President Kennedy’s “New Frontier” was an attempt to get the country moving again. After sustaining a slowing period of growth and the anxiety of the 50s left the nation in a guarded position. But the inauguration of the new and vibrant young president promised changes that would put America back on track. Utilizing his popularity and vigor, he designed his legislation to mask those unique characteristics. Constructing a young cabinet, including his younger brother Bobby. From the outset, Kennedy inspired high expectations from American’s, especially the youth; the youth is where the future of the country lies. A “New Frontier” is what he promised, and the quickened patriotic pulses brought a warm heart to the Cold War era. Little did any American realize that the 60s would turn out to be the realization of all the anxieties of the previous decade. The stormy 60s would bring revolutions and changes that would shape America forever.

            At home, Kennedy experienced successes and failures with his “New Frontier.” From the outset, he was faced with steeping challenges that threatened his entire legislative program. A small Democratic majority in Congress made creating his dreams into reality far more difficult. Another problem was the threat to the economic stability that had been growing. However, his economic initiatives were not concurrent with his policies of crippling the inflation. He was faced with a doubled edged sword that didn’t provide a simple solution. In one of his failures, the steel industry announced price increases, which caused many nay Sayers to speak poorly of the president’s ideas. His response was a general tax cut bill that aroused much excitement throughout the nation. It appeared to provide a legislative solution to the problems facing the country. But more importantly, he made the announcement that a man would walk on the moon before the end of the decade. A monumental task that proved to be one of Kennedy’s most brilliant political maneuvers.

            Kennedy’s dealings in the international arena were not quite as pleasant. In a cat and mouse game with the Soviet Union premier Khrushchev, Kennedy was shaken but unwilling to be bullied around. In response to harsh threats by his counterpart, he took action and made some ambitious ideas for Europe in response. But they never came to fruition. Also, Cuba proved to be disastrous with the Bay of Pigs incident the Cuban Missile Crisis that arguably placed the world as close as it has ever been to reaching oblivion. But the most notable of failures was seen in the Vietnam situation that would end up producing such hardships and horrors. Although Kennedy didn’t live long enough to push through all of his ideas, his profound effect on the events of America made a clear impact. His “New Frontier” experienced its respective successes and failures, but it was just the beginning of a decade that would produce dramatic and anxious events.

            Once Kennedy was killed on November 22^nd, 1963, Lyndon Johnson became President of the United States of America. The Texan, whose commanding presence had been felt in the senate for years, was known for the “Johnson treatment”-a flashing display of backslapping, flesh-pressing, and arm-twisting that overbore friend and foe alike. He didn’t shy away from issues and believed that a loud voice was heard above all others. His domestic achievements were called the “Great Society”, a program of New Dealish economic and welfare measures that aimed at transforming the American way of life. With support from citizens of the United States and in Congress, he was ready to take on the challenges that the death of his predecessor had left behind. The war on poverty led the nation to attack one of the largest problems the society had. Although his actions in the international arena led to some questionable behavior, his domestic legislation made great headway in the fight on social issues, namely poverty.

Chapter 39 part 1     

            When John F. Kennedy became president on January 20, 1961, he encouraged high expectations for the people of the United States.  He proposed to create an army of “idealistic” and young volunteers who would bring American abilities to underdeveloped countries.  This would be called the Peace Corps.  He exclaimed “ask not what your country can do for you: ask what you can do for your country.”  His “New Frontier” spirit, however promising, was pushed away by many politicians at home. 

            At home president John F. Kennedy’s New Frontier Plan proposals were greatly threatened by Congress.  When Kennedy came into office, Congress had precarious democratic majorities.  Southern Democrats even threatened that they would join with Republicans in order for Kennedy’s proposals to fail.  Some of his proposals were to provide medical assistance for older people and increased federal aid for education.  However Kennedy was at first able to dominate Congress; “Kennedy won a first round in his campaign for a more cooperative Congress when he forced an expansion of the all-important House Rules Committee, dominated by conservatives who could have bottled up his entire legislative program.” (937) 

            Kennedy’s presidential campaign was focused on stimulating the economy after the declines that occurred while Eisenhower was the president.  His first action for this was to negotiate a non-inflationary wage agreement in the steel industry.  The companies were supposed to keep their prices stable, however they instead increased their prices almost immediately following the negotiation.  This episode was one of the New Frontier’s failures at home.

            To further help the economy Kennedy reduced taxes and also gave more money to “private hands.”  This went against suggestions that more government spending would be a better was to solve the problem.  “For economic stimulus, as well as for military strategy and scientific prestige, Kennedy also promoted a multibillion-dollar project to land an American on the moon.  When skeptics objected that the money could best be spent elsewhere, Kennedy ‘answered’… ‘But why, some say, the moon?… And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why, thirty five years ago, fly the Atlantic?…’”  He did send an American to the moon, along with a few other Americans.  Two of these Americans also got off and actually walked on the moon.

