APUSH/Honors US II-Textbook/Unit Assignment
The Kennedy & Johnson Administrations (The New Frontier & The Great
Society)
Directions: Complete the following assignment by explaining the term, listing key ideas, taking
notes, completing the sentence, and/or answering the question. Each section is worth 5 points,
for a total of 30 points. We will be reading parts of chapter 24 and 25 in the Foner textbook. You
will also to refer to the Schweikart and Allen book pages 667 to 689.
1-The Election of 1960 (Pages 1027-1028)
A) Who ran for president in 1960? Include both parties and the presidential candidate/vicepresidential candidate.
B) What were Kennedy’s weaknesses as a candidate? (Consider religion, age, & experience)
C) What were Kennedy’s strengths as a candidate? (Consider image & appearance)
D) What issues helped Kennedy win in 1960?
E) How did the televised debate impact the election?
F) List the advantages Nixon appeared to possess. What factors were working against
Nixon? (See S & A pages 668-669)
G) In what ways was the Kennedy family extremely ambitious? What actions did they take
to achieve their ambitions? (See S & A pages 669-670)
2-The End of the 1950s (Pages 1029-1030)
A) Define the following terms:
Missile GapMilitary-Industrial ComplexB) According to President Eisenhower, what dangers did a military-industrial complex pose?
C) List some of the environmental problems that existed by the end of the 1950s.
3-The Kennedy Years (Pages 1040-1042)
A) How is the Kennedy Administration viewed today?
B) How did the U.S. respond to the Soviet Union sending the first human into space?
C) Take notes/explain each of the following:
Peace CorpsAlliance for ProgressD) Who was Fidel Castro?
E) Briefly describe the Bay of Pigs invasion.
F) What was the result of the Bay of Pigs invasion?
G) What role did the mafia play in Cuba? (See S & A page 671)
H) Why was the Berlin Wall built? What did it come to symbolize?
I) The Soviet premier during this era was…
J) What happened in the Cuban Missile Crisis?
K) How was the Cuban Missile Crisis resolved?
L) The Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the world has ever come to….
M) How was the Cuban Missile Crisis resolved?
N) What options did Kennedy and his cabinet explore? (See S & A page 672)
4-Kennedy and Civil Rights (pages 1042-1043)
A) Why was Kennedy reluctant to take a stand on civil rights?
B) How did Kennedy fail on civil rights?
C) What events forced Kennedy to take more action?
D) What did he call for in June 1963? (This would be the basis of the Civil Rights Bill of
1963/Civil Rights Act of 1964.)
5-The Kennedy Assassination (Page 1043)
A) Date and LocationB) Why was Kennedy in Texas? (S & A page 679)
C) Who was the suspect? What happened to the suspect? What was troubling about his
past? (S & A page 679)
D) What was the Warren Commission? What did their report say? (See S & A page 680)
E) Explain the suspicion and conspiracy theories that still surround Kennedy’s death (See S
& A page 680).
6-Lyndon B. Johnson’s Presidency (Pages 1043 to 1050)
A) LBJ’s Background (Include the reasons why was he interested in domestic reform).
B) Johnson’s view on governmentC) Explain the following Civil Rights Acts passed by LBJ
a. The Civil Rights Act of 1964b. The Voting Rights Act of 1965c. 24th AmendmentD) Who ran for president in 1964? Include the candidates and their parties.
E) Describe Goldwater’s campaign platform/promises.
F) In what ways was conservatism growing in the 1960s?
G) How were laws regarding immigration changed in 1965? What were some results of
these changes?
H) The Great Society (Definition)a. New Cabinetsb. How was the Great Society rooted in New Deal ideas of freedom?
c. How did the Great Society differ from the New Deal?
I) The centerpiece of the Great Society was…
J) Influence of Michael Harrington’s book (1962)-
K) Focus of the War on PovertyL) Explain the following War on Poverty Programs
a. Office of Economic Opportunityb. Head Startc. VISTAM) What were the effects of Johnson’s Great Society and War on Poverty Programs?