The Turbulent Decade1960-1969

3 Goals of the Decade:

Human space flight

Elimination of Poverty

Achievement of Social Justice

Big Events/Issues:Cold War Continues

VietnamCivil Rights Movement

Space & Arms Race

Assassinations:

JFK

1963

Malcolm X

1965

Martin Luther King

1968

Bobby Kennedy

1968

* Military Industrial Complex…* Strategic Forces: trained in Panama, prepared to fight anywhere in the world…

Medgar Evers1963

*Creation of NASA…

Peace Corps- Composed of American volunteers who taught or contributed technical advice to help developing or Third World Countries

- Designed to build friendships with countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America

- Hoped that this would encourage countries to adopt a western style democracy rather that communism

Bay of Pigs- Attempt to overthrow Cuba’s gov’t by CIA trained anti-Castro Cuban exiles- Planned during Eisenhower’s administration, Kennedy allows it to proceed

Reasons for Failure:~ Cuban intelligence knew about it~ Promised U.S. air strikes never happened~ Expected support for invaders from Cuban people didn’t happen

- Castro’s troops win four day battle capturing some 1200 soldiers

Berlin Wall/Kennedy’s Speech- 1961: to prevent

an increasing “brain drain” of youths, intellectuals, and technicians from East to West Berlin, the East Germans erected a wall, cutting off the flow of defectors

- Becomes propaganda weapon for west

~ communists having to use force to keep their people from fleeing westward

- In 1963 JFK demonstrates US support for West Berlin with famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” (I am a Berliner) speech to W. Ger. crowd

Cuban Missile Crisis- During the height of the US-USSR tensions

- JFK learns through aerial photography we learn that Soviet missiles were being placed in Cuba

(* Atty. Gen. Robert Kennedy and others suggest either a naval blockade (“quarantine”) or an aerial attack followed by a ground invasion. JFK considers options…)

- Oct. 22, 1962, JFK announces to Amer. Public:

~ Any attack by Cuba on anyany nation in the W. Hemisphere will be seen as a Soviet attack on U.S.

~ Presence of Soviet missile launch pads

~ Naval Blockade (they used the term quarantine) to prevent more missiles from getting to Cuba

*Kennedy places armed forces on full alert

- Sec. Of State Dean Rusk:~ said we’re “eyeball to eyeball”, ”and I think the other fellow just blinked” when Soviet ships, headed for Cuba, turned back instead of testing the blockade

- Kruschev then orders the missile bases be dismantled

* (In a behind the scenes deal,) Within 6 months we remove some of our missiles from Turkey that could have attacked USSR and agree to not invade Cuba

Rusk

- Crisis leads to:~ Establishment of “Hot Line” between Wash. D.C. and Moscow~ Limits on testing of nuclear weapons

Space 1960-1962- JFK labeled space the “New Frontier” we must conquer

- April 1961: U.S.S.R. sends the first cosmonaut into orbit, Yuri Gagarin

- May 1961: Alan Shepard Jr. becomes the first American in space (“Mercury Program”)- JFK promises to put an Amer. on the moon before 1970* The Right Stuff- Thomas Wolf’s book and

Hollywood movie about the Mercury Program

*Became name for his program

- Feb. 1962: John Glenn orbits the earth 3 times- 1st Amer. to do so

* TELSTAR- one of the 1st (TV) communication satellites

- Won election in part due to black vote and his support of Civil Rights

- Moved cautiously (on Civil Rights) while in office due to need of S. Dem. Political support

- With Atty. Gen. Bobby Kennedy they helped to integrate the South

J.F.K. and Jackie – the “Camelot” White House

Dallas Nov 22, 1963- Kennedy assassinated while riding in a motorcade

- L.B.J. sworn in as President on Air Force 1 while headed for Wash. D.C.

> Conspiracy Theories…

> Warren Commission – this Gov’t investigation claimed Assassin Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone

- Lee Harvey Oswald arrested and charged with murder

* While being escorted by the police Jack Ruby shot him to death

Great Society LegislationCivil Rights Act (1964):- Banned job discrimination

(race/gender) - Banned discrimination in voting- Guaranteed all Americans access to public accommodations * But it is a long hard-fought process…

Economic Opportunity Act (1964):- Provided job training programs for

poor* 30 million Americans (16%) were living below the poverty line

- Provided loans for rural farm cooperatives and urban businesses- Provided aid to migrant workers- Created VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), a domestic Peace Corps

Presidential Election of 1964

- Republicans nominate the very conservative Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater

- Democrats nominate L.B. Johnson and H. Humphrey as V.P.

