JFK and LBJ Administration Years + Civil Rights Movement Study Guide

U-2 Plane - A high-altitude American spy aircraft used for aerial reconnaissance

during the Cold War. In 1960, a U-2 piloted was shot down over Soviet territory,

causing a diplomatic crisis.

Nikita Khrushchev - Soviet leader from 1953 to 1964 who succeeded Stalin. Known

for his policy of "peaceful coexistence" with the West, de-Stalinization, and his role

during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

John F. Kennedy - 35th President of the United States (1961-1963) who led during

the height of the Cold War, including the Cuban Missile Crisis and early stages of

Vietnam. Assassinated in Dallas on November 22, 1963.

John Dulles - U.S. Secretary of State under President Eisenhower (1953-1959)

known for his aggressive anti-communist policies and development of the "massive

retaliation" doctrine.

Robert McNamara - Secretary of Defense under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson

(1961-1968) who played a major role in escalating U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

Later expressed regret for his Vietnam policies.

Martin Luther King - civil rights leader who fought for racial equality through

nonviolent protest. He led marches, gave speeches like the famous “I Have a Dream”

speech, and helped pass laws like the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act. He

believed in peaceful resistance.

Curtis Lemay - Air Force General who advocated for aggressive military action

during the Cuban Missile Crisis and served as Air Force Chief of Staff (1961-1965).

Known for his hawkish views.

Bobby Kennedy - Attorney General under his brother JFK and later U.S. Senator from

New York. Active in civil rights and anti-poverty efforts. Assassinated in 1968 while

running for president.

Fidel Castro - Cuban revolutionary leader who overthrew Batista in 1959 and

established socialist Cuba. His alignment with the Soviet Union led to tensions with

the U.S., including the Bay of Pigs invasion and Cuban Missile Crisis.

Cuban Missile Crisis - October 1962 confrontation between the U.S. and Soviet Union

over Soviet ballistic missiles deployed in Cuba. Considered the closest the Cold War

came to escalating into nuclear war.

Bay of Pigs Crisis - Failed 1961 invasion of Cuba by CIA-trained Cuban exiles,

intended to overthrow Castro's government. The operation was a major

embarrassment for the Kennedy administration.

Berlin Crisis - Cold War standoff in 1961 between the U.S. and Soviet Union over the

status of Berlin, culminating in the construction of the Berlin Wall.

Berlin Wall - Physical barrier erected by East Germany in August 1961 to prevent

East Germans from fleeing to West Berlin. Became a symbol of the Iron Curtain until

its fall in 1989.

Special Forces( Green Berets) - Elite U.S. Army special operations force established

in 1952. Expanded significantly under Kennedy for counterinsurgency operations,

particularly in Vietnam.

Vietnam - Southeast Asian nation where the U.S. fought a prolonged war (1955-

1975) to prevent communist North Vietnam from taking over South Vietnam.

Became a deeply divisive issue in American society.

Peace Corps - Program established by President Kennedy in 1961 to send American

volunteers to developing countries to assist with education, health, and economic

development projects.

Sit- Ins - Form of nonviolent protest where demonstrators occupied segregated

spaces, particularly lunch counters and other public facilities, beginning with the

Greensboro sit-ins in 1960.

Limited Test-Ban Treaty - 1963 agreement between the U.S., Soviet Union, and UK

prohibiting nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere, underwater, and in space. An

early step in nuclear arms control.

Freedom Riders - Civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into segregated

Southern states in 1961 to challenge non-enforcement of Supreme Court decisions

that ruled segregated public transportation unconstitutional.

Movement Culture - The shared values, beliefs, music, art, and practices that united

and inspired participants in the civil rights movement.

Lee Harvey Oswald - Former Marine who assassinated President Kennedy in Dallas

on November 22, 1963, according to official investigations. Killed two days later by

Jack Ruby.

Jack Ruby - Dallas nightclub owner who fatally shot Lee Harvey Oswald on live

television while Oswald was in police custody on November 24, 1963.

The Warren Commission - Presidential commission established by President

Johnson to investigate Kennedy's assassination. Concluded in 1964 that Oswald

acted alone

Jackie Kennedy - First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, wife of JFK, who was sitting beside

him in the motorcade when he was assassinated.

Lyndon B. Johnson - Vice President who became the 36th President upon Kennedy's

assassination. Implemented the Great Society domestic programs and escalated U.S.

involvement in Vietnam.

The Great Society - President Johnson's set of domestic programs aimed at

eliminating poverty and racial injustice. Included initiatives like Medicare, Medicaid,

civil rights legislation, and education reform.

March On Washington - Massive civil rights demonstration held on August 28, 1963,

where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. Helped build

momentum for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Malcolm X - Civil rights leader who advocated Black nationalism and criticized the

mainstream civil rights movement's emphasis on integration and nonviolence.

Assassinated in 1965.

The Warren Commission - Presidential commission established by President

Johnson to investigate Kennedy's assassination. Concluded in 1964 that Oswald

acted alone.

Barry Goldwater - Racist, conservative Republican Senator who ran against Johnson

in the 1964 presidential election, suffering a landslide defeat. His candidacy marked

a turning point in conservative politics.

Medicare - Federal health insurance program established in 1965 for Americans

aged 65 and older.

