BookvTitle:vThevAmericanvPageant:vAvHistoryvofvthevAmericanvPeople,vAP®vEdition
PrintedvBy:vNikyvJiangv()
©v2020vCengagevLearning,vCengagevLearning
Chapter Introduction
v
There’sv av battlev outsidevandv itv isv ragin’v…v Forv thev timesv theyv arev a-changin’
BobvDylan,v1963
Iconicvhistoricalvdecadesvrarelyvalignvperfectlyvwithvthevactualvcalendar.vWhatvmanyv American
svremembervasvthevtumultuousv“sixties”vdidvnotvtrulyvbeginvuntilvaftervthevshockingvslayingvofvPr
esidentvJohnvF.vKennedy,vandvitsvseveralvupheavalsvinvculturevandvpoliticsvextendedv wellv intov t
hev followingv decade.v Betweenv Presidentv Kennedy’sv assassinationv inv1963vandvPresidentvNi
xon’svresignationvinv1974,vAmericansvexperiencedvavsexualvrevolution,v avcivilvrightsvrevolt,vthev
emergencevofvav“youthvculture,”vavdevastatingvwarvinvVietnam,vavmassivevenlargementvofvthevfe
deralvgovernment,vfar-
reachingvpoliticalvrealignments,vdeepeningvdistrustvofvnearlyvallvtheirvmajorvinstitutions,vandvthe
vbeginningsvofvavfeministvuprising.vInvthevendvAmericansv werevexhausted,vdivided,v andvbadlyv di
sillusioned—andvpermanentlyvtransformedvinvmyriadvways.
Chapterv36:vThevStormyvSixtiesv1963–1973vChaptervIntroduction
BookvTitle:vThevAmericanvPageant:vAvHistoryvofvthevAmericanvPeople,vAP®vEdition
PrintedvBy:vNikyvJiangv()
©v2020vCengagevLearning,vCengagevLearning
©v2024vCengagevLearningvInc.vAllvrightsvreserved.vNovpartvofvthisvworkvmayvbyvreproducedvorvusedvinvanyvformvorvbyvanyvmeansv-
vgraphic,velectronic,vorvmechanical,vorvinvanyvothervmannerv-vwithoutvthev writtenvpermissionvofvthevcopyrightvholder.
,Chapterv36:vThevStormyvSixtiesv1963–1973:v36-
1vThevLBJvBrandvonvthevPresidencyvBookvTitle:vThevAmericanvPageant:vAvHistoryvofvthev
AmericanvPeople,vAP®vEdition
PrintedvBy:vNikyvJiangv()
©v2020vCengagevLearning,vCengagevLearning
36-1 The LBJ Brand on the Presidency
v v v v v
WithvPresidentvKennedyvstruckvdown,vthevtorchvpassedvtovcraggy-
facedvLyndonvBainesvJohnson,vavTexanvwhovtoweredvsixvfeetvthreevinches.vAlthoughvhevmistru
stedv“thevHarvards,”vJohnsonvretainedvmostvofvthevbrightvKennedyvteam.vThevnewvpresidentvm
anagedvavdignifiedvandvefficientvtransitionvinvthevwintervofv1963,vpledgingvcontinuityvwithvhisvslai
nvpredecessor’svpolicies.
ThevnewvpresidentvhailedvfromvthevpopulistvhillvcountryvwestvofvAustin,vTexas,vwhosevpeoplevha
dvfirstvsentvhimvtovWashingtonvasvavtwenty-nine-year-oldvcongressmanvinv1937.vFranklin
D.vRooseveltvwasvhisvpoliticalv“Daddy,”vJohnsonvclaimed.vHevhadvsupportedvNewvDealvmeasur
esvdownvthevline.vButvwhenvLBJvlostvavSenatevracevinv1941,vhevlearnedvthevsoberingvlessonvthat
vliberalvpoliticalv beliefsvdidvnotvnecessarilyv winv electionsv invTexas.vHevtrimmedv hisvsailsv tov thev ri
ghtv andv squeezedv himselfv intov av Senatev seatv inv 1948v withv av questionableveighty-seven-
votevmargin—hencevthevironicvnicknamev“LandslidevLyndon.”
EntrenchedvinvthevSenate,vJohnsonvhadvdevelopedvintovavmasterfulvwheeler-
dealer.vHevbecamevthevDemocraticvmajorityvleadervinv1954,vwieldingvpowervsecondvonlyvtovtha
tvofvEisenhowervinvthevWhitevHouse.vHevcouldvmovevmountainsvorvcheckmatevopponentsvasvth
evoccasionvdemanded,vusingvwhatvcamevtovbevknownvasvthev“Johnsonvtreatment”—
anvintimidatingvdisplayvofvbackslapping,vflesh-pressing,vandvarm-
twistingvthatvoverborevfriendv andvfoevalike.vHisvegovandvvanityvwerevlegendary.vOnvavvisitvtovth
evPope,vJohnsonvwasvpresentedvwithvavpreciousvfourteenth-
centuryvpaintingvfromvthevVaticanvartvcollection;vinvreturn,vLBJvgavevthevPopevavbust—ofvLBJ.
