Lydon B. Johnson
36th President
How He Became President
- 1960, he ran as JFK's running mate, and was elected as Vice President
- On November 22, 1963 Kennedy was assassinated, Johnson was sworn in as president
- Johnson kept Kennedy's popularity
- Made his opponent seem like a legislator who wanted to abolish the programs like social security that was created in the 1930s
- Johnson advocated for more programs
- Won 44 out of 50 states
The Great Society
- The Great Society was a set of domestic programs in the US first announced by LBJ
- Two of the main goals were eliminating poverty and racial injustice
- New major spending programs that addressed the education, medical care, and transportation were launched
- Resembled the new deal by FDR
- Expanded under Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford
24th Amendment
- The 24th Amendment passed in 1962 then ratified in 1964
- Outlawed poll taxes as voting requirements
- Poll taxes appeared after reconstruction period as a measure to keep African Americans from voting
- At the time the Amendment pass, 5 states remained poll states ( Texas, Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, an Mississippi)
Tonkin Gulf Resolution
- Tonkin Gulf Resolution gave Johnson the authorization, without a formal declaration of war, to use military force in Southeast Asia
- Joint resolution to U.S Congress pass on August 7, 1964
- Direct response to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident
Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act
Civil Rights Act of 1964:
- Passed by Lyndon B. Johnson
- Outlawed public discrimination and segregation
- Forbade racism in the workplace
- Established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to enforce the law
- Made federal government responsible for finding instances of discrimination
- Made discrimination based on race, religion, ethnic origin, or gender illegal
- Did not address many of the problems that dealt with voting issues
Voting Rights Act:
- Law designed to end formal and informal barriers to African American suffrage
- Provided all citizens with the right to vote regardless of race
- Signed by LBJ during American Civil Rights Movements
1968 the "Watershed" year
My Lai Massacre:
- Mass murder conducted by US army
- Hundreds of unarmed Southern Vietnamese were killed (many were women, kids, and the elderly)
- American Lieutenant Calley was tried for murder, but claimed he was only following order
Martin Luther King Jr. Assassinated:
- On April 4, 1968 MLK Jr. was killed
- Set off a series of riots
- James Earl Ray, the assassin, resented black influence in society
Tet Offensive:
- Launched my Vietcong towards the Southern Vietnamese
- Had success in taking over the U.S embassy in Saigon, capital of South Vietnam
Democratic National Convention:
- Chicago
- Democratic delegates gathered to nominate Hubert Humphrey while anti-war protesters gathered outside to get their message across through T.V coverage
- Police tried to keep protesters out, and they battled in the streets
- Democrats divided and lost the 1968 election
- Reforms to the nomination process were made
Gulf of Tonkin Incident:
- American Destroyers Maddox and Turner Joy claimed they were attacked by Northern Vietnamese gunboats, a few days later they reported being attacked agin.
- Gave Johnson a justification for using air strike on targets in North Vietnam