The Sixties: “The Times They are a-Changin”

Unit 10 chapters 20, 22, and 23Gateway Chapter 15

Part 1

I. The Kennedy YearsA. Young, Idealistic, elected 1960B. Promised a “New Frontier,” using

federal power to solve problems at home and defend freedom abroad

C. Space Program – competed with the Soviets

D. Brought attention to disabled persons1. President’s Council on Mental

Retardation2. Special OlympicsE. Set up federal commission to report on the

status of women and signed the Equal Pay Act

F. Other “New Frontier” reforms, involving taxes, housing, and civil rights, were halted in Congress.

G. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in November 1963.

II. The Johnson YearsA. Lyndon B. Johnson became President in 19631. experienced manager of the Senate2. began by passing much of Kennedy’s reform

legislation as a tributeB. Johnson called for a War on Poverty3. The Economic Opportunity Act established

programs like:a. Job Corps to train youthsb. VISTA – a domestic “peace corps”

C. Johnson won a landslide victory against Barry Goldwater in 1964, giving him control of Congress

1. proposed his “Great Society” reform program, the most ambitious since the New Deal.

D. Medicare and Medicaid gave health insurance to seniors, the poor, children, pregnant women, and the disabled. These were the most enduring of all the “Great Society” programs.

E. Federal money was given to education, like Project Head Start for low-income youths.

F. The Housing and Urban Development Act gave federal aid to the poor areas of cities.

F. The Appalachian Regional Development Act gave aid to one of America’s poorest regions.

G. The Immigrations Act of 1965 replaced the previous system based on national origins by establishing the same immigration quota for all countries.

H. Other achievements included the creation of the National Foundation for the Arts and Humanities, a higher minimum wage, environmental reform, and the creation of PBS.

III. The Warren CourtA. The Supreme Court under Earl Warren

became an instrument of social change, expanding the rights of all Americans. Some Americans opposed such judicial activism.

B. The Court made important decision on freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and rights for criminal suspects in cases like Yates v. United States, Baker v. Carr, Engel v. Vitale, Gideon v. Wainwright, and Miranda v. Arizona.