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Lyndon Baines Johnson Born: August 27, 1908 Died: January 22, 1973 36th President of the United States: 1963-1969 Democrat Vice President: Hubert H. Humphrey 1964-1968 Lyndon B. Johnson was thrown into the presidency after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He was placed in a furnace of problems including civil rights, poverty levels, the space race, and Vietnam. With so many problems facing him, he acted coolly when dealing with them which lead me to the conclusion of giving him a B+. While Johnson tried his best to help all American people, yet some of his decisions as president are questionable. Johnson ran his first campaign as Kennedy’s vice-president under the beliefs of tax cuts, equal racial rights, space exploration, and poverty aid. All in all, Johnson accomplished these goals quite well. On the heels of Kennedy, Johnson made large strides in advancing NASA eventually launching Apollo 11 to the Moon during Nixon’s presidency. He personally congratulated the three astronauts who were sent to orbit the moon in 1968 with his words ¨You´ve taken all of us, all over the world, into a new era. Also, it was under Johnson’s era where the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which finally made blacks completely free individuals and erasing segregation from the American map. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 finally closed the book on racial discrimination by creating federal action in getting the blacks to register to vote. In response to poverty, Johnson activated the Community Action Agency, which coordinated federal and State action to help the poor. This along with Medicare (which gave healthcare to elderly Americans) greatly helped the American people. With Project Head Start he bettered the performance of underprivileged youth in America. Although he greatly helped the American people, his doings are very much overshadowed by the race riots and violence which happened during his presidency. With the Democratic majority in congress, Lyndon B. Johnson had an easy time dealing with congress. With his plan for America labeled ¨The Great Society¨, he and congress laid out a plethora of legislation for social reform. This flood of legislation was only seen in the past during Franklin Delano Roosevelt´s legislation passed during the 100 Days Congress. These acts furthered the struggle in the war on poverty and laid the ground for its eventual success. Based on the great amount of legislation easily passed, it is obvious that Johnson had a great relationship with congress. The action with the most positive outcome is definitely the Civil Rights Act. This act ended segregation in the United States and finally gave blacks total freedom. This piece of legislature can also be viewed as the most influence on future presidents. Barack Obama, the first black president, was elected in November 2008. Without Johnson and his congress´s passing of the act, this would have never been possible. Also, this led to more blacks to be allowed into politics and for them to have a full voice in government and domestic issues. The action that was the most negative was the Vietnam War. Communist North Vietnam attacked Democratic South Vietnam. With the United States being involved in the Cold War with the USSR, Johnson was obviously against this action by the North Vietnamese and went to aid the South Vietnamese. Thanks to the Draft the United States sent over many of its young men to fight in the war. The Vietnam War was one of the most costly if you look at the outcome. In 1968, Johnson, overwhelmed by the struggle, pulled out of Vietnam shamefully, causing many of the men killed in the war to die in vain. The Vietnam War to this day is still one of the most controversial wars in United States history. In the end, whether or not the United States was better off after Johnson can be summed up in two lights. In terms of Foreign Policy: no. The United States was still involved in the cold War with the USSR and by jumping out of Vietnam, many foreigners had a different view on America. Domestically: yes. The Civil Rights Act had freed the blacks and ¨The Great Society¨ had successfully changed the lives of the poor of America. This is why Lyndon B. Johnson ultimately deserves a B+ for his presidency. BIBLIOGRAPHY Kennedy, David M. // The American Pageant //. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Print. "American President: Lyndon Baines Johnson." // Miller // // Center of Public Affairs //. University of Virginia, 2010. Web. 15 Dec 2010. . "Lyndon B. Johnson." // The White House //. The White House, 2010. Web. 15 Dec 2010. . "LBJ Biography." // Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and // // Museum //. Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, 2010. Web. 15 Dec 2010. .