Medicaid - Joint federal-state program established in 1965 providing health

coverage for low-income Americans.

The Immigration Act of 1965 - Law that abolished the national origins quota system

and significantly changed U.S. immigration policy, leading to increased immigration

from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 - Legislation that prohibited discrimination based on

race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Outlawed segregation in public

accommodations and employment discrimination.

The Little Rock 9 - Group of nine Black students who enrolled at formerly all-white

Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957, testing the Supreme Court's

Brown v. Board of Education decision. President Eisenhower sent federal troops to

protect them.

George Wallace - Governor of Alabama (1963-1967, 1971-1979, 1983-1987) known

for his segregationist policies and "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door" to block

integration at the University of Alabama in 1963.

University Alabama 1963 - Site of Governor George Wallace's symbolic "Stand in

the Schoolhouse Door" to prevent two Black students, Vivian Malone and James

Hood, from enrolling. Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard to ensure

their admission.

SNCC - (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee): Civil rights organization

formed in 1960 that played a key role in sit-ins, Freedom Rides, and voter

registration drives. Later adopted more militant Black Power ideology under

Stokely Carmichael.

SCLC - (Southern Christian Leadership Conference): Civil rights organization

founded by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1957 that coordinated local protest groups

throughout the South.

The Black Panthers - Revolutionary Black nationalist and socialist organization

founded by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton in 1966. Advocated armed self-defense

and established community programs.

Bobby Seale - Co-founder of the Black Panther Party in 1966 with Huey Newton.

Advocated for Black self-determination and defense against police brutality.

Huey Newton - Co-founder of the Black Panther Party with Bobby Seale. Developed

the party's ideology combining revolutionary nationalism, socialism, and armed

self-defense.

Stokely Carmichael - Civil rights activist who became chairman of SNCC in 1966 and

popularized the "Black Power" slogan. Later changed his name to Kwame Ture and

advocated Pan-Africanism.

1963 March on Washington - Massive civil rights demonstration held on August 28,

1963, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. Helped

build momentum for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Short Answers

Be able to describe to the Cuban Missile Crisis? Why is this event so important to the

administration of JFK? Why is this a big event for World History? Why is this

important to US/USSR relations for the rest of the Cold War?

The Cuban Missile Crisis (October 1962) brought the world to the brink of nuclear

war when the U.S. discovered Soviet missiles in Cuba. For Kennedy, it was his

presidency's defining test, demonstrating his leadership after the Bay of Pigs failure.

Historically, this thirteen-day standoff represents the Cold War's most dangerous

moment and proved that even nuclear crises could be resolved diplomatically. The

aftermath transformed US-Soviet relations by establishing the Moscow-Washington

hotline, accelerating arms control efforts, and fostering a more cautious approach to

superpower confrontation, as both nations realized how close they had come to

catastrophe.

Why was Barry Goldwater seen as so extreme? What was different about him

compared to other Republicans? How did it cost him the 1964 election?

Barry Goldwater was seen as extreme in 1964 because he rejected the moderate

Republicanism that had dominated since Eisenhower. Unlike his predecessors,

Goldwater advocated for dramatically reducing federal power, opposed the Civil

Rights Act on constitutional grounds, and used aggressive Cold War rhetoric

suggesting potential nuclear weapon use. His uncompromising conservatism

allowed Johnson to portray him as dangerous through effective messaging like the

"Daisy" ad. These positions alienated moderate Republicans and civil rights

supporters, resulting in a historic electoral defeat, though his campaign ultimately

laid the foundation for the conservative movement that would later transform the

Republican Party.

What was different about the 1960 election compared to other elections? Who won

the election and what were the factors that lead to victory?

The 1960 election was different because it was the first to feature televised debates,

which highlighted the importance of image and media in politics. John F. Kennedy

won the election against Richard Nixon. Key factors in Kennedy’s victory included

his strong debate performance, youthful and charismatic image, support from

African American voters, and effective use of television. Nixon’s poor appearance

during the debates and concerns about the Cold War also helped Kennedy win in

one of the closest elections in U.S. history.

What was the result of the Berlin Crisis? Why and how was this a PR victory for the

US?

The result of the Berlin Crisis (1961) was the construction of the Berlin Wall by the

Soviet Union to stop East Germans from fleeing to West Berlin. The crisis increased

Cold War tensions but avoided direct military conflict.

It was a PR victory for the U.S. because President Kennedy stood firm against Soviet

pressure and defended West Berlin’s freedom. His famous speech in Berlin showed

U.S. commitment to democracy and gained worldwide support. While the Wall

symbolized division, it also proved that communism needed to trap its people to

keep them from escaping — making the West look stronger in the eyes of the world.

How did the Civil Rights movement change from 1964-1968?

From 1964 to 1968, the Civil Rights Movement shifted from nonviolent protests to a

more militant and divided approach. After major victories like the Civil Rights Act

and Voting Rights Act, attention turned to issues like poverty, police brutality, and

economic inequality. Groups like the Black Panthers and leaders like Malcolm X

promoted Black Power and self-defense, moving away from Martin Luther King Jr.’s

nonviolence. Riots and King’s assassination in 1968 increased frustration and

division within the movement.