Chapter 15- The Kennedy & Johnson Years

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

(JFK) 1963, Wake of Cuban Missile Crisis (climax of Cold War, closest we have ever come to nuclear war) Soviets & US agree to prohibit all above-ground nuclear tests, both nations choose to avoid annihilating the human race w/ nuclear war, France and China did not sign

John F. Kennedy

35th President of the United States; events during his administration include the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the building of the Berlin Wall, the Space Race, the African American Civil Rights Movement and early events of the Vietnam War; assassinated in Dallas, TX in 1963

Nikita Khrushchev

A Soviet leader during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Also famous for denouncing Stalin and allowed criticism of Stalin within Russia.

Berlin Wall

A fortified wall surrounding West Berlin, Germany, built in 1961 to prevent East German citizens from traveling to the West. Its demolition in 1989 symbolized the end of the Cold War. This wall was both a deterrent to individuals trying to escape and a symbol of repression to the free world

Cuban Missile Crisis

An international crisis in October 1962, the closest approach to nuclear war at any time between the U.S. and the USSR. When the U.S. discovered Soviet nuclear missiles on Cuba, President John F. Kennedy demanded their removal and announced a naval blockade of the island; the Soviet leader Khrushchev acceded to the U.S. demands a week later.

Lyndon B. Johnson

Became president after Kennedy's assassination

Why was the United States concerned about the missile sites in Cuba?

Because Florida was in range of Cuba, making it an easy target for a missile

Warren Commission

Conducted the official investigation of Kennedy's assassination- found that Lee Harvey Oswald worked alone in the assassination

Fidel Castro

Cuban socialist leader who overthrew a dictator in 1959 and established a Marxist socialist state in Cuba

Bay of Pigs Invasion

Failed invasion of Cuba in 1961 when a force of 1,400 Cuban exiles, backed by the United States, landed at the Bay of Pigs. All but 300 of the 1,400 invaders were killed or captured

What major court ruling gave a person accused of a crime the right to have a lawyer?

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Economic Opportunity Act (1964)

Great Society law that established a government office to provide young Americans with job training & a volunteer network that organized social work & education in impoverished areas

Why did Kennedy change the way in which he addressed civil rights issues?

He did not want to anger white southern members of Congress in his party, but he also realized he needed to make a change and tried to introduce civil rights legislation.

How did Johnson continue Kennedy's plan to eliminate poverty in the United States?

He used his political ties to push programs through bipartisan support including his acts on Civil Rights and Medicare/Medicaid. He helped pass the Voting Act of 1965

Why did people feel Kennedy was a different type of politician?

He was younger and got things done

Which immigration groups were affected by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965?

Immigrant groups from any independent nation in the Western Hemisphere as well as Eastern Hemisphere

How did the televised debates affect the 1960 presidential election?

Kennedy appeared youthful and confident, while Nixon looked tired and nervous which affected people's decisions

How did Kennedy respond to the continuing challenges of the Cold War?

Kennedy said if there was any missile attack from Cuba, the United States would retaliate with a full missile assault on Cuba and the Soviet Union.

New Frontier

Kennedy's proposals to improve the economy, education, healthcare, and civil rights

Civil Rights Act

LBJ passed this in 1964. Prohibited discrimination of African Americans in employment, voting, or public accommodations. Also said there could be no discrimination against race, color, sex, religion, or national origin.

Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965

Law that changed the national quota system to limits of 170,000 immigrants per year from the Eastern Hemisphere and 120,000 per year from the Western Hemisphere

Richard M. Nixon

Lost election to Kennedy in 1960

War on Poverty

Lyndon Johnson declared war on poverty in his 1964 State of the Union address. A new Office of Economic Opportunity oversaw a variety of programs to help the poor, including the Job Corps and Head Start.

What strategies did Kennedy use to improve relations in developing countries?

Peace Core and Alliance for Progress

Great Society

President Johnson called his version of the Democratic reform program the Great Society. In 1965, Congress passed many Great Society measures, including Medicare, civil rights legislation, and federal aid to education.

What were the goals of Kennedy's New Frontier?

President Kennedy's plan aimed at improving the economy, fighting racial discrimination, and exploring space

Alliance for Programs

Promised to resurrect America's Good Neighbor policy towards Latin America.

Medicare

Provided basic hospital insurance for Americans in the Social Security system who were age 65 and older

Medicaid

Provided basic medical services to poor and disabled Americans who were not part of the Social Security system

Equal Pay Act (1963)

Required equal wages for "equal work" in industries engaged in commerce or producing goods for commerce

Peace Corps

Sent American volunteers around the world on "missions of freedom" to assist developing countries

Warren Court

Supreme Court of the 1960s under Chief Justice Earl Warren, whose decisions supported civil rights

How did the meeting in Vienna affect relations between Kennedy and Khrushchev?

Tensions rose and threatened peace. Kennedy asked Congress to dramatically increase military spending. Khrushchev ordered the construction of the wall between East and West Berlin

Space Race

The competition between the Soviet Union and the United States to successfully land on the moon

Deficit Spending

The government practice of borrowing money in order to spend more than is received from taxes

How did Johnson's Great Society programs change life for most Americans?

They provided more opportunities for people at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder and helped reduce significantly the number of Americans living below the poverty line. They also increased environmental and consumer protections and supported the arts, public radio, and public television

What was the purpose of the Warren Commission?

To find if Lee Harvey Oswald-Kennedy's assassin worked alone or with others

Hot Line

a communication link established in 1963 to allow the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union to contact each other in times of crisis

Flexible Response

the buildup of conventional troops and weapons to allow a nation to fight a limited war without using nuclear weapons