“Purple Haze,” Jimi Hendrix, 1967

Then Senate Majority Then Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Leader Lyndon Johnson in 1958Johnson in 1958

Self-made man from Self-made man from modest circumstances modest circumstances in Texasin Texas

Chosen by Democrats Chosen by Democrats as JFK’s VP because as JFK’s VP because of political skill and of political skill and base among Southern base among Southern DemocratsDemocrats

Yet always felt inferior Yet always felt inferior to “Harvards” like the to “Harvards” like the Kennedys and other Kennedys and other silver-spoon elitessilver-spoon elites

Lyndon Johnson becomes one of the most significant presidents (1963-1968) since FDR, yet he is still overshadowed today by Kennedy, who accomplished relatively little—why?

•That Johnson became president through an assassination

•Johnson’s use of the beloved dead president to achieve his initiatives: “JFK would have done this.”

•Johnson’s ultimate political fall, in large part because of Vietnam

The Great SocietyThe Great Society

Immense array of new federal programs, more Immense array of new federal programs, more ambitious in some ways than FDR’s New Deal—ambitious in some ways than FDR’s New Deal—which LBJ very much emulatedwhich LBJ very much emulated

Purest expression of liberal progressive ideology Purest expression of liberal progressive ideology that began in early 20that began in early 20thth century and saw its century and saw its previous high point with FDRprevious high point with FDR

Basic belief: Governments (federal, state, and Basic belief: Governments (federal, state, and local) can and should solve all manner of social local) can and should solve all manner of social and economic problems and make the nation a and economic problems and make the nation a better more just place for ALL Americansbetter more just place for ALL Americans

A Day in the Life of the Great A Day in the Life of the Great Society with Joan Q. Somebody* in Society with Joan Q. Somebody* in

Oxford, MississippiOxford, Mississippi

*I actually have no idea who this woman really is

7:00 am: Wakes up and drinks a glass of tap water—Clean Air and 7:00 am: Wakes up and drinks a glass of tap water—Clean Air and Water legislation (1965) sets federal limits on amounts of mercury, Water legislation (1965) sets federal limits on amounts of mercury, lead, arsenic, etc.lead, arsenic, etc.8:00 am: Gets into her car and fastens her seat belt—New federal 8:00 am: Gets into her car and fastens her seat belt—New federal auto safety regulations (1966) require safety belts in all carsauto safety regulations (1966) require safety belts in all cars 8:30 am: Drops off her four year old son at a local Head Start program 8:30 am: Drops off her four year old son at a local Head Start program (1964), designed to improve educational opportunity for young (1964), designed to improve educational opportunity for young childrenchildren8:35 am: Listens to a local National Public Radio station while driving 8:35 am: Listens to a local National Public Radio station while driving to work (1967 Public Broadcasting Act—also made possible PBS)to work (1967 Public Broadcasting Act—also made possible PBS)11:00 am: While working as a well-paid welder at the Oxford steel mill, 11:00 am: While working as a well-paid welder at the Oxford steel mill, Joan falls from a high scaffolding, but she is stopped by a safety cable Joan falls from a high scaffolding, but she is stopped by a safety cable required by new federal work place safety laws (1965)required by new federal work place safety laws (1965)6:00 pm: Arrives at the University of Mississippi where she takes night 6:00 pm: Arrives at the University of Mississippi where she takes night classes thanks to a federally guaranteed student loan program (1965)classes thanks to a federally guaranteed student loan program (1965)9:00 pm: Calls her 65-year old impoverished mother who suffers from 9:00 pm: Calls her 65-year old impoverished mother who suffers from heart disease and diabetes, but who is able to afford decent medical heart disease and diabetes, but who is able to afford decent medical treatment thanks to the federal Medicare program (1965)treatment thanks to the federal Medicare program (1965)

Joan’s Day:

Four college freshmen stage a spontaneous sit-in at the whites only section of Woolworth lunch counter in

Greensboro, North Carolina, February 1960

Advice for lunch counter sit-in participants

Whites try to force both the black and white participants in the Woolworth sit-in to leave by dumping food on

them, burning them with cigarettes, etc.

Routes of the 1961 Freedom Rides

A Freedom Rides bus is attacked and set on fire by a mob in Anniston, Alabama

One of the Freedom Riders beaten by a white mob in Montgomery, Alabama, armed with baseball bats and lead pipes

Two other victims of mob violence in Montgomery—local ambulances refused to take victims to hospital

Birmingham, Alabama, police (many of whom were white supremacists) use dogs to attack peaceful protestors

Mississippi NAACP organizer Medgar Evers at home with his wife and two children

Evers’s own driveway, where Beckwith murdered him on June 12, 1963

Sunday morning, September 15th, 1963, the KKK bombs the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham,

Alabama

1964 wade-in with the pool owner pouring muriatic acid in the pool in retaliation

LBJ’s Civil Rights AccomplishmentsLBJ’s Civil Rights Accomplishments

1964 Civil Rights Act: Gave federal government 1964 Civil Rights Act: Gave federal government the power to guarantee ALL Americans equal the power to guarantee ALL Americans equal access to accommodations, public education, access to accommodations, public education, employment, votingemployment, voting Finally begins the end to segregation in the SouthFinally begins the end to segregation in the South Title VII: Significantly, banned employment Title VII: Significantly, banned employment

discrimination based on race AND genderdiscrimination based on race AND genderThis is why “Joan” is an African-American woman working as This is why “Joan” is an African-American woman working as a weldera welder

LBJ’s Civil Rights AccomplishmentsLBJ’s Civil Rights Accomplishments

1965 Voting Rights Act1965 Voting Rights Act Empowered the federal government to intervene Empowered the federal government to intervene

directly when necessary to enable African-Americans directly when necessary to enable African-Americans and other minorities to register and voteand other minorities to register and vote

1965 Executive Order 11246:1965 Executive Order 11246: Banned racial and gender discrimination by Banned racial and gender discrimination by

employers holding government contracts (employed employers holding government contracts (employed about 1/3 of the labor force)about 1/3 of the labor force)

Required employers to take “affirmative action” to Required employers to take “affirmative action” to ensure equal opportunityensure equal opportunity

Did NOT set racial or gender “quotas”Did NOT set racial or gender “quotas”DID require employers to attempt to compensate for DID require employers to attempt to compensate for centuries of racial and gender discrimination by trying to build centuries of racial and gender discrimination by trying to build a work force that “looked like America”a work force that “looked like America”

The High Point of Modern Progressive Liberalism

Ironically, at its peak it has already begun its decline:

•Growing conservative opposition stemming from LBJ’s massive 1964 defeat of Republican Barry Goldwater

•White backlash against racial reforms

•Traditional conservative backlash against big government, growing taxes, intrusive regulations

•New social conservative backlash against women’s movement, black power, hippies

•Vietnam