaked, leading to a range of political and cultural responses.
  • 8.3 Economic, demographic, and technological changes in the postwar era significantly impacted American society.

Chapter Big Idea

  • Key Questions: What social and political achievements did liberalism reach during the 1960s, and how did debates over these liberal values fuel conflict at home and reflect international tensions? This correlates with how civil rights and liberties debates have influenced politics throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.

I. Liberalism at High Tide

A. John F. Kennedy’s Promise
  • Kennedy’s Vision: Emphasized civic service and improvement.
    • Called upon Americans to contribute positively to society.
    • Sought to address civil rights and poverty.
    • Formed the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women (1963) which led to the Equal Pay Act.
  • Challenges: Legislative proposals (health insurance for the aged, civil rights bill, etc.) faltered due to Senate resistance.
  • Assassination: Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, leading to Lyndon Johnson's presidency and a lingering mystique around Kennedy’s unfinished goals.
B. Lyndon B. Johnson and the Great Society
  • Opposite Styles: Johnson was a seasoned politician, unlike Kennedy's charismatic image.
  • Continuity of Kennedy’s Vision: Leveraged Kennedy's assassination to advance civil rights and initiated his own Great Society programs.
  • Goals: Ending poverty, civil rights advancement, expanded welfare programs through the Office of Economic Opportunity and other initiatives:
    • Head Start, Job Corps, Upward Bound, VISTA.
  • 1964 Election: Johnson won in a landslide, enabling further progress for Great Society initiatives.
  • Assessment of Great Society:
    • Successes: Reduced poverty rates from 20% to 13% between 1963 and 1968; millions of African Americans moved into the middle class.
    • Failures: Persisting issues with poverty, segregation, and wealth distribution.
  • Notable Acts:
    • The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (1965) provided $1 billion for impoverished children.
    • Established Medicare and Medicaid in 1965.
    • The Immigration Act of 1965 ended the quota system of the 1920s.
C. Women’s Movement Rebirth
  • Labor Feminists: Advocated for workplace equality, leading to the Equal Pay Act (1963).
  • Betty Friedan / NOW: Founded National Organization for Women in 1966; influenced by The Feminine Mystique (1963).

II. The Vietnam War Begins

A. Escalation Under Johnson
  • Gulf of Tonkin Incident (1964): Initiated major military action in Vietnam.
  • Escalation Tactics: Operation Rolling Thunder (1965) marked the beginning of increased military presence and bombing campaigns.
B. Public Opinion Shifts
  • Shift in public sentiment against the war by 1966, influenced by television coverage and the economic cost of the war.
C. Rise of the Student Movement
  • Emergence of diverse anti-war and political movements among students (New Left, counterculture).
D. Days of Rage (1968-1972)
  • Tet Offensive (1968): Major turning point in the war; increased anti-war sentiment following media coverage of the violence.
  • Assassinations: Martin Luther King Jr. (4/4/68) and Robert Kennedy (6/4/68) radicalized many in the youth and anti-war movements.