Ch. 37 Notes PDF

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Notes from Chapter 37...

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The LBJ Brand on the Presidency 

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President Johnson convinced Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned racial discrimination in most private facilities that were open to the public. o This strengthened federal power to end segregation in schools and other public places. It also created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to eliminate discrimination in hiring. o LBJ issued an executive order, requiring federal contractors to take “affirmative action” against discrimination. LBJ also waged a “war on poverty” with his domestic program called the “Great Society”. It was a set of New Deal-like economic and welfare measures.

Johnson Battles Goldwater in 1964  

LBJ ran, and won, against republican Barry Goldwater in 1964. 2 US ships were allegedly fired upon in that year and LBJ used this to his political advantage. o He passed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, which allowed the president to use unrestricted force in Southeast Asia.

The Great Society Congress 

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Congress passed many bills supporting the Great Society Plan. o The Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development were formed. o The National Endowment for the Arts and the Humanities was created to raise the level of American cultural life. In regards to the Great Society Plan, LBJ’s biggest achievements were aid to education, medical care for the elderly and poor, immigration reform, and a new voting rights bill o Congress created Medicare and Medicaid for the poor in 1965. o The Immigration and Nationalist Act of 1965 abolished the quota system for immigration.  It also doubled the number of immigrants that could enter annually.  The sources of immigration shifted from Europe to Latin America and Asia.

Battling for Black Rights  

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 gave the government more power to enforce desegregation in schools and to prevent racial discrimination in public places and employment. LBJ realized that there was a problem with too few blacks being allowed to vote, so he helped pass the 24th amendment in 1964, which abolished the poll tax in federal elections. o The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was also passed to prohibit minorities from being disenfranchised in elections.

Black Power

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Violent riots erupted in Watts, a black L.A. ghetto. This symbolized the increasing militant confrontations in the civil rights struggle. Malcom X was a black-Muslim minister who was shot and killed in 1965 by a rival nation of Islam.

Vietnam Vexations 

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Operation Rolling Thunder which consisted of regular bombings, began in 1965. o The conflict became very Americanized, meaning that many war hawks believed that if we left Vietnam, other nations would doubt the American word and succumb to communism. Israel launched a preemptive strike on the Egypt, starting the Six-Day War. o Israel gained the Gaza strip, west bank, and the Golan Heights. Antiwar demonstrations increased as American casualties increased. o Defense Secretary McNamara was removed from office when he expressed discomfort about the war efforts. o The FBI used its code-named program “Cointelpro” to investigate members of the peace movement and the CIA was used to spy on domestic antiwar activists. The Tet Offensive was a major turning point in the war because it prompted many people in the American public to call for an immediate end to war. o Although we beat the Viet Cong in the Tet Offensive in 1968, it hit us hard in our war morale. In 1968, LBJ announced that he would begin to freeze American troops levels and gradually begin to withdraw from Vietnam. He also announced that he would not run for a second term in 1968.

The Presidential Sweepstakes of 1968      

In 1968, Robert Kennedy was shot by an Arab that was mad about Kennedy’s pro-Israel views. Republicans nominated Nixon, who had a platform that called for victory in Vietnam and anticrime policies. The American Independent Party, led by George C. Wallace, called for the segregation of blacks. The Democrats nominated LBJ’s VP, who supported increased force in Vietnam. Nixon won the election. LBJ did a lot for civil rights; however, the financial strain caused by the war restricted his Great Society program though. o LBJ was passive about Vietnam. This angered both the war hawks and the war doves.

The Cultural Upheaval of the 1960’s 

In the 1960’s there was a negative attitude towards all kinds of authority.

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The Free Speech movement at UC Berkeley was one of the first organized protests against established authorizes. In this era, educated people became more secular and uneducated people became more religious. The introduction of the birth control pill ushered in a sexual revolution. The Stonewall Rebellion was a series of riots where off-duty police officers attacked gay men. o AIDS and other STD worries slowed the sexual revolution. The weathermen were an underground terrorist group created by the Students for a Democratic Society. The 60’s upheavals can be attributed to population boom, protest against racism, and the apparent permanence of US prosperity.

Nixon “Vietnamizes” the War   

Nixon started a policy called Vietnamization where he began to withdraw US troops and hand the reigns to the war back to the Vietnamese. The Nixon doctrine stated that the US would honor existing defense commitments but, in the future, other countries would have to fight their own wars without US help. In 1969, Nixon delivered his famous speech to the “silent majority” who presumably supported the war. Nixon hoped to gain supporters by doing this.

Cambodianizing the Vietnam War 

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North Vietnam was using neutral Cambodia as a springboard to launch attacks. o Nixon invaded Cambodia, resulting in massive protests in the US. At Kent State university, the National Guard shot 4 students.  Nixon withdrew troops in 1970, however, bitterness between war hawks and war doves continued to increase. In 1971, the 26th Amendment was passed, which lowered the voting age to 18. The Pentagon Papers were leaked, which made available to the public the deception that the US government was engaging in in regards to the Vietnam War.

Nixon’s Détente with Beijing and Moscow   

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The USSR and China had tensions due to differing interpretations of Marxism. Nixon and his security advisor, Kissinger, used the tension to play the countries against each other to try to solve Vietnam crisis. Nixon traveled to Moscow and negotiated détente which was relaxed tensions between the USSR and China. o We also agreed to sell the soviets $750 million of wheat and barley. 2 agreements were made to slow the arms race: SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) froze the number of long range nuclear missiles for 5 years and AMB (Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty) limited the number of defensive missiles that could be used.

A New Team on the Supreme Bench

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The Warren Court was famous for passing a lot of decisions. Gideon vs. Wainwright (1963) ruled that all criminals, were entitled to legal counsel even if they couldn’t afford it. Escobedo vs. Illinois (1964) ruled that everyone who was arrested had the right to remain silent. Engel vs. Vital (1962) ruled that public schools could not require brayers or bible reading. Reynolds vs. Sims (1964) ruled that state legislatures would have to be reproportioned according to population. Loving vs Virginia got rid of laws banning interracial marriages.

Nixon on the Home Front 

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Nixon increased funding for Great Society programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. o He also created the Supplemental Security Income which gave benefits tot eh poor, old, blind, and disabled. Nixon’s Philadelphia Plan of 1969 required trade unions to establish quotas for hiring black employees. o This changed the definition of affirmative action to provide preferable treatment on groups instead of individuals. Nixon also created the EPA and the Endangered Species Act of 1973.

The Secret Bombing of Cambodia and the War Powers Act  

The public began to question their trust in the government when it became known that we had been secretly bombing Cambodia for years. In 1973, Congress passed the War Powers Act which required the president to tell congress within 48 hours of any commitment of US troops to conflict.

The Arab Oil Embargo and the Energy Crisis 

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Syria and Egypt tried to regain the territory they lost during the 6-day war, but Israel won the with help of the US. o The OPEC countries imposed an oil embargo on the US in retaliation. A speed limit of 55 mph was imposed on US highways to conserve oil. An oil pipeline in Alaska was approved in 1974 and other forms of energy were researched. The Embargo was lifted in 1974, but this quadrupled oil prices....