Asvpresident,vJohnsonvquicklyvshedvthevconservativevcolorationvofvhisvSenatevyearsvtovrevealvt
hev latentv liberalv underneath.v “Nov memorialv orationv orv eulogy,”v Johnsonv declaredv tovCongre
ss,v“couldvmoreveloquentlyvhonorvPresidentvKennedy’svmemoryvthanvthevearliestvpossiblevpass
agevofvthevCivilvRightsvBillvforvwhichvhevfoughtvsovlong.”vAftervavlengthyvconservativevfilibuster,v
CongressvatvlastvpassedvthevlandmarkvCivilvRightsvActvofv1964
(Federalv lawv thatv bannedv racialv discriminationv inv publicv facilitiesv andv strengthenedv the
federalvgovernment’svpowervtovfightvsegregationvinvschools.vTitlevVIIvofvthevactvprohibitedvempl
oyersvfromvdiscriminatingvbasedvonvracevinvtheirvhiringvpractices,vandvempoweredvthe
EqualvEmploymentvOpportunityvCommissionv(EEOC)vtovregulatevfairvemployment.)v.vThevactvb
annedvracialvdiscriminationvinvmostvprivatevfacilitiesvopenvtovthevpublic,vincludingvtheaters,vhos
pitals,vandvrestaurants.vItvstrengthenedvthevfederalvgovernment’svpowervtovendv segregationvinv
schoolsvandvothervpublicvplaces.vTitlevVIIvofvthevactvbarredvemployersvfromvdiscriminatingvbase
dvonvracevorvnationalvoriginvinvhiringvandvempoweredvthevEqualvEmploymentvOpportunityvCom
missionv(EEOC,vavbodyvKennedyvhadvcreatedvinv1961)vtovenforcevthevlaw.vWhenvconservative
svtriedvtovderailvthevlegislationvbyvaddingvavprohibitionvon
, sexual,vasvwellvasvracial,vdiscrimination,vthevtacticvbackfired.vThevbill’svopponentsvcynicallyvcalc
ulatedvthatvliberalsvwouldvnotvbevablevtovsupportvavbillvthatvthreatenedvtovwipevoutvlawsv thatvsing
ledvoutvwomenvforvspecialvprotectionvbecausevofvtheirvsex.vButvthevact’svTitlevVIIvpassedvwithvth
evsexualvclausevintact.vItvsoonvprovedvtovbevavpowerfulvinstrumentvofvfederallyvenforcedvgenderv
equality,vasvwellvasvracialvequality.vJohnsonvstruckvanothervblowvforvwomenvandvminoritiesvalik
evinv1965vwhenvhevissuedvanvexecutivevordervrequiringvallvfederalvcontractorsvtovtakevaffirmati
vevactionv(Programvdesignedvtovredressvhistoricvracialvandvgendervimbalancesvinvjobsvandvedu
cation.vThevtermvgrewvfromvanvexecutivevordervissuedvbyvLyndonvB.vJohnsonvinv1965vmandatin
gvthatvprojectsvpaidvforvwithvfederalvfundsvtakev concertedvactionvagainstvdiscriminationvbasedv
onvracevinvtheirvhiringvpractices.vInvthevlatev1960s,vPresidentvNixon’svPhiladelphiavPlanvchange
dvthevmeaningvofvaffirmativevactionvtovrequirevattentionvtovcertainvgroups,vrathervthanvprotectvin
dividualsvagainstvdiscrimination.)vagainstvdiscrimination.
