Lyndon Baines Johnson

Garrett Smith

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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