Lyndon Baines Johnson

Garrett Smith

B block

Lyndon Baines Johnson was the thirty sixth President of the United States. He was born on August 28, 1908 into a Baptist family in Johnson City, Texas. He was raised into an economically poor but, politically rich family. He graduated from Southwest Texas State Teachers College and became a high school teacher. Later he became a congressman's, Richard M. Kleberg, secretary before becoming a Democrat Representative in 1937. In 1948 he became senator and by 1960 he became Vice President under John F. Kennedy.

During Johnson's term as Vice President, the President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. In 1963 he became president after Kennedy's assassination and was again reelected in the 1964 election by a vast majority vote. During his administration the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act produced by Kennedy were passed. These acts increased the position of blacks in the United States. Also under the slogan the 'Great Society' he introduced many significant economic and social welfare programs like Medicare for the elder and educational improvements for the youth.

The growing unpopularity of the Vietnam War was one of the major downfalls of Johnson's Presidency. Marking one of the most disturbing times of United States history, the Vietnam War lasted more than a decade causing widespread disturbance in Southeast Asia and in America. Although United States leaders were indefinite in American involvement in Vietnam, they pursued the policy of interfering in the country to stop the spread of communism. At the halt of the war and Americas defeat it proved costly economically and in lives lost, and dropped the United States reputation as the defender of democracy and freedom worldwide. A famous historian Stephen E. Ambrose once wrote that the Vietnam War split the United States apart into what he called hawks and doves. The splitting of the United States led to Johnson unpopularity and his refusal to run for reelection for presidency in 1968, also his retirement from all of politics. Only four years after leaving office he died on January 22, 1973.