JohnsonvalsovrammedvKennedy’svstalledvtaxvbillvthroughvCongressvandvaddedvproposalsvofv hi
svownvforvavbillion-
dollarv“WarvonvPoverty.”vThevinitialvpoliticalvimpetusvforvthevantipovertyvcampaignvhadvcomevfro
mvjournalistvMichaelvHarrington’svsurprisevbestvsellervThevOthervAmericav(1962),vwhichvreveal
edvthatvevenvinvaffluentvAmericav20vpercentvofvthevpopulation—
vandv overv 40v percentv ofv thev blackv population—
sufferedv inv poverty.v Priorv tov hisv death,vKennedyvhadvcontemplatedvdevelopingvanvantipovertyv
initiative.vNowvhisvsuccessorvtookvupvthevcausevwithvavvengeance.vJohnson’svWarvonvPovertyvc
omposedvonevelementvofvavfar-
vreachingvreformvprogramvthatvhevdubbedvthevGreatvSocietyv(Presidentv Lyndonv Johnson’sv ter
mv forv hisv domesticv policyv agenda.v Billedv asv av successorv tov thev Newv Deal,v thev GreatvSociety
v aimedv tov extendv thev postwarv prosperityv tov allv peoplev invAmericanv societyv byvpromotingvcivilv
rightsvandvfightingvpoverty.vGreatvSocietyvprogramsvincludedvthevWarvonvPoverty,vwhichvexpan
dedvthevSocialvSecurityvsystemvbyvcreatingvMedicarevandvMedicaidvtovprovidevhealthvcarevforvt
hevagedvandvthevpoor.vJohnsonvalsovsignedvlawsvprotectingv consumersvandvempoweringvcom
munityvorganizationsvtovcombatvpovertyvatvgrassrootsv levels.)v.vBasedvonvassumptionsvaboutv
anvever-expandingveconomy,vGreatvSocietyvinitiativesvepitomizedvthevsoaringvnationalvself-
confidencevofvthevpost–
WorldvWarvIIvera.vTheyv envisionedvnotvonlyvthevendvofvracialvdiscrimination,vbutvalsovvastlyvex
pandedvhealthvandvwelfarevprograms,vthevabolitionvofvpoverty,vandvmajorvnewvpublicvinvestme
ntsvinveducationv andvthevarts.
Chapterv36:vThevStormyvSixtiesv1963–1973:v36-
1vThevLBJvBrandvonvthevPresidencyvBookvTitle:vThevAmericanvPageant:vAvHistoryvofvthev
AmericanvPeople,vAP®vEdition
PrintedvBy:vNikyvJiangv()
©v2020vCengagevLearning,vCengagevLearning
©v2024vCengagevLearningvInc.vAllvrightsvreserved.vNovpartvofvthisvworkvmayvbyvreproducedvorvusedvinvanyvformvorvbyvanyvmeansv-
vgraphic,velectronic,vorvmechanical,vorvinvanyvothervmannerv-vwithoutvthev writtenvpermissionvofvthevcopyrightvholder.
, Chapterv36:vThevStormyvSixtiesv1963–1973:v36-
2vJohnsonvBattlesvGoldwatervinv1964vBookvTitle:vThevAmericanvPageant:vAvHistoryvofvth
evAmericanvPeople,vAP®vEdition
PrintedvBy:vNikyvJiangv()
©v2020vCengagevLearning,vCengagevLearning
36-2 Johnson Battles Goldwater in 1964
v v v v
Johnson’svnominationvbyvthevDemocratsvinv1964vwasvavforegonevconclusion;vhevwasvchosenvb
yvacclamationvinvAtlanticvCityvasvhisvbirthdayvpresent.vProddedvbyvJohnson,vthevDemocratsvsto
odvfoursquarevonvtheirvmostvliberalvplatformvsincevTruman’svFairvDealvdays.vThevRepublicans,v
conveningv inv Sanv Francisco’sv Cowv Palace,v nominatedv box-
jawedv SenatorvBarryvGoldwatervofvArizona,vavbronzedvandvbespectacledvchampionvofvrock-
ribbedvconservatism.vThevAmericanvstagevwasvthusvsetvforvavhistoricvclashvofvpoliticalvprinciple
s.
Goldwater’svforcesvhadvgallopedvoutvofvthevSouthwestvtovridevroughshodvovervthevmoderatevR
epublicanv“easternvestablishment.”vInsistingvthatvthevGOPvofferv“avchoicevnotvanvecho,”vGoldw
atervattackedvthevfederalvincomevtax,vthevSocialvSecurityvsystem,vthevTennesseev ValleyvAutho
rity,vcivilvrightsvlegislation,vthevnuclearvtest-
banvtreaty,vand,vmostvloudly,vthevGreatvSociety.vHisvfiercelyvdedicatedvfollowersvproclaimed,v“I
nvYourvHeartvYouvKnowvHe’svRight,”vwhichvpromptedvthevDemocraticvresponse,v“InvYourvGutsv
YouvKnowvHe’svNuts.”vGoldwatervwarmedvright-
wingvheartsvwhenvhevproclaimedvthatv“extremismvinvthevdefensevofvlibertyvisvnovvice.vAnd…vmo
derationvinvthevpursuitvofvjusticevisvnovvirtue.”
36.1 PartisanvWarfare,v1964
Bothvpro-vandvanti-
GoldwatervadvocatesvhavevleftvtheirvmarksvonvthisvGoldwatervforvPresidentvbillboardvi
nv1964.