US History

Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)

Law and Government

This collection uses primary sources to explore President Lyndon Johnson&#39;s Great Society programs.

A 1963 speech by President Johnson calling for civil rights legislation to complete the work of the recently assassinated President Kennedy.

President Johnson delivered this speech to a joint session of Congress only five days after the assassination of President Kennedy. The handwritten notes are the work of filmmakers for the United States Information Agency.

An excerpt from the March 1965 speech to Congress in which President Johnson called for passage of the Voting Rights Act.

After the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, President Johnson continued to press for voting rights, particularly in the American South. This document is the reading copy that Johnson used when delivering the speech.

A 1965 photograph of President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act into law accompanied by Martin Luther King, Jr. and other leaders.

The protests in Selma, Alabama, led by Martin Luther King, Jr., played a pivotal role in pushing President Johnson towards full support of the Voting Rights Act. King is standing behind Johnson as he signs the act, along with other civil rights leaders and politicians.

A 1967 photograph of Richard Solis, who opened an auto-body repair shop with support from the Los Angeles Small Business Development Center.

The Center, operated by the Los Angeles Area Economic Development Agency through the Economic and Youth Opportunities Agency, provided assistance to small business owners.

An excerpt from a 1969 report reviewing the health programs that had been established as part of the War on Poverty.

The Johnson administration directed federal funds towards public health programs administered by the Office of Economic Opportunity and the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. These programs addressed areas such as family planning, migrant health, and services to children and youth.

A 1965 photograph of a Neighborhood Youth Corps teacher aide assisting students in an Operation Head Start classroom.

The Head Start program, launched in 1965, provides early-childhood education opportunities to children from low-income families. Over the years, over twenty million children have participated in the program.

A 1965 photograph of a teacher distributing Project Head Start diplomas.

The Head Start program, launched in 1965, provides early childhood education opportunities to children from low-income families. Over the years, over twenty million children have participated in the program.

An excerpt from a 1966 report outlining the programs begun under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

The ESEA of 1965, part of the War on Poverty, provided federal support to primary and secondary education. The act was designed to increase equal access to education and to narrow the achievement gaps between different groups of students.

A 1962 video of President Kennedy advocating for passage of Medicare.

President Kennedy was assassinated before the debates over the King-Anderson Medicare bill were completed. President Johnson successfully advocated for the creation of Medicare, a federal program launched in 1966 that provides health insurance to those who are disabled or those who are sixty-five or older who have paid into the system through a payroll tax.

A 1962 video of an American Medical Association representative arguing against Medicare.

The speaker here is likely Dr. Ed Annis, President of the AMA and outspoken opponent of Medicare. President Kennedy was assassinated before the debates over the King-Anderson Medicare bill were completed. President Johnson successfully advocated for the creation of Medicare, a federal program launched in 1966 that provides health insurance to those who are disabled or those who are sixty-five or older who have paid into the system through a payroll tax.

A 1965 editorial cartoon by Charlie Daniel satirizing bureaucratic expenses of the War on Poverty.

The cartoon depicts a figure labeled “poor,” as well as Uncle Sam, on either side of a figure labeled “antipoverty bureaucrats.”

A January 1965 report by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee criticizing President Johnson’s actions and motivations.

Launched in 1960, SNCC mobilized student groups during the civil rights movement, focusing on issues such as voter registration and racial segregation. Jack Minnis, a staff member for SNCC, wrote a series of memos under this title, highlighting aspects of the Johnson presidency that were not covered by mainstream media. 

An August 12, 1965 announcement from South Carolina Governor Robert McNair saying that the state would not enforce the Voting Rights Act.

Governor of South Carolina from 1965 to 1971, McNair was in office during the 1968 Orangeburg massacre, in which three civil rights demonstrators were killed when police officers opened fire at South Carolina State University.

An excerpt from a 2014 report by the Council of Economic Advisers assessing progress made in the fight against poverty in America.