            Kennedy in 1961 met Soviet Premier Khrushchev at Vienna.  Kennedy tried to get the Soviet leader to cooperate with the United States.  However instead he threatened to make a treaty with East Germany and to then cut off western access to Berlin.  Kennedy’s New Frontier was not being greatly accepted by the Soviet Union.

            Even though Kennedy’s New Frontier failed with the Soviet Union.  It did work with Western Europe.  He made the Trade Expansion Act in 1962 and other tariff negotiations causing European-American trade to prosper.

            Another one of Kennedy’s New Frontier plans that was destroyed in Europe concerned an “Atlantic Community.”  He wanted Europe and the United States to united economically and militarily.  However Charles de Gaulle, the president of France was suspicious of American intentions.  He wanted an independent Europe that was not influenced by the United States.   

 Chapter 39 part 2

           After the assassination of President Kennedy, Lyndon Baines Johnson was placed into the position of president.  In 1964 he ran for president against Goldwater.  Johnson was re-elected.  However by the end of his term, he was hated by many of the people in the United States.  This was because of the horrible war in Vietnam.  Even though this war caused his popularity to go down, he did have other domestic achievements.  

            President Johnson fought against poverty during his term.  He got Congress to create the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, sometimes known as the Department of HUD.  The first black cabinet secretary in nation’s history was placed in the Department of Housing and Urban Development.  His name was Robert C. Weaver. 

A few of his most impressive achievements were the Big Four legislative accomplishments; aid to education, medical care for the elderly and poor, immigration reform, and a new voting rights bill.  Instead of giving money directly to the schools, he decided to give educational money to the students, avoiding the question of separation of church and state.  He signed the education bill in the one-roomed schoolhouse that he had attended as a boy in Texas.  In 1965 Medicare for the elderly and Medicaid for the poor was put into action.  Both the elderly and the poor were very happy about this act.  However the American Medical Association was not. 

 Another part of Johnson’s Big Four was concerning immigration reform.  The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 abolished the “national origin” quota system.  This system had been in place since 1921.  This act also allowed 290,000 immigrants to enter the United States every year.  This amount was equal to twice the previous amount.  Limits were also set on immigrants who were coming from the western Hemisphere.  No more than 120,000 immigrants from this area of the world were allowed to enter.  The law allowed close relatives of citizens of the United States to come to America.  These people were not counted as part of the limit.          

Another of Lyndon Baines Johnson’s greatest achievements was how he handled the Black Revolution.  In 1965 state troopers attacked Martin Luther King Jr. and his demonstrators in Selma Alabama.  They were only peacefully campaigning for voter-registration when this occurred.  “As the nation recoiled in horror before these violent scenes, President Johnson, speaking in soft southern accents, delivered a compelling address on television.  What happened in Selma, he insisted, concerned all Americans, ‘who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice.’  Then in a stirring adaptation of the anthem of the civil rights movement, the president concluded: ‘And we shall overcome.’” (950).  After this Johnson speedily passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.  This act outlawed literacy tests for voters.  It also sent federal voter registrars into some of the states in the South.   

Lyndon Baines Johnson had many domestic achievements.  One of his greatest was concerning the civil rights movement.  However even though these changes were very well liked, he became a not so well like president when he created the Vietnam War. 

A lot of people were either against him, or ready to turn against him at any moment.  He proposed things like medical assistance for the elderly and increased federal aid to education. He also wanted to keep prices from inflating and negotiated with steel businesses to keep their prices down. They didn’t and he let his temper loose. The businesses backed down. Next, Kennedy lent his support to a general tax-cut bill. He wanted to stimulate the economy by putting money directly back into the private hands. He also promoted a multibillion-dollar project to land Americans on the moon. It is tragic that he died so young and wasn’t able to see this goal finally recognized in 1969. 

Pt. 2 What were President Johnson's major domestic achievements? 

Johnson was out of the closet about his liberalism after he became president. He supported the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which banned racial and sexual discrimination in private and public places. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was formed to attempt to eliminate discrimination in hiring. He also issued an executive order that all federal contractors take “affirmative action” against discrimination. He also pushed some of Kennedy’s bills through Congress and added his own proposals for a “War on Poverty.” He called this domestic program the “Great Society” which resembled New Deal type economic and welfare measures.

In the race for the presidency in 1964, Johnson was up against the ultra conservative Barry Goldwater. Johnson won by a landslide because Goldwater seemed like a trigger-happy cowboy, and Americans were still intoxicated by the Kennedy legacy.