29. Contesting Futures: America in the 1960s

The 1960s in America was marked by significant cultural and political changes, driven by figures like John F. Kennedy, who inspired hope for social reform and civil rights. His presidency faced challenges, including the Vietnam War and civil rights struggles, leading to a fragmented society. Lyndon B. Johnson expanded on Kennedy's vision with the Great Society, aiming to eliminate poverty and racial injustice, while the civil rights movement gained momentum through grassroots activism. The era also saw the rise of Black Power and the Chicano Movement, reflecting broader demands for equality and justice among marginalized groups.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

Assess Kennedy’s Cold War strategy
Describe Kennedy’s contribution to the civil rights movement
Describe the major accomplishments of Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society
Identify the legal advances made in the area of civil rights
Explain how Lyndon Johnson deepened the American commitment in Vietnam
Explain the strategies of the African American civil rights movement in the 1960s
Discuss the rise and philosophy of Black Power
Identify achievements of the Mexican American civil rights movement in the 1960s
Describe the goals and activities of SDS, the Free Speech Movement, and the antiwar movement
Explain the rise, goals, and activities of the women’s movement

Introduction#

Figure 29.1 In Aaron Shikler’s official portrait of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1970), the president stands with arms folded, apparently deep in thought. The portrait was painted seven years after Kennedy’s death, at the request of his widow, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. It depicts the president with his head down, because Shikler did not wish to paint the dead man’s eyes.

The 1960s was a decade of hope, change, and war that witnessed an important shift in American culture. Citizens from all walks of life sought to expand the meaning of the American promise. Their efforts helped unravel the national consensus and laid bare a far more fragmented society. As a result, men and women from all ethnic groups attempted to reform American society to make it more equitable. The United States also began to take unprecedented steps to exert what it believed to be a positive influence on the world. At the same time, the country’s role in Vietnam revealed the limits of military power and the contradictions of U.S. foreign policy. The posthumous portrait of John F. Kennedy (Figure 29.1) captures this mix of the era’s promise and defeat. His election encouraged many to work for a better future, for both the middle class and the marginalized. Kennedy’s running mate, Lyndon B. Johnson, also envisioned a country characterized by the social and economic freedoms established during the New Deal years. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, and the assassinations five years later of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, made it dramatically clear that not all Americans shared this vision of a more inclusive democracy.