Lyndon B Johnson And Modern America Summary

In his book, Lyndon B. Johnson and Modern America, Kevin Fernlund tells the life story of Lyndon B. Johnson, and overviews his presidential days. Fernlunds purpose consistently claims that Johnson’s western upbringing affected the choices he made during his political positions. The ‘place matters’ theme sheds light on where and how one is raised affects the lifestyle and beliefs they have later in life. Johnson was born in Texas during a period of discrimination and also into politics, Johnson was the descendant of some of the earliest Texan pioneers and legislators. His grandfather and father both served their time in the Texas Legislature. His grandfather was a Populist leader when it was popular but when the party began to fade he became a democrat. This …show more content…
Through the creation of programs and reforms to US laws, he also attended to problems in regard to education, transportation, medical care, and urbanization. One of his most famous laws was the Civil Rights Act, with intent to outlaw the ‘separate but equal’ clause. “Changing laws was not easy. But it would prove a lot easier than changing society or a culture” (109). There’s a famous saying ‘you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink’. This symbolizes Johnson’s troubles with policy changes during his presidency. At that time many Americans were against desegregation and his drastic idea for reform on the topic of racial equality. Although his opinions and beliefs were at times viewed as unpopular by large segments of the nation, it was his upbringing that guided him to publicly begin the integration of colored people and white people. He did not care about the push back his “Great Society” might get. Instead, he harkened back to his poor childhood, his democratic background, and his college experience to use his experience to help shape the nation for years to