Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson became president after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Johnson was in Dallas with Kennedy when he was shot. He boarded Air Force One with Mrs. Kennedy and took the presidential oath of office right there on the plane. Mrs. Kennedy was still wearing her blood-stained suit. Johnson’s voice trembled as he repeated the oath. He knew the American people were scared and he knew he had a big job to do. As president, he continued many of Kennedy’s plans and added some of his own.

Fun Facts

• Lyndon B. Johnson grew up in rural Texas. His family was poor. He became a school teacher and congressman before he became president.
• Johnson read a book called The Other America by Michael Harrington, which described the lives of poor people living in America. Johnson was inspired to try to help these people.
• He declared a War on Poverty and passed the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, which offered job training, service opportunities, and a domestic Peace Corps. The Office of Economic Opportunity had a $1 billion budget and was aimed at stopping poverty.
• Johnson, along with his wife, “Lady Bird” Johnson, launched Head Start, a preschool program designed to prepare children for kindergarten.
• In 1964, Johnson ran for presidential office again. He envisioned a “Great Society” that would end “poverty and racial injustice” and create “abundance and liberty for all.” He easily defeated Republican candidate, Barry Goldwater.
• Not everyone agreed with Johnson’s huge reforms. Conservatives were concerned that his programs created a big federal government. They wondered who would pay for his expensive programs. They also worried that the programs would ultimately be ineffective.

Vocabulary

1. Domestic: at home or in one’s own country
2. Envision: to see, plan, or have a vision
3. Abundance: plenty

Questions and Answers

Question: Did Lyndon B. Johnson’s plans work?

Answer: Johnson had a rugged confidence that restored the American people’s faith in government after Kennedy’s death. His programs have had mixed results. They probably have helped some people, but poverty continues to be a problem in the U.S. His programs paved the way for bigger federal government – and a bigger federal budget and deficit. The Warren Court, the Supreme Court during the 1960s, made several rulings that changed life in America. For example, one case outlawed prayer in public schools.

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