John F. Kennedy
Election
- 1960: Kennedy is elected, democratic nomination
- Republican nomination: Richard Nixon
- Closest election of 1916
New Frontier "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country"
- Kennedy challenged the US to revitalize the economy
- Despised by Southern Republicans & Democrats
- Got rid of inflation, cut taxes, more money in private hands, investing to get the US to moon
- Negotiated a noninflationary wage agreement with the steel industry in 1962
The Cold War
Flexible Response
- "Flexible Response:" Defense Secretary Robert McNamara devised a plan developing an array of military options that could be matched to the needs of the current crises
- Increased military spending
- Step up our force in Vietnam
Vietnam
- Military advisors in Vietnam were increased to help protect Southern Vietnam from communists
- Diem embezzled the money we were giving and Kennedy did not like that
- November of 1963 Kennedy leads an overthrow of Diem
- Created political mess--exactly what we were trying to prevent
Cuba
- Alliance for Progress: Marshall Plan for Latin America; help Latino countries close gap between rich and poor
- Bay of Pigs: plan to overthrow Fidel Castro through an invasion of anticommunist exiles
- Put Cuba even more in sight of Soviet Union
- Cuban Missile Crisis, October 1962: Soviets are discovered installing missiles in Cuba
- Kennedy rejects plans to bomb the missile sights- demands disarmament
- Khrushchev agreed to pul missile out and America agreed to not invade the island
Berlin Crisis
- August 1961: Soviets built Berlin Wall
- Stop overpopulation from East to West Germany
- Trade and created the Common Market, later known as European Union
Civil Rights
- Kennedy secured black votes by saying he would pass civil rights legislation
- Freedom Riders: sought an end to segregation in facilities serving interstate bus passengers
- SNNC: voter education project to register deprived blacks
- MLK Jr.: launched a campaign in Birmingham, most segregated city in US
- March on Washington: led by MLK, peaceful demonstration in support of new civil rights legislation, "I have a dream" speech
Assassination, November 22nd, 1963
- Riding an open limousine in Dallas
- Gunman: Lee Harvey Oswald was shot and killed by Jack Ruby out of Vengeance
- LBJ was sworn into office, keeping most of the same ideals