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Lyndon B Johnson Research Paper

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Lyndon B. Johnson was born near Stonewall, Texas on August 27th, 1908. Interested in politics since childhood and born the son of a politician, Johnson did well in highschool and eventually began a career as a teacher. In November of 1931, Sam Ealy, Johnson’s father, recommended Johnson for a position in the office of US House of Representatives member, Richard Kleberg. Lyndon acted as his secretary and head of Kleberg’s office until his retirement. In September of 1934, Johnson met his soon to be wife, Claudia Alta Taylor. They married 24 hours hours after meeting and later had two daughters, Lynda Bird and Luci Baines. In 1935, Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Johnson head of the state branch of the National Youth Administration. Later on, …show more content…

Johnson was the 36th president of the United States following John F. Kennedy’s assassination. He was JFK’s vice president and took JFK’s place as president- running for 5 years and two months. Johnson set the pathway for some of the most important areas of government today and aided areas such as health, education, urban renewal, conservation, and civil rights. On July 30th, 1965, Johnson signed Medicare into enactment with over 19 million people enrolling by 1966. Following medicare, he expanded child health programs and allowed women better access to prenatal care for the child’s first year. He furthered the quality of public education via the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and sought to improve urban renewal and development. In addition, Lyndon B. Johnson was the first president to sign acts regarding clean air, water quality, and further protections for national parks. He signed the Wilderness Act in 1964, the National Historic Preservation Act and Endangered Species Act in 1966, and finally, he signed the National Park Foundation Act, National Trails System, Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and the Wetlands Preservation Bill in …show more content…

Johnson made great strides towards improving conditions for those that are impoverished, conditions for mothers and students, and for the environment, he fell flat regarding national security and the Vietnam War. Following in the footsteps of what Kennedy sought to accomplish before his assassination, Johnson quickly authorized a national security memorandum called NSAM 273 after his inauguration. NSAM 273 directed the United States Government to "to assist the people and Government of South Vietnam to win their contest against the externally directed and supported Communist conspiracy." When counterinsurgency failed, Johnson signed OPLAN 34A-64 on January 16, 1964, calling for stepped up infiltration and covert operations against the North to be transferred from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to the military. After reports of attacked U.S. naval vessels in the Gulf of Tonkin, Johnson asked Congress for a resolution of support. By a vote of 98 to 2 in the Senate and a unanimous vote in the House, Congress approved the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and authorized the President to take all measures necessary to protect the armed

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