Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon Baines Johnson, also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He became vice president in 1961 under John F. Kennedy and took over the presidency after Kennedy's assassination in 1963. Before that, Johnson served in both houses of the U.S. Congress for Texas.

Johnson is remembered for his big plans to help everyday people. He created programs to support education, healthcare, and civil rights. He signed important laws that helped protect voting rights and provided medical care for older Americans. His time as president was also marked by the Vietnam War, which caused many people to feel unhappy with his leadership.

Johnson was born in Stonewall, Texas and worked as a teacher before entering politics. He became very powerful in the Senate before joining Kennedy's team. After Kennedy's death, Johnson won reelection by a large margin in 1964.

His presidency saw many changes that still affect American life today, but opinions about him differ, especially about his decisions regarding the Vietnam War. Johnson passed many laws that changed civil rights, healthcare, and education, but his support dropped as the war continued and public unrest grew.

Early life

Lyndon Baines Johnson was born on August 27, 1908, near Stonewall, Texas, in a small farmhouse by the Pedernales River. He was the oldest of five children in his family. Johnson's parents had a hard time agreeing on his name, and he wasn’t named until he was three months old. He grew up in a poor family, and his father lost much of their money.

Johnson went to school and became good at speaking and debating. He finished high school early and tried to go to college but had to work for a while. Later, he went to Southwest Texas State Teachers College, where he took part in debates and helped run the school newspaper. He also taught school for a time to help pay for his education. This experience helped him learn more about helping others and made a big impact on him.

Entry into politics

After Richard M. Kleberg became a representative for Texas in 1931, he chose Johnson to be his helper. This was Johnson's first step into politics. Johnson got the job because of suggestions from his father and a state senator named Welly Hopkins. Kleberg didn’t spend much time on his duties as a Congressman, so he let Johnson handle most of the work.

When Franklin D. Roosevelt became president in 1932, Johnson began supporting his New Deal programs. Johnson was even elected as the leader of a group called the "Little Congress," made up of helpers for Congress members. There, he made many important friends, including people who worked for President Roosevelt and other politicians from Texas like vice president John Nance Garner and congressman Sam Rayburn.

In 1935, Johnson got a new job running a program for young people in Texas called the National Youth Administration. In just six months, he helped 18,000 young people in Texas find work building roads, parks, schools, and other public places. He left this job two years later to try to become a Congressman himself. Johnson was known for working very hard and asking his team to work long hours, even on weekends. People who knew him said he was very driven to gain power and control.

U.S. House of Representatives (1937–1949)

In 1937, Lyndon B. Johnson won a special election to join the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas after the passing of a long-time congressman. He served from April 1937 until January 1949. During his time in the House, Johnson worked closely with President Roosevelt and helped plan important projects, such as a large training base for the navy in Texas and new shipbuilding sites.

Johnson also helped bring many benefits to his district, like cheaper electricity for farmers, soil conservation programs, and public housing. He focused on supporting projects that would help the people of his area and worked with local contractors to make this happen.

When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, Johnson volunteered for active military duty. He was sent to the Pacific to report on the challenges faced by U.S. troops. In 1942, he received a military award for his service. He returned to Congress later that year when President Roosevelt asked lawmakers to come back to Washington.

1941 U.S. Senate election

Main article: 1941 United States Senate special election in Texas

In 1941, a special election was held because a Texas senator had passed away. Johnson ran but lost by a very small margin. Despite the loss, he kept his position in the House and continued building his political support. He later ran for the Senate again in 1948 and won by an even smaller margin.

U.S. Senate (1949–1961)

1948 U.S. Senate election

Main article: 1948 United States Senate election in Texas

Lyndon Johnson ran for the U.S. Senate in 1948 and won after a very close and controversial primary election against Coke Stevenson, a well-known former governor. Johnson used creative campaign methods, like flying in a helicopter called "The Johnson City Windmill," to draw crowds. After a runoff election, Johnson was declared the winner by just 87 votes out of nearly 990,000. Some ballots were later found to be suspicious, but Johnson’s victory was confirmed, and he earned the nickname “Landslide Lyndon.” He went on to win the general election and became a senator.