-Johnson wins with the biggest victory margin

since FDR in 1936

- Democrats also gain control of both houses in Congress

Great Society Legislation Cont.Medicare Act (1965):

- Provided health care coverage to citizens 65 and older

- Provided funds for States to assist poor people of all ages for health care (Medicaid)* First time that a Fed. health standard was put into place

Voting Rights Act (1965):

Authorized federal officials to register voters in states where there was discrimination on the basis of race

Housing Act:

- Provided funds to construct low and middle income homes

- Department of Housing and Urban Development (H.U.D.) was created with Robert Weaver as the Secretary* First black person to hold a cabinet level position

Blacks Fight for Civil Rights

- NAACP continues filing suits against discrimination in the courts

- Black civil rights organizations protest through various means

Ex. Sit-ins, Freedom Riders, marches

- Often opposed by angry mobs, fire hoses, police dogs, cattle prods, imprisonments, and fines

* Arrests brought attention to their struggles

- Most groups followed Martin Luther King Jr.’s non-violent, “civil disobedience”tactics

~ 1963: “I Have a Dream” speech before 200,000 people in Wash. D.C. at the Lincoln Memorial

- Other more militant groups were unhappy with the slow pace toward equality

Black Muslims:

- Led by Elijah Mohammed who encouraged complete segregation from white society

- Gains notoriety when Malcolm X splits off and forms own group

- In Feb 1965 Malcolm X is assassinated, presumably by Black Muslims

Malcolm X

1964-67 riots: Blacks frustration leads to riots in Watts, Detroit, Harlem, etc.

- Black Panthers urged blacks to arm and fight for their rights (as well as protection from police brutality & racism)

- Apr. 1968 in Memphis Tennessee, Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated

- James Earl Ray admits to and is convicted of Kings’ murder

- 1968 Kerner Commission says Blacks made gains in some areas but the nation needed to continue bringing equality to all

* Black movement inspires others- Hispanics, Native Americans, Women

*Rioting rages across the country…

Hispanics- From Spain/Mexico in SW, from Puerto Rico in NY, from Cuba in Florida

- In 1962 Cesar Chavez- works to unionize Calif. Grape pickers ~ late 60’s he organizes

boycott of grapes nationwide to force growers to accept unions- Chicanos - Mexican Americans

- Civil Rights Groups help them gain better jobs, bi-lingual education, etc.

Grape Boycott

Native Americans

- American Indian Movement (AIM) led by Dennis Banks, Clyde Bellecourt, Leonard Peltier, and Russell Means, was a militant group making demands regarding conditions on reservations

Nov. 1969- June 1971 “Indians of all Tribes” occupation of Alcatraz

In March of 1973 AIM occupies trading post at community of Wounded Knee, SD - they demand Senate hearings on their treaty and investigation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs

*During the 71 day occupation 2 Indians are killed and 1 U.S. Marshall and 1 FBI agent are seriously wounded

Woman’s Rights Movement

- National Organization for Women (NOW)- pressed for legislation that would give women greater equality and freedomEx. Equal pay for

equal work, daycare

- Equal Rights Amendment- proposed constitutional amendment that would have forbidden discrimination by sex * Passed by Congress in 1972 but not

added to Const. when not ratified by 1982

Bra burning (a myth?)

EntertainmentFeb. 9th, 1964 - The band that would greatly influence the teens of the time, The Beatles, first appeared in America on the Ed Sullivan Show

~ Released Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band which, according to Rolling Stone Magazine, is the best album ever

Vietnam

-N. Vietnam controlled by Communist Ho Chi Minh,

S. Vietnam by U.S. supported Ngo Ding Diem - Anti-Diem rebels in South called National Liberation Front or Viet Cong

Buddhist monks self-immolating in protest of South Vietnam leader Diem’s corrupt government

- 1962 JFK provides S. Vietnam with military advisors and equipment

- 1963 Diem (and JFK) assassinated. LBJ takes office with 16,000 Amer. Advisors in ‘Nam

- As Amer. involvement increases so does North Vietnamese support for V.C.- Aug 1964 U.S. destroyers patrolling Gulf of Tonkin are attacked by N. Vietnam

- Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Passed by Congress and gave Pres. authority to take “all necessary steps” to prevent further aggression by N.V.- 1965 bombing of N.V. begins

- 1965 Gen. Westmoreland, U.S. Gen. in Nam asks for 200,000 troops ~ by 1966, 385,000 in

Nam~ by 1968, 536,000 in Nam* Periodic efforts at peace negotiations unsuccessful so conflict continues

- Opposition to war increases in America due to concerns over costs (20 billion in 1967) and casualties (25,000 killed by 1968)

- Feb 1968 Tet Offensive - V.C. launch offensive on Vietnamese holiday of Tet. Though the offensive was defeated, it raised doubts about the possibility of winning and increased opposition to the war in U.S.

- College students actively involved in protest movements on campuses across the nation

~ Burning draft cards

~ Flowers in gun barrels ~ Riot police/tear

gas

* My Lai -

1968 Presidential Election- LBJ refuses Westmoreland’s request for additional 200,000 troops, suspends bombing of N.V. (which encourages N.V. to enter peace negotiations in Paris) and surprises many by announcing that he would not run for re-election

~ June of 1968 on evening of RFK’s victory speech following Calif. Primary he’s assassinated *Sirhan Sirhan -

- Dem. Nomination sought by McCarthy, Humphrey, and Robert Kennedy

~ Dem. nominating convention in Chicago where Humphrey is nominated the scene of violent demonstrations, rioting, and forceful police reactions

- Reacting to anti-war protests and urban riots Alabama Governor G. Wallace becomes a third party candidate

- Republicans nominate Nixon and Spiro Agnew

* Nixon makes successful comeback from 1960 Pres loss and 1962 Calif. Gov. loss