The Great Society: Big Idea
Lyndon B Johnson (LBJ) was JFK’s VP
& took over as president. He greatly
expanded JFK’s agenda with
programs in many areas.
What do YOU see?
What do you think is happening in these photos?
How significant is SYMBOLISM in U.S. history?
What do YOU see?
What do you think is happening in these photos?
How significant is SYMBOLISM in U.S. history?
LBJ signs education
acts in a 1-room
school house
LBJ signs immigration
act in the shadow of
Lady Liberty
LBJ civil rights act in room where
Lincoln wrote anti-racist
legislation
JFK is Dead
• 12pm November 22 1963 –
JFK is shot in Dallas
• 1pm – he is publically
pronounced dead
• 2:38pm – VP Lyndon B.
Johnson is signed into office
as the new president of
America
– Took the oath of office in the
cabin of Air Force One with
Jackie & his wife Lady Bird
“The ideas & ideals that Kennedy so nobly
represented must & will be translated into
effective action… his death commands
what his life conveyed – that America must
move forward” --LBJ
LBJ
JFK
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Young & charming
Society man
Soft image
Approachable
Laid back
Massachusetts
6yrs of Congressional
experience
• 46 when he died
• Criticism: weak &
inexperienced
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…not quite
Direct & assertive
Rough around the edges
Texas
26yrs of Congressional
experience
• 55 when he became
president
• Criticism: aggressive &
manipulative
What Made Him Successful
LBJ’s belief in achieving
consensus: general
agreement among people.
His ability to build
coalitions via arguing,
debating, threatening,
twisting arms, doing
favors, etc… made him a
very effective & powerful
Senate leader
The New President’s Agenda:
• 1. Address the problem of racial segregation
• 2. Improve the educational system
• 3. Eliminate poverty nationally
– Belief: the nation’s economy could be prosperous
permanently with a gov’t-run antipoverty program
The Suburbs Were Prosperous
• New roads
• New cars
• New business & shopping centers
Other Areas Were Not!
• City slums, rural
areas, deep south
• Native American
reservations
• Poor, ill-fed, illhoused, ill-educated
• 50,000,000 people in
the country
• Michael Harrington
writes The Other
America
LBJ Knew Hard Times
• Poor childhood
• Briefly taught in low-income areas
• The war on poverty – the new priority
“Unfortunately, many Americans live on the outskirts of hope, some
because of their poverty & some because of their color & all too
many because of both. I believe deeply in social action. A wealthy,
powerful government could & SHOULD try to improve the lives of its
citizens. Let’s attack poverty!”
The Election of 1964
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LBJ (D) vs. Barry Goldwater (R)
LBJ had been KILLING IT with relief programs
Goldwater was seen by many as an aggressive extremist
This frightened people in a time of nuclear war
LBJ wins by a landslide (all but 6 states)
“For the first time in
my life I truly feel
loved by the
American people”
- LBJ
The Great Society: Johnson’s vision of the
more perfect society the U.S. should become
• Inspired by FDR’s New Deal
policy
• Focused on 4 things:
– 1. Health & welfare
– 2. Education
– 3. War on poverty
– 4. Consumer/environmental
protection
Melting Pot!
Immigration Reform Act of 1965: eliminated trends
of the 1920s favoring N. European immigrants.
Opened the door to U.S. immigration from Europe,
Asia & Africa
Overall…
• Brought benefits to poor communities & minority groups
• The president brought a refreshing level of excitement
for making societies better for ALL Americans
“The walls of the ghettos
are not going to topple
overnight, nor is it possible
to wipe out the heritage of
generations of social,
economic, & educational
deprivation by the stroke of
a Presidential pen” - LBJ
What’s a
Memory Device?
**
PEMDAS is an example for
one you might use in math
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GREAT SOCIETY
AGENCIES
Grab a sheet
Put your name on your sheet
Grab YOUR book
Find the match for each box
Fill in the content for each box COMPLETELY
MIND YOUR TIME! You have the class to do this,
anything left over is HW!