Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as president. Using the leverage of his experience as a powerful senate majority leader and the nation's sympathy for Kennedy's progressive legacy, Johnson pushed through Congress a package of Great Society legislation that he called the "War on Poverty."

In this writing activity from SIRS Decades (free trial), discover what factors motivated President Johnson's efforts to reduce poverty and build a "Great Society."

Also, learn about what effects these government programs had in combating the problems they were designed to solve.


President Lyndon B. Johnson Signs the Medicare Bill (July 30, 1965)

The focus of Johnson's efforts was on improving education, because he believed that "education, more than any single force, will mold the citizen of the future." However, his achievements also included passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, Medicare and Medicaid (provides health-care assistance to the elderly and poor), and the Head Start program (provides educational and health services to low-income families).

Writing Activity

Assign students to write an essay in which they summarize the rationale behind President Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" program and describe some of its major achievements.

Students should develop their responses by applying their knowledge of the era and by making a direct reference to the primary source documents below:

The Social Security Amendments Act of 1965—Medicare
National Archives and Records Administration, July 30, 1965

Higher Education Facilities Act of 1963
National Archives and Records Administration, Dec. 16, 1963

Higher Education Act of 1965
National Archives and Records Administration, Nov. 8, 1965

Excellence in Education: Foundation of the Great Society
School and Society, March 20, 1965

Economic Opportunity Act of 1964
National Archives and Records Administration, Aug. 20, 1964

President Johnson on Education
School and Society, Oct. 2, 1965

Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
National Archives and Records Administration, April 11, 1965

The White House Conference on Education...
School and Society, Nov. 13, 1965

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