CHAPTER 29
A New Frontier and a Great Society,
1960–1968
This chapter covers the 1960s, including the administrations of Kennedy and Johnson. Kennedy promised
a “New Frontier” for America, although Congress thwarted many of his domestic plans, including those on
civil rights. In his foreign policy, Kennedy took risks such as by authorizing the Bay of Pigs invasion—an
embarrassing disaster that he sought never to repeat. The chapter also discusses the Vienna summit,
Kennedy’s response to the Soviet attempt to install missiles in Cuba, and his early steps in sending
advisors to Vietnam. Assassinated in November 1963, Kennedy was unable to see his presidency through,
and Vice President Lyndon Johnson took his place. The civil rights movement, meanwhile, continued to
gain momentum, as sit-ins, freedom rides, marches, and voter registration drives spread. This chapter
CHAPTER OUTLINE
I. The New Frontier
A. Kennedy versus Nixon
B. A Vigorous New Administration
C. A Balky Congress
D. JFK and Civil Rights
E. Catastrophe in Cuba
F. The Vienna Summit
II. Civil Rights Triumphant
A. Sit-Ins
B. Freedom Rides
C. James Meredith
D. Birmingham
E. “I Have A Dream!”
F. The Warren Court
III. The Great Society
A. Politics and Poverty
i. The Civil Rights Act
ii. A War on Poverty
iii. The Election of 1964
B. The Great Society
i. Health Insurance, Housing Development, and Higher Education
ii. The Immigration Act
iii. Voting Rights Legislation
IV. The Tragedy of Vietnam
A. Escalation in Vietnam
V. The Turmoil of the Sixties
A. 1968: A Traumatic Year
B. Chicago and Miami
C. Nixon Triumphant
LECTURE IDEAS
(1991) and Larry Berman’s No Peace, No Honor: Nixon, Kissinger, and Betrayal in Vietnam (2001). Neil
2. James Meredith’s courageous effort to integrate the University of Mississippi in 1962 is an excellent
way to illustrate the hardline defiance of the Deep South to civil rights, the initial reluctance of the
3. The Kennedy assassination remains one of the most traumatizing and controversial events in modern
American history. A presentation on this topic is sure to provoke student interest and discussion and
is an excellent way to teach the cold war politics that ultimately explain Kennedy’s killing. For the best
4. A lecture detailing all aspects of the Great Society can be a good way to discuss the Johnson
administration’s domestic policy. Include all the major aspects of the Great Society and the
5. A lecture on the year 1968 sets the tone for the height of the protest movement in the 1960s. Evaluate
the culture, economics, war, and politics of that year to show the change in American society that took
place throughout the decade. Sources include:
• John C. McWilliams’s The 1960s Cultural Revolution (2000)
• Maurice Isserman and Michael Kazin’s America Divided: The Civil War of the 1960s (2000)
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES
1. Divide the class into several groups and have each determine the goals of John F. Kennedy’s New
2. Divide the class into groups, and have them research and analyze the Cuban missile crisis. One group
can look into how America discovered the missiles, another group can report on the crisis at the point
3. Have students identify the main achievements of the Civil Rights movement by 1968. Divide the class
into groups to collaborate on creating a timeline of events. Challenge them to begin with President
Truman’s desegregation of the armed forces and to incorporate the Brown decision, the bus boycott,
4. Plan a mini-reenactment of the Cuban missile crisis. Assign students a particular character to play and
ask them to research the views of this figure regarding what to do amid the crisis. You can include
figures such as President Kennedy, Soviet Chairman Nikita Khrushchev, Cuban leader Fidel Castro,
5. The term “mission creep” has been used to explain the U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Have student
groups identify and create a timeline to show how the United States became increasingly involved in
Vietnam. What steps were taken by Kennedy and Johnson? Meanwhile, how was the American
understanding of its role in Vietnam changing? Consider showing the first minutes of the new Ken
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Discuss John F. Kennedy’s transformation concerning the issue of civil rights during his presidency.
3. Analyze the topic of poverty during the Kennedy/Johnson years. What, if anything, did each
president do about this issue?
4. Discuss the landmark legislation of Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society. How did Johnson’s policy address
the needs of society, and what were its failures? What impact did it have on the future of the United
States?
5. Consider the rise of the Black Panther party. What were its achievements and failures?
PRACTICING CITIZENSHIP
After all the studies and revelations about the shortcomings of his personal life and his presidency, what
so vividly endures of President John F. Kennedy’s public legacy is his idealistic call to service, especially to
the youth of the nation. It was an eloquent plea to give something back, to make this a better society, and
it explains many of the better impulses of the 1960s: “And so my fellow Americans: ask not what your
country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” Think about this question. Do you think it
is still an important question to ask today? How might you respond to the challenge?