Fiveable
Fiveable

or

Log in

Find what you need to study


Light

Find what you need to study

8.9 The Great Society

3 min readdecember 31, 2022

Robby May

Robby May

Jillian Holbrook

Jillian Holbrook

Robby May

Robby May

Jillian Holbrook

Jillian Holbrook

Assassination of JFK

On November 22, 1963, JFK was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald while riding in a motorcade in downtown Dallas, Texas. 

The American people were bewildered by the rapid sequence of events: the brutal killing of their young president, the televised slaying of Oswald by Jack Ruby, the composure and dignity of Jackie Kennedy at the state funeral, and the hurried Warren Commission report, which identified Oswald as the lone assassin. 

The Warren Commission, headed by Chief Justice Earl Warren, concluded that Oswald had acted alone. For years afterward, however, unanswered questions about the events in Dallas produced dozens of conspiracy theories pointing to possible involvement by organized crime, Castro, the CIA, and the FBI. 

🏆Trivia: AP US History - 1950s and 1960s

LBJ Comes to Power

Lyndon B. Johnson's assets were very real. He possessed an intimate knowledge of Congress, incredible energy and determination to succeed, as well as a fierce ego. When a young marine officer tried to direct him to the proper helicopter, saying, “This one is yours,” Johnson replied, “Son, they are all my helicopters.”

LBJ’s height and intensity gave him a powerful presence, but he lacked Kennedy’s wit and charm. However, he possessed a far greater ability than Kennedy in dealing with Congress. He entered the White House with more than 30 years of experience in Washington as a legislative aide, congressman, and senator. As a result, he was famed for the “Johnson treatment,” a legendary ability to use personal persuasion and get into the personal space of the person he pressured in order to reach his goals.

The War on Poverty  

The best-selling book on poverty, The Other America, helped to focus national attention on the 40 million Americans still living in poverty. Johnson responded in 1964 by declaring an unconditional war on poverty.

The Democratic Congress gave the president almost everything that he asked for by creating the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) and providing this antipoverty agency with a billion-dollar budget. The OEO sponsored a wide variety of self-help programs for the poor, such as Head Start for preschoolers, the Job Corps for vocational education, literacy programs, and legal services.

The Great Society

Johnson unleashed a program of domestic policy, which he called the , leaning on one of his greatest heroes, FDR. Hundreds of laws and programs would be passed as a part of the , increasing liberalism and belief in the efficacy of the government to achieve social goals. These initiatives spanned attempts to end racial discrimination, eliminate poverty, and improve education:

mandated health insurance under the Social Security program for Americans over age 65 and a supplemental Medicaid program for the poor

provided more than $1 billion in federal aid, the largest going to school districts with the highest percentage of impoverished students

Food Stamp Act

expanded the federal program to help poor people with food stamps

National Foundation of the Arts and Humanities

provided federal funding for arts and other creative and scholarly projects

Higher Education Act

provided federal scholarships for college education

added breakfasts to the school lunch program

Key Terms to Review (4)

Child Nutrition Act

: The Child Nutrition Act is a United States federal law signed on October 11, 1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The Act was created as a response to concerns that many American children were malnourished and not receiving adequate amounts of food at home or school.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act

: The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is a United States federal statute enacted in 1965 that provides funding for primary and secondary school education and measures the performance of schools.

Great Society

: The Great Society was a set of domestic programs in the United States launched by Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964–65 aiming to eliminate poverty and racial injustice.

Medicare and Medicaid

: Medicare is a federal program that provides health coverage if you are 65 or older or have certain disability; Medicaid is a state and federal program that provides health coverage if you have very low income.

8.9 The Great Society

3 min readdecember 31, 2022

Robby May

Robby May

Jillian Holbrook

Jillian Holbrook

Robby May

Robby May

Jillian Holbrook

Jillian Holbrook

Assassination of JFK

On November 22, 1963, JFK was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald while riding in a motorcade in downtown Dallas, Texas. 

The American people were bewildered by the rapid sequence of events: the brutal killing of their young president, the televised slaying of Oswald by Jack Ruby, the composure and dignity of Jackie Kennedy at the state funeral, and the hurried Warren Commission report, which identified Oswald as the lone assassin. 

The Warren Commission, headed by Chief Justice Earl Warren, concluded that Oswald had acted alone. For years afterward, however, unanswered questions about the events in Dallas produced dozens of conspiracy theories pointing to possible involvement by organized crime, Castro, the CIA, and the FBI. 

🏆Trivia: AP US History - 1950s and 1960s

LBJ Comes to Power

Lyndon B. Johnson's assets were very real. He possessed an intimate knowledge of Congress, incredible energy and determination to succeed, as well as a fierce ego. When a young marine officer tried to direct him to the proper helicopter, saying, “This one is yours,” Johnson replied, “Son, they are all my helicopters.”

LBJ’s height and intensity gave him a powerful presence, but he lacked Kennedy’s wit and charm. However, he possessed a far greater ability than Kennedy in dealing with Congress. He entered the White House with more than 30 years of experience in Washington as a legislative aide, congressman, and senator. As a result, he was famed for the “Johnson treatment,” a legendary ability to use personal persuasion and get into the personal space of the person he pressured in order to reach his goals.

The War on Poverty  

The best-selling book on poverty, The Other America, helped to focus national attention on the 40 million Americans still living in poverty. Johnson responded in 1964 by declaring an unconditional war on poverty.

The Democratic Congress gave the president almost everything that he asked for by creating the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) and providing this antipoverty agency with a billion-dollar budget. The OEO sponsored a wide variety of self-help programs for the poor, such as Head Start for preschoolers, the Job Corps for vocational education, literacy programs, and legal services.

The Great Society

Johnson unleashed a program of domestic policy, which he called the , leaning on one of his greatest heroes, FDR. Hundreds of laws and programs would be passed as a part of the , increasing liberalism and belief in the efficacy of the government to achieve social goals. These initiatives spanned attempts to end racial discrimination, eliminate poverty, and improve education:

mandated health insurance under the Social Security program for Americans over age 65 and a supplemental Medicaid program for the poor

provided more than $1 billion in federal aid, the largest going to school districts with the highest percentage of impoverished students

Food Stamp Act

expanded the federal program to help poor people with food stamps

National Foundation of the Arts and Humanities

provided federal funding for arts and other creative and scholarly projects

Higher Education Act

provided federal scholarships for college education

added breakfasts to the school lunch program

Key Terms to Review (4)

Child Nutrition Act

: The Child Nutrition Act is a United States federal law signed on October 11, 1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The Act was created as a response to concerns that many American children were malnourished and not receiving adequate amounts of food at home or school.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act

: The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is a United States federal statute enacted in 1965 that provides funding for primary and secondary school education and measures the performance of schools.

Great Society

: The Great Society was a set of domestic programs in the United States launched by Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964–65 aiming to eliminate poverty and racial injustice.

Medicare and Medicaid

: Medicare is a federal program that provides health coverage if you are 65 or older or have certain disability; Medicaid is a state and federal program that provides health coverage if you have very low income.


© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.


© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.