Chapter: The troubled 60's
John F. Kennedy (democratic president) who was elected in november 1960? but was murdered in 63. is victory was not easy, he won with a narrow majority → he got 34.2 million votes and he oponent got 34.1 million (Nixon).
He was very young when he came to the white house (42° for the americans he was the first catholic president. His dad had wanted his older brother to be a president but he died.
The ticket :
K. is a guy from the north, well educated, he is not liked everywhere. To attrack vote from people of the south because didn't like him, he needed L. Johnson he is a running mate? Form the south andhe is a self-made man. There was an antagonism between them.
→ Kennedy's home policy: he had a program called "the new frontere" and we have a description of this in is inogural speech. He have famous words in that speech. "My fellow Americans ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" he wanted america to be focused on " objectifves: technology (space), human rights, wanted to fight poverty and a better education for many people, he wanted peace. He new he had a difficult task because congress is control form the southern democrats and they hate Kennedy.
Few victory in congress: - anew housing act to fight for urban renewal, to get rid of slum. With a budget of 5 billion dollars. The minimum wadge was increased, social security benefit were increased.
For develpping and under developping country → the peace corps. Courps made young students to go to Africa.. to help to educational and thechnical services. Bill Clinton was there?
They accelerated the program to land astonauts on the moon (he will not see it but they will) (astaunots for american, cosmonauts for oviet)
a tarief expension act in 1961? to cut tarrifs btw the us and europe. (to the european market)
the civil rights: many events: the philosophy of non violence spread especially in the south. The civil rights mvt is developing just before he was elected. New mvt called the Sit-in movement where did he start? In North Carolina in greens borrow 4 black students entered restaurent and sat down at a counter and waited to be served bu the counter was a white only counter. The peaceful non violent spread to 9 southern state. Black students were no longer alone and helped by white students. 1960 creation of SNCC Students Non violent Coordinated Committee. Colaborated with kings mvt to spread the philosophy of non violence.
Organised by CORE Congress of Ration Equality in 1961 they send groups of white and blakc people together sitiing on a bus and they were called the freedom riders and they would start their journey in the north and would travel south to see if the ban on segregation was respected in the south. They were violently attaked by extremist. That violence was in a way useful because in every american home there is a box called television and everyone could see how vioently this activist were treated and they did not react violently. Gradually it attracted national attention and won the civil rights mvt many supporters.
Federal reaction? Kennedy had to get involved but didn't want him. He had to react, in 1962 when the governer of Mississipi called Ross Barnets? Prevented a black student form entering the university of M. th estudent is James Meredith.
Who acted? Robert Kennedy the attorny general. He sent federal marchals to the UOM so that James could enter the University. The federal mmarhcals were attacted by racist people. Federal troupes were sent and James managed to register at the uni. Later on he renounced going.
G Wllace in 1961 he tried to prevent several black students form entering the university of Alabama and once again federal marshalls were sent. Meanwhile many american citizens grew angry to see on tv how peaceful non violent activist were treated by racist people. → in a town called Burningham, in may 63, the head of the police called Eugene "Bull" Connor who was an outspoken racist that man order his men to use dogs, tear gazes, electric cattle prods and hoses against pacifist demontraters who included MLK. King was arrested, later released. The way king was doing things was clever because throufgh non violent actions he wanted to show how violent racist people could be and he could do that thanks to tv. It doesn't mean everybody agree, for example Hoover didn't like him at all so he order his phone to be recorded. The high point of the civil right movement took place in Washington in august 1963, King after a demontration, controlled by the Kennedy, he made one of his most famous speeched "I have a dream" 200 000 people present. It is a mix crowd of black and white people, largest civil rights demonstration so far.
