Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society

Improved Essays
In the 1960 Lyndon B. Johnson was elected Vice President as John F. Kennedy's running mate. On November 22, 1963, after Kennedy's assassination, Johnson was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States, with a vision to build "A Great Society" for the American people. A Democrat from Texas, he also served as a United States Representative and as the Majority Leader in the Senate. Johnson is one of only four people who have served in all four elected positions. During the 1960s President Johnson oversaw one of the most extensive legislative programs in the nation's history. Today we know this as Johnson's Great Society. This program encompassed many things Johnson wanted an America that could be the beacon of the world and he believed

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as president on an aircraft carrying John F. Kennedy’s dead body from Dallas to Washington D.C. Right from the start LBJ had ambitions to eliminate poverty by instilling progressive reforms called the “Great Society”. President Johnson had a very impressive list of achievements while in office; however, his failure to deal with the Vietnam War properly tainted his image. Nonetheless, President Johnson is still viewed as one of the most effective leaders in the United States and in recent history.…

    • 811 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    1960s Dbq

    • 1300 Words
    • 6 Pages

    : 2 The 1960’s was a decade of revolution and change in politics, music, and society around the world. It was an era of protest. The decade shaped the country and made it how it is today. There were numerous amounts of leaders, presidents, motivators, etc. that changed how the society lived then, and how we now live our day to day lives right this very moment.…

    • 1300 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Roberto DeGregorio US History Mr. McGoldrick December 29, 2015 A politically courageous elected official after 1956 that has put his beliefs over his carrier was Lyndon B. Johnson, and his courageous acts he committed was during the Civil Rights movement and his not so lionized courageous act of starting the Vietnam War. Mr. Johnson supported the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts during the Mid - 1960s, which was a brave and moral belief, for this time. He put his Presidential campaign, and his carrier into a idea which he supported and believes strongly in. He also put his campaign in danger when he single handedly sent american troops to fight a war in South East Asia.…

    • 793 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Lyndon B Johnson Dbq

    • 646 Words
    • 3 Pages

    On July 2, 1964, pens were used to change the lives of every American citizen. Lyndon B. Johnson, the man who changed lives, was born on a farm near Stonewall in the Hill Country of central Texas. He taught 5th through 7th grade in a small Mexican-American school and then later taught at a high school in Houston. Later in 1931, Johnson took his enthusiasm and ambition with him to Washington, D.C. where he worked as a congressman (BE). So, why did L.B.J. sign the Civil Rights Act of 1964?…

    • 646 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Never before in American history was there a President whose previous job titles included cotton picker. That is until Lyndon Baines Johnson ascended to the highest office in the country because of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He worked in the cotton fields as a young boy and such an experience influenced his political agenda when he was elected President. Much has been said about Johnson as a ruthless politician. Even more has been said about his relationship with the Kennedy family.…

    • 1317 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Great Depression didn 't affect only the United States, it had worldwide implications that stemmed from it. It occurred in the late 1920s and lasted throughout the end of World War II. In 1932, one out of every four Americans was unemployed; in larger cities nearly half of the adults were out of work.(TS p.858) This economic turmoil caused food insecurity and massive job losses as people soured the country for work and stood in breadlines. These hard times put our nation at ends with political and economic issues, aggravating the effects of the Depression.…

    • 837 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    To insure we do not have a recurrence of the great depression we must start with an even greater society and that is exactly what Lyndon B. Johnson had created. Lyndon Johnson the 37th president of the United States did not go to school believing that one day he would run this country. Mr. Johnson came from a less fortunate family, who attended college to teach the less fortunate children of minorities, this did help his presidency because he could see where people other than the rich first class was coming from and acknowledged that they needed more help. President Johnson believed that a great society would be a society “Where progress is the servant of our needs,” (Johnson qtd. in Great).…

    • 1094 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Lyndon B. Johnson Dbq

    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Is it possible for one man’s proclamation to change an entire country’s beliefs? Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, from Texas, became the President of the United States after the assassination of J.F.K. He was originally a Texas Senator and the Senate Majority Leader, and opposed Civil Rights movements from day one, because of the people he represented. Before he was senator, he was a humble teacher in Cotulla, Texas at a small Mexican-American school. After L.B.G’s oppositions, what caused him to sign the Civil Rights Act of 1964? President L.B.J signed the bill with three reasons, he loved and remembered his students in Cotulla, he had a change of heart and principles, and he didn’t care about what the South thought of him.…

    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sometimes, politically powerful men do unexpected things. Lyndon B. Johnson was from Texas and after college taught children. Later, he went into politics as a Democratic Primary Texas senator. In 1960 he ran for President against JFK, and sadly lost. But then got asked to be JFK’s Vice President, and said yes!…

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    “No decade in the twentieth century painted a more distinct and powerful image of America than the 1960’s” (Brinkley, 720). At the beginning of this decade, President John F. Kennedy took office as a young and strong liberal leader. He had countless dreams and ideas of what he wanted to accomplish during his term. Those ideas included federal aid for education, tax cuts to stimulate the economy, civil rights acts, government regulated medical care, and the creation of the Peace Corps.…

    • 1241 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Lyndon B. Johnson and American Liberalism gives an account of President Johnson’s political career and connects it to the larger liberal movement in America. Bruce Schulman said that Johnson’s career “offers an unparalleled opportunity for investigating U.S politics and public policy from the 1930’s to the 1970’s. To study LBJ is to survey his times, for Johnson was a historical lightning rod, a huge presence that attracted and absorbed the great forces of his era.” The main point of this book seems to that Johnson was the biggest champion and representative of liberalism; therefore, he is crucial for understanding it. Most Americans seemed to have accepted liberalism and the welfare state, however, people still argued exactly how much government…

    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The 1960 Presidential election was one of the closest elections in history. The two candidates who were striving for the presidency were Vice President Richard M. Nixon and your brother, Sen. John F. Kennedy. This was also a very grueling campaign from the primaries all the way to the November election. Throughout the election season there are many issues that are brought up, both international and domestic issues and issues with each of the candidates. In this memo I will talk about the 1960 election and show you the reasons why John F. Kennedy won and the issues which dominated the campaign.…

    • 1633 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Lyndon B. Johnson once said this quote, “The presidency has made every man who occupied it, no matter how small, bigger than he was; and no matter how big, not big enough for its demands.” This quote really described what the presidency was like to the men who have occupied the position. The first part of this quote explained how the presidency has made those who have occupied it step up to tasks that they never thought they would have to handle. Tasks much bigger than themselves. The second part of this quote explained how the presidency is a big position but not big enough for the men who occupy it.…

    • 2753 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Lyndon B. Johnson and the transformation of American Politics, 1908-1973. By John L. Bullion. John L. Bullion, a professor and historian that teaches the history of America. He specializes in teaching about the American Revolution Era, politics, and policies. While furthering his research on some of his work.…

    • 297 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Great Society Examples

    • 162 Words
    • 1 Pages

    The Great Society was a success with multiple new programs which are still used today. Medicare, Social Security and food stamps are all excellent examples of how the Great Society improved Americans quality of life. Although, JFK’s famous line is “Ask not what your country will do for you, but what you will do for your country” Lyndon B Johnson focused on government programs to improve America. Many opponents of the Great Society would say that these programs directly after they were implemented. One example is Thomas Sowell who states that that the great society was a direct cause of changing attitudes towards intercourse.…

    • 162 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays