THE GREAT SOCIETY
JFK's progressive New Frontier and assassination
THE ECONOMIC BOOM OF THE 1950s
THE AFFLUENT SOCIETY
The 1950s was praised as the "Affluent Society". A post WWII economic boom hit the States, and an unprecedent population boom and rise in consumerism in seen in America.
The average disposable income of a household roughly increased 30% in the decade. Possession of TVs increased from 9.0% to 87.1% possession of TVs.
By Grant Cokeley, retrieved from TV History.
CONSUMERISM AND CONFORMITY
A quiz show advertisement for Geritol. From Library of Congress.
Levittown, from Flickr.
The new consumerism caused a conformity in American culture that was marked by the advertising and the expanses of identical urban houses.
JFK'S NEW FRONTIER
The economic boom and cultural conformity in the 1950s caused an counterculture, giving more attention to other domestic problems, such as Civil Rights and poverty.
JFK's New Frontier addressed such a desire for change and reform. However, he wasn't very successful legislatively.
" and we stand today on the edge of a New Frontier -- the frontier of the 1960's, the frontier of unknown opportunities and perils, the frontier of unfilled hopes and unfilled threats...
Beyond that frontier are uncharted areas of science and space, unsolved problems of peace and war, unconquered problems of ignorance and prejudice, unanswered questions of poverty and surplus.
~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Democratic Convention Acceptance Speech, July 15, 1960.
ASSASSINATION
"The dream of conquering the vastness of space--the dream of partnership across the Atlantic--and across the Pacific as well-the dream of a Peace Corps in less developed nations--the dream of education for all of our children--the dream of jobs for all who seek them and need them--the dream of care for our elderly--the dream of an all-out attack on mental illness--and above all, the dream of equal rights for all Americans, whatever their race or color--these and other American dreams have been vitalized by his drive and by his dedication.
And now the ideas and the ideals which he so nobly represented must and will be translated into effective action."
- Lyndon B. Johnson, Address before Joint Session of Congress.
JFK's assassination provided a platform for his successor Lyndon B. Johnson to earn support from.