The Great Society

1
The Great Society
A War on Poverty
The War in Vietnam
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
2
The Texans Family
3
LBJs Resume

• Congressional Staffer
• Member of the House of Representatives
• U.S. Senator
• Majority Leader
• Vice-President

4
The Johnson Treatment

• Reputation of being overpowering and
  intimidating
• Invaded personal space nose to nose
• persuasive and personable rather than elegant
  and charming

Glencoe American History text p.855
5
The Texans Style
6
War on Poverty

• There are tens of millions of Americans who are
  beyond the welfare state.
• Taken as a whole there is a culture of
  povertybad health, poor housing, low levels of
  aspiration, and high levels of mental distress.
  Twenty percent of a nation, some 32,000,000.
• Michael Harrington, author of the Culture of
  Poverty 1962

7
War on Poverty

• The Great Society rests on abundance and liberty
  for all. It demands an end to poverty and racial
  injustice. LBJ 1964

• Medicare and Medicaid
• Head Start
• HUD
• Job Corps
• Water Quality and Clean Air Acts
• Highway Safety Act
• Fair Packaging and Labeling Act

8
The 1964 Election
9
1964 Republican CandidateAZ Sen. Barry Goldwater

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vtHAtUjJpVLY
• Conservatives take over the 1964 Republican
  National Convention
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vIx7is2yU-uQmodere
  latedsearch
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vKIxlsr3UUkYmodere
  latedsearch
• Ronald Reagan campaigns for AgH20

10
The Daisy Ad
11
The Daisy Ad

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vCl4awae0R0Mmodere
  latedsearch

12
Johnson/Humphrey
13
The Results
14
WE SHALL OVERCOME
Civil Rights Legislation
Civil Rights Act 1964
Voting Rights Act 1965
15
We Shall Overcome

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vbKDVNSpsBZEmodere
  latedsearch
• http//www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flashtruedoc
  97
• http//www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc100

16
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution 1965

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vHQDiRk8zzAwNR1
• A US ship was attacked on 2 August 1964. But was
  there a second?

17
Tet Offensive 1968
18
The 1968 Decision

• http//www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid28
  772

19
1968 Tet Offensive

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vi214f5-w19wmodere
  latedsearch
• Cronkites editorial
• President Johnson If Ive lost Cronkite, Ive
  lost the American people.