Freshman senator to majority whip

During his time in the Senate, Johnson worked carefully to gain support from powerful figures and groups. With the help of Senator Richard Russell, he became the Democratic whip in 1951. Johnson was skilled at persuading others and worked on important committees, including those dealing with military affairs and foreign commerce. He became concerned about the country’s military strength during the Cold War with the Soviet Union and pushed for better defense preparations.

Senate Democratic leader

After the 1952 elections, Johnson was chosen as Senate Minority Leader. When Democrats won the majority in 1954, he became Majority Leader. He reformed the way committee assignments were given so that senators could get roles that matched their interests. Johnson was very effective at gathering information about his fellow senators and using that knowledge to get things done. He helped pass important laws, including civil rights bills in 1957 and 1960, even though it was difficult to balance different opinions in the Senate.

Campaigns of 1960

See also: 1960 United States presidential election

In 1960, Lyndon B. Johnson thought about running to be president. He decided to wait because he believed another Democrat, John F. Kennedy, would split votes, giving Johnson a chance later. But when Johnson finally joined the race, Kennedy had already gained lots of support. Johnson tried to use Kennedy’s youth and health concerns against him, but it didn’t work. At the Democratic meeting, Kennedy got more votes and became the party’s choice for president.

After Kennedy became the presidential candidate, he asked Johnson to be his running mate, and Johnson agreed. Kennedy chose Johnson to help win votes from Southern states. Even though some labor leaders didn’t like Johnson, he became the vice president when the ticket won the election. At the same time, Johnson also tried to win another term in the U.S. Senate. He succeeded in the election but resigned from the Senate when he became vice president.

Main article: 1960 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection

Vice presidency (1961–1963)

See also: Presidency of John F. Kennedy

After becoming vice president in 1961, Lyndon B. Johnson wanted more power in his new role. He tried to get more control over important government matters but faced resistance. President John F. Kennedy gave Johnson some tasks to keep him busy, like leading a committee about fair jobs for everyone.

Johnson also took part in important meetings and went on trips to help with international relations. One of his trips was to West Berlin during a tense time when a wall was being built there. He also helped guide the U.S. space program, suggesting the goal of landing an American on the Moon in the 1960s.

Presidency (1963–1969)

President Kennedy was killed on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. Later that day, Johnson took an important promise to lead the country aboard Air Force One. This moment is remembered for a famous photograph taken by Cecil Stoughton.

Johnson wanted to show the country that the government was still strong after the tragedy. He quickly returned to Washington, D.C., and set up a group led by Chief Justice Earl Warren to learn more about what happened. The group decided that a man named Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.

When Johnson became president, he asked some of Kennedy’s team to stay. Robert Kennedy, Kennedy’s brother, stayed for a while but left in 1964 to run for a job in the Senate. Other leaders, like Dean Rusk and Stewart Udall, stayed until the end of Johnson’s time as president.

Johnson worked on many important laws. He helped pass a law to cut taxes, which meant people paid less money to the government. He also worked hard to pass laws that would stop unfair treatment of people because of their race or gender. One big law he signed was the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made it illegal to treat people differently because of their race, color, religion, sex, or where they were from. This law also made it easier for the government to make sure people were treated fairly at work.

Johnson started a program called the “Great Society” to help improve life for everyone. This included plans to clean up cities, make transportation better, protect the environment, help people who didn’t have much money, and improve healthcare and education. He believed that the government could help people have better lives by giving them chances to succeed.

In 1964, Johnson ran for president and won by a large margin against Barry Goldwater. He also worked on laws to help people vote fairly and to stop unfair housing practices. He started a “War on Poverty” to help people who didn’t have enough money, creating programs like Job Corps and VISTA to give people jobs and help communities.

Johnson also made changes to healthcare, creating Medicare and Medicaid to help older people and those who needed medical care. He changed immigration laws to make it easier for people from different parts of the world to come to the United States. He also pushed for more money for schools and started programs to help children from families with less money.

Johnson faced many challenges during his time as president, including protests and difficulties with the war in Vietnam. He worked to make peace but decided not to run for re-election in 1968. He left office with many accomplishments, especially in creating laws that helped protect people’s rights and improve their lives.