Questions

1. After evaluating the [1963 speech by President Johnson](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/lyndon-johnson-s-great-society/sources/1550), Johnson’s [March 1965 speech to Congress](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/lyndon-johnson-s-great-society/sources/1551), and the [1965 photograph of President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/lyndon-johnson-s-great-society/sources/1552), how would you describe President Johnson’s views on civil rights? What issues did he identify as priorities? Why did he find them important? Did his perspectives change over time?
2. In the War on Poverty, the Johnson administration set out to eliminate poverty. How did they try to do this? What causes of poverty did they identify? Use the [photograph of Richard Solis](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/lyndon-johnson-s-great-society/sources/1553) and the [report reviewing health programs](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/lyndon-johnson-s-great-society/sources/1554) in answering this question; you may also wish to consider other sources from the set. Do you agree with their perspectives?
3. President Lyndon Johnson began his career teaching in an underfunded, rural school. How did the Great Society address inequality in education? Focus on the [photograph of a Neighborhood Youth Corps teacher aide](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/lyndon-johnson-s-great-society/sources/1555), the [photograph of a teacher distributing Project Head Start diplomas](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/lyndon-johnson-s-great-society/sources/1556), and the [report on ESEA programs](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/lyndon-johnson-s-great-society/sources/1557) in answering this question.
4. The Johnson administration successfully implemented Medicare, legislation for which had been introduced during the Kennedy administration. The [video of President Kennedy](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/lyndon-johnson-s-great-society/sources/1558) and the [video of an American Medical Association representative](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/lyndon-johnson-s-great-society/sources/1559) show the two men arguing for and against Medicare. What arguments do they make? Do you find them convincing?
5. Examine the [editorial cartoon](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/lyndon-johnson-s-great-society/sources/1560) closely. Describe it. What does it show? What does it represent? What message was the artist trying to convey?
6. The [editorial cartoon](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/lyndon-johnson-s-great-society/sources/1560), the [report by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/lyndon-johnson-s-great-society/sources/1561), and the [announcement from Robert McNair](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/lyndon-johnson-s-great-society/sources/1562) document criticisms that the Johnson administration received. Summarize the criticisms presented in each source. Then assess the validity of the claims. Were the criticisms fair? 
7. The War on Poverty achieved great success but also faced stark challenges. After reading the [2014 report by the Council of Economic Advisers](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/lyndon-johnson-s-great-society/sources/1563), would you characterize the War on Poverty as a success? What work remains to be done? Do you think the United States will ever eliminate poverty? Why or why not?


Activity

1. Ask students to consider the [editorial cartoon](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/lyndon-johnson-s-great-society/sources/1560), the [report by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/lyndon-johnson-s-great-society/sources/1561), and the [announcement from Robert McNair](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/lyndon-johnson-s-great-society/sources/1562), and then write a speech that President Johnson might have used to respond to his critics. Alternately, students may write a series of letters in which he responds to each of his critics. Ask students to review the [1963 speech by President Johnson](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/lyndon-johnson-s-great-society/sources/1550) and Johnson’s [March 1965 speech to Congress](https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/lyndon-johnson-s-great-society/sources/1551) to consider Johnson’s priorities and the way he presented his ideas. Students should draw upon specific examples and details from the documents in the set.
2. Ask students to use contemporary newspapers from your area to research current issues related to poverty, education, health care, civil rights, and urban development. Working in small groups, students should share research findings and discuss common themes. As a group, students can develop their own vision of a “Great Society” for their area today. What issues should be addressed? How would students address them? Students can present findings on a poster (either digital or physical) that features the newspaper articles they used as well as their plan.

Teaching Guide: Exploring Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society

Resources

1. “[The Great Society at 50](http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2014/05/17/the-great-society-at-50/),” *The Washington Post*. 
2. “[Evaluating the success of the Great Society](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/national/great-society-at-50/),” *The Washington Post*. 
3. [The Great Society Congress](http://acsc.lib.udel.edu/great-congress), The Association of Centers for the Study of Congress. 
4. [The Great Society](https://www.pbs.org/johngardner/chapters/4c.html), PBS. 


Overview

When he took office after the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, President Lyndon B. Johnson was able to mobilize national support for initiatives begun under the Kennedy administration, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Johnson then proposed a broader vision for the country, a “Great Society” that would eradicate poverty, expand access to health care, and improve education, among other goals. While Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration launched the New Deal during the financial crisis of the Great Depression, the Johnson administration’s Great Society sought to capitalize on the prosperity of the postwar era to ensure that no Americans were left in poverty. 

Key pieces of Great Society legislation include the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 (which created Job Corps and Head Start), the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (which expanded federal programs for public education), legislation establishing Medicare and Medicaid (which expanded healthcare access for senior citizens, disabled citizens, and the poor), and legislation establishing the Department of Housing and Urban Development. After the protests in Selma, Alabama, led by Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Johnson advocated for the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 

Ultimately, Johnson was not able to achieve all of his goals for the nation, instead becoming mired in the tragedies of the Vietnam War. The Johnson administration faced criticism not only from those opposed to American involvement in the Vietnam War, but also from conservative leaders who opposed civil rights legislation, and from activists and civil rights leaders who argued the nation was not doing enough to advance civil rights and social justice. This primary source set uses photographs, videos, reports, speeches, and memorandums to explore the motivations and effectiveness of the Great Society.

English

Lyndon Johnson's Great Society

great-society_11_f610159df886522d48580ad17fd04aac.jpg

Courtesy of University of Tennessee, Knoxville Libraries via Digital Library of Tennessee.

“Gee, Sam, couldn't we cut out the muddle man?,” Digital Public Library of America, https://dp.la/item/f610159df886522d48580ad17fd04aac.

A 1965 editorial cartoon by Charlie Daniel satirizing bureaucratic expenses of the War on Poverty.

Cite this item

Tips for Students

Item 11 of 14 in the Primary Source Set Lyndon Johnson's Great Society