Chapter 20 Section 2 Notes

Open Ended

Describe a historical event that so important that you would remember exactly where you were and what you were doing for the rest of you life.

Chapter 20 Section 2

Objective(s):
1) Summarize the New Frontier domestic and foreign agendas.

2) Describe the tragic chain of events surrounding Kennedy’s
assassination.

The Promise of Progress

STIMULATING THE ECONOMY

● New Frontier

● Science, space, prejudice, poverty, surplus

● Blocked by same coalition of Republicans

and Southern Democrats that blocked
Truman’s Fair Deal

● Mandate—a clear indication that voters

approved of leader’s plans

● Did manage to boost economy, national

defense, international aid, and space program

Dropdown

Once elected president, Kennedy set out to transform the vision he had

outlined in his campaign into a legislative agenda called the​

Select answer

Dropdown

Because Kennedy was elected by a slim margin, he lacked a ​

Select answer

The Promise of Progress

STIMULATING THE ECONOMY

● 1960s - America in recession

● Unemployment about 6%

● Used deficit spending

● 1961, Kennedy asked for more money

● Department of Defense - 20% increase

● Minimum wage raised to $1.25 per hour

● Extended unemployment insurance

● Provided assistance to cities with high

unemployment

The Promise of Progress

ADDRESSING POVERTY ABROAD

● Peace Corps: a program of volunteer

assistance to the developing nations

● “Kennedy’s Kiddie Korps”

● Peace Corps was success

● All ages and backgrounds signed up

● By 1968, > 35,000 volunteers

The Promise of Progress

ADDRESSING POVERTY ABROAD

● Alliance for Progress - offered economic and

technical assistance to Latin American
countries

● 1961 - 1969 almost $12 billion invested

● Mostly tried to stop spread of communism

Dropdown

The Alliance for Progress offered economic and technical assistance to help ​

Select answer

countries improve their living standards.

Open Ended

Why did Kennedy want to invest in foreign aid?

The Promise of Progress

RACE TO THE MOON

● April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri A.

Gagarin became first human in space

● Kennedy saw it as a challenge

● Less than month later US does puts astronaut

in space

● Late 1961, communication satellite (Telstar)

relayed live pictures across Atlantic Ocean

● Space Race

● July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong on moon

● Many new technologies for business and

industry

Draw

What effect did the space program have on other areas of American life?

The Promise of Progress

ADDRESSING DOMESTIC PROBLEMS

● 1962, The Other America (Michael

Harrington)

● 50 million lived on less than $1,000 per year

● Fight against segregation

● 1963, Kennedy began to focus on issues at

home (poverty and civil rights)

● Justice Department investigate racial

injustice in South

● Sweeping civil rights bill

● Proposal to cut taxes by $10 billion

Tragedy in Dallas

FOUR DAYS IN NOVEMBER

● November 22, 1963, Kennedy assassinated

● Nation shocked

● Lyndon Johnson sworn in

● Lee Harvey Oswald charged with

assassination

● November 24, Jack Ruby shot Oswald

Dropdown

​

Select answer

was arrested for the assassination of President Kennedy.

Open Ended

______ was shot and killed by a nightclub owner named Jack Ruby

Tragedy in Dallas

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

● Warren Commission to investigate

assassination

● Concluded Oswald acted on his own

● 1979, reinvestigation concluded that Oswald

was part of conspiracy

● US government remarkably sturdy

Dropdown

In 1963 the ​

Select answer

Commission concluded that President Kennedy’s assassination was not part of a conspiracy.

Draw

How did the Warren Commission’s findings differ from other theories?

Video Response

Exit Ticket

Why do you think Congress was so enthusiastic about allocating funds for the space program but rejected spending in education, social services, and other pressing needs?

Open Video Recorder

Dropdown

Once elected president, Kennedy set out to transform the vision he had

outlined in his campaign into a legislative agenda called the​

Select answer

Dropdown

Because Kennedy was elected by a slim margin, he lacked a ​

Select answer

Dropdown

​

Select answer

was arrested for the assassination of President Kennedy.

Open Ended

______ was shot and killed by a nightclub owner named Jack Ruby

Dropdown

The Alliance for Progress offered economic and technical assistance to help ​

Select answer

countries improve their living standards.

Dropdown

In 1963 the ​

Select answer

Commission concluded that President Kennedy’s assassination was not part of a conspiracy.