Post-presidency (1969–1973)

After leaving the presidency in January 1969, Johnson returned to his ranch in Stonewall, Texas. He worked with a former aide to write his first book and began work on his memoirs, which were published in 1971. That same year, the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum opened at The University of Texas at Austin. Johnson planned to donate his Texas ranch to the public, hoping it would stay a working ranch rather than become just a museum.

Johnson supported the Democratic nominee in the 1972 presidential election, George McGovern from South Dakota, though he had some concerns about McGovern’s ideas. Johnson believed that if the other side won, it might cause problems at home.

Personal life

Lyndon B. Johnson married Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor from Karnack, Texas in 1934. They had two daughters named Lynda Bird and Luci Baines.

In 1955, Johnson had a serious health problem that made him stop smoking. He had more health issues later in life, including another major health problem in 1972. Despite these challenges, he continued to work and led the country until the end of his term.

Death

Lyndon B. Johnson had a long television interview with newsman Walter Cronkite just weeks before he passed away. On January 22, 1973, Johnson had a serious health problem in his bedroom. Helpers tried to help him, but he could not be saved. He was taken to a hospital but was already gone by the time he arrived. He was 64 years old.

Johnson was given a special funeral called a state funeral. His body was placed for people to honor at the LBJ Presidential Library in Texas before being moved to Washington, D.C. Many important people attended the funeral service, including President Nixon. Johnson was buried in his family’s cemetery in Texas, near the house where he was born.

Personality and public image

Lyndon B. Johnson was known for his many different sides. People saw him as a humble worker, a great negotiator, a strong leader, a peaceful voice, a romantic dreamer, a practical thinker, a protector of traditions, a fighter for fairness, a generous spirit, or even someone who could be harsh or rough around the edges.

Johnson had a special way of persuading people, called "The Johnson Treatment". He studied all the senators, learning their hopes and fears, and used this knowledge to help pass laws. As president, he refused to approve 30 bills, more than any other president in history, and Congress never overrode his decisions. Johnson was known for working very long days and was a tall, imposing figure.

He loved his Texas roots, often wearing a cowboy hat and boots. He turned a small piece of land he inherited into a large ranch with cattle. The National Park Service still cares for some of these cattle today.

Johnson grew up learning about helping others, which shaped his views on fairness and justice. He often spoke about these ideas, inspired by beliefs he had since childhood, including quotes from the Social Creed of the Methodist Church.

Legacy

Scholars look at Lyndon B. Johnson in two ways: his great work making new laws and his struggles with the Vietnam War. People often remember him for taking over after a president was killed and for leading the country during a tough time. Many think his handling of the Vietnam War hurt his reputation the most.

The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston was named after him, as were schools and a roadway in several places. He was given an important award after he died, and Texas celebrates his birthday each year.

Major legislation signed

• 1963: Clean Air Act
• 1963: Higher Education Facilities Act
• 1963: Vocational Education Act
• 1964: Civil Rights Act
• 1964: Urban Mass Transportation Act
• 1964: Wilderness Act
• 1964: Nurse Training Act
• 1964: Food Stamp Act
• 1964: Economic Opportunity Act
• 1965: Housing and Urban Development Act
• 1965: Higher Education Act
• 1965: Older Americans Act
• 1965: Coinage Act
• 1965: Social Security Act
• 1965: Voting Rights Act
• 1965: Immigration and Nationality Services Act
• 1966: Animal Welfare Act
• 1966: Freedom of Information Act
• 1967: Age Discrimination in Employment Act
• 1967: Public Broadcasting Act
• 1968: Architectural Barriers Act
• 1968: Bilingual Education Act
• 1968: Civil Rights Act
• 1968: Gun Control Act

Significant regulatory changes

• 1968: FCC creates national emergency number 9-1-1

Works

Lyndon B. Johnson wrote several important books and helped pass important laws during his time. One of these laws was the National Aeronautics and Space Act in 1962, which helped shape the future of space exploration. He also wrote books called Choices We Face in 1969 and The Vantage Point in 1971, sharing his thoughts and experiences.