John F. Kennedy

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John F. Kennedy

• The 1960s

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ELECTION OF 1960

• BACKGROUND
• September 26, 1960-Kennedy and Nixon square off
  in 1st televised presidential debate! 70 million
  TV viewers deemed Kennedy the winner, yet radio
  listeners thought Nixon won. Issue still
  debated.
• -JOHN F. KENNEDY ELECTED! Democrat (MASS)
• -43 yrs old
• -youngest ever elected
• -Catholic
• -Kennedy barely won the election and therefore
  had trouble pushing his more controversial
  measures through Congress

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KENNEDYS DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

• -NEW FRONTIER-Kennedys proposals to improve the
  economy, assist the poor, and speed up the space
  program
• -ECONOMY-attempted huge tax cuts over a 3 year
  period. Got stuck in congress
• -COMBATING POVERTY AND INEQUALITY-JFK believed
  poor needed direct federal aid.
• -Congress approved an increase in minimum age
  and the Housing Act of 1961-provided for urban
  renewal.
• -24th amendment-outlawed poll tax
• -1963-Equal Pay Act

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• -Other acts-
• -provided high-quality surplus food to unemployed
  Americans
• -large, fast defense build up
• -Extension of Social Security
• -Combat water pollution
• -address Juvenile Delinquency
• -Signing of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

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• -SPACE PROGRAM
• -pushed for it to catch up with the Soviet Union
• -set goal to land on moon

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KENNEDYS FOREIGN POLICIES/ISSUES

• -Cuba-90 miles off coast of Florida
• -1959-Fidel Castro (Communist) overthrew the
  U.S. backed dictator.
• -Kennedy learned of Eisenhowers plan where the
  CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) was training a
  group of Cubans to invade Cuba and overthrow
  Castro.
• -BAY OF PIGS failed invasion of Cuba by a group
  of anti-Castro forces in 1961. Kennedy accepted
  defeat quickly against his advisors suggestions
  to use American planes for air cover for the
  attackers

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• -BERLIN CRISIS-Soviets wanted to make split of
  West and East Berlin permanent to stop the flow
  of escapees. Kennedy met with Soviet leader and
  felt bullied. He wanted to show the Soviets that
  the USA would not be intimidated and increased
  defense spending by 3 billion.
• -Soviets built Berlin Wall 1961

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• -CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS-terrifying standoff between
  the US and Soviet Union. Soviet Union was
  building missiles in Cuba. However, the missiles
  the Soviets had in their own country could harm
  us as well, the fact they were in Cuba was not
  that much more threatening. Kennedy places
  military on full alert. Efforts to diminish
  tension between the US and the Soviet Union began
  shortly after

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• -PEACE CORPS-sent volunteers abroad as educators