Lyndon B Johnson

Who was President Johnson?

Lyndon B Johnson was the 36th President of the United States.

When was Johnson president?

Lyndon B Johnson was in office from 1963 to 1969.

What was Johnson's background?

Johnson's background included the following:

• ❖ He did not come from a wealthy background, and this shaped the kind of president he wanted to be.
• ❖ His ambitions as president included creating a 'Great Society' that was fair to everyone.
• ❖ Despite his ambitions he is most remembered for his role in the Vietnam War.

What were the key events in Johnson's presidency?

Some of the key events of Johnson's presidency included the following:

• ❖ He took over as president after the assassination of John F Kennedy.
• ❖ He signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made discrimination based on race or colour, sex, religion or national origin illegal.
• ❖ Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, giving Johnson the power to pursue military action in Vietnam in August 1964.
• ❖ Martin Luther King Junior was assassinated in April 1968.
• ❖ The Tet Offensive happened in June 1968.

What were Johnson's views on the Cold War?

Johnson was anti-communist and, like Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy, he was committed to stopping the spread of communism.

What was President Johnson's role in Vietnam?

President Johnson escalated the USA's role in the war in 1965 by ordering the bombing of North Vietnam (Operation Rolling Thunder), and sending in the first US combat troops there. He also diverted funds from the welfare program to pay for the war.

How did President Lyndon B Johnson support the civil rights movement?

President Johnson supported the civil rights movement in 4 main ways:

• ❖ He continued the work of President Kennedy and appointed African Americans into several high profile positions.
• ❖ He also signed the Civil Rights 1964 and Voting Rights 1965 acts into law.
• ❖ He issued executive orders that meant state troops could be federalised and used to escort the Selma marchers to safety.
• ❖ He had a good relationship with the Dixiecrats, and he used this to apply personal pressure on southern politicians to get them to support the Civil Rights bill.