The American Age
The Stormy Sixties, 1960-1968
I. Kennedy’s “New Frontier” Spirit
1. In 1960, young, energetic John F. Kennedy was elected as president of
the United States—the youngest man ever elected to that office.
2. The 1960s would bring a sexual revolution, a civil rights revolution, the
emergence of a “youth culture,” a devastating war in Vietnam, and the
beginnings of a feminist revolution.
3. JFK delivered a stirring inaugural address (“Ask not, what your country
can do for you…”), and he also assembled a very young cabinet,
including his brother, Robert Kennedy, as attorney general.
Robert Kennedy tried to recast the priorities of the FBI, but was
resisted by J. Edgar Hoover.
Business whiz Robert S. McNamara took over the Defense
Department.
4. Early on, JFK proposed the Peace Corps, an army of idealist and mostly
youthful volunteers to bring American skills to underdeveloped
countries.
5. A graduate of Harvard and with a young family, JFK was very vibrant
and charming to everyone.
, II. The New Frontier at Home
1. Kennedy’s social program was known as the New Frontier, but
conservative Democrats and Republicans threatened to kill many of its
reforms.
JFK did expand the House Rules Committee, but his program
didn’t expand quickly, as medical and education bills remained
stalled in Congress.
JFK also had to keep a lid on inflation and maintain a good
economy.
However, almost immediately into his term, steel management
announced great price increases, igniting the fury of the
president, but JFK also earned fiery attacks by big business
against the New Frontier.
2. Kennedy’s tax-cut bill chose to stimulate the economy through price-
cutting.
iii. Kennedy also promoted a project to land Americans on the moon,
though apathetic Americans often ridiculed this goal.
III. Rumblings in Europe
1. JFK met Russian Premier Nikita Khrushchev and was threatened, but
didn’t back down.
2. In August of the 1961, the Soviets began building the Berlin Wall to
separate East and West Germany.
3. Western Europe, though, was now prospering after help from the
super-successful Marshall Plan.
America had also encouraged a Common Market (to keep trade
barriers and tariff low in Europe), which later became
the European Union(EU).
The Stormy Sixties, 1960-1968
I. Kennedy’s “New Frontier” Spirit
1. In 1960, young, energetic John F. Kennedy was elected as president of
the United States—the youngest man ever elected to that office.
2. The 1960s would bring a sexual revolution, a civil rights revolution, the
emergence of a “youth culture,” a devastating war in Vietnam, and the
beginnings of a feminist revolution.
3. JFK delivered a stirring inaugural address (“Ask not, what your country
can do for you…”), and he also assembled a very young cabinet,
including his brother, Robert Kennedy, as attorney general.
Robert Kennedy tried to recast the priorities of the FBI, but was
resisted by J. Edgar Hoover.
Business whiz Robert S. McNamara took over the Defense
Department.
4. Early on, JFK proposed the Peace Corps, an army of idealist and mostly
youthful volunteers to bring American skills to underdeveloped
countries.
5. A graduate of Harvard and with a young family, JFK was very vibrant
and charming to everyone.
, II. The New Frontier at Home
1. Kennedy’s social program was known as the New Frontier, but
conservative Democrats and Republicans threatened to kill many of its
reforms.
JFK did expand the House Rules Committee, but his program
didn’t expand quickly, as medical and education bills remained
stalled in Congress.
JFK also had to keep a lid on inflation and maintain a good
economy.
However, almost immediately into his term, steel management
announced great price increases, igniting the fury of the
president, but JFK also earned fiery attacks by big business
against the New Frontier.
2. Kennedy’s tax-cut bill chose to stimulate the economy through price-
cutting.
iii. Kennedy also promoted a project to land Americans on the moon,
though apathetic Americans often ridiculed this goal.
III. Rumblings in Europe
1. JFK met Russian Premier Nikita Khrushchev and was threatened, but
didn’t back down.
2. In August of the 1961, the Soviets began building the Berlin Wall to
separate East and West Germany.
3. Western Europe, though, was now prospering after help from the
super-successful Marshall Plan.
America had also encouraged a Common Market (to keep trade
barriers and tariff low in Europe), which later became
the European Union(EU).
