President Lynden B. Johnson Biography
반복 청취후 발음이 숙달되면, 끄고 큰소리로 본문을 읽어 보세요.
President Lynden B. Johnson Biography
Lyndon Johnson led the country for five years between 1963 and 1968 after President John Fitzgerald Kennedy died of gunshot wounds on November 22, 1963. He formulated many policies and carried out many others that Kennedy could not finish. He faced many foreign problems as well, including the Vietnam War and the Cold War.
How he dealt with foreign problems put him near last if not last in foreign affairs, when compared to other presidents. Johnson always talked to tourists and met reporters informally. He entertained many distinguished guests at his ranch in Texas.
Also, Lyndon and his wife Claudia Johnson held formal and informal dances at the white house. His presidency left added a lot in the history books. If it were not for his leadership and ideas, many parts of society today would not exist.
"We have suffered a loss that cannot be weighed. For me, it is a deep personal tragedy. I know that the world shares the sorrow that Mrs. Kennedy and her family bear.
I will do my best. That is all I can do. I ask for your help and God's," quoted Lyndon Johnson after the assassination of friend, colleague, and leader President John Fitzgerald Kennedy at one-o'clock on November 22, 1963.
Johnson took on the large role as president aboard the presidential Air Force jet at Love Field, Dallas exactly ninety-nine minutes after Kennedy died.
Coincidentally becoming the second vice president with the last name Johnson to succeed an assassinated president and nearly one hundred years apart.
Within a short time after he became president, Johnson announced a five hundred million-dollar budget cut and urged a strong civil rights bill. Both of these were previously proposed by Kennedy.
Also, he proposed a national War on Poverty. This included creating new jobs and building up areas where the economy had faltered.
This was approved by Congress without a problem. A new housing law provided five billion dollars in federal funds to help the needy buy houses and rent apartments passed in 1968.
Congress also passed a tax cut for both individuals and corporations.
Civil rights was a large part of Johnson's presidency. It did not take him long to develop civil rights laws. A new civil rights law opened to Negroes all hotels, motels, restaurants, and other businesses that serve the public. It guaranteed equal job opportunities for all people.
Also, Congress passed a voting rights law that ensured voting rights for Negroes and outlawed literacy tests as a voting requirement.
The Civil Rights Act of 1968 ended racial discrimination in the sale or rental of houses and apartments. To add the civil rights developments by Johnson, he appointed the first Negro cabinet member and first Negro Supreme Court judge. Robert C.
Weaver was selected to be the secretary of housing and urban development. Thurgood Marshall was set as the first Negro Supreme Court justice.
The Railroad Crisis, in April of 1964, plunged Johnson into on of America's toughest labor disputes. After years of disputing between union workers and train companies over work rules the companies announced new rules that resulted in a union strike.
Johnson arranged a fifteen-day delay of the strike and put company and union leaders in a White House room and under pressure from Johnson the dispute was settled in only twelve days.
During his first full term he used even more policies and passed even more laws. In May 1964 Johnson stated "we have the opportunity to move not only toward the rich society, but upward to the Great Society."
The term Great Society was used to describe many of his domestic programs. Congress passed his Appalachia bill which improved the living standards in the Appalachian Mountain region.
It also passed his proposals for increased federal aid to education, a cut in excise taxes, stronger automobile safety measures, and the establishment of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Transportation. Lyndon Johnson also succeeded in passing his Medicare plan.
Johnson inherited many of the foreign affairs problems concerning the United States.
A Cold War with Russia and other Communist countries kept the world in continual danger of a nuclear war. This problem has been around for some of Kennedy's term.
The first real crisis in foreign affairs for Johnson was in early 1964 when anti-U.S. riots broke out in the Canal Zone. The tension eased after Johnson agreed with Panama's president to discuss outstanding problems.
Johnson stated soon after becoming president, "This nation will keep its commitments from South Vietnam to West Berlin. We will be unceasing in the search for peace; resourceful in out pursuit of areas of agreement even with those with whom we differ; and generous and loyal to those who join with us in common cause."
The United States continued its technical and financial assistance to South Vietnam.
In August 1964, North Vietnam torpedo boats attacked U.S. Navy destroyers in the Gulf of Yonkin. Johnson ordered U.S. planes to bomb North Vietnam's torpedo boat bases.
In the spring and summer of 1965, he ordered the first U.S. combat troops into South Vietnam to protect American bases there and to stop the Communists from overrunning the country.
America stepped up the bombing of North Vietnam. Casualties and the cost of the war increased sporadically.
By 1968 the United States had more than five hundred million troops in South Vietnam. A bitter debate in the U.S. developed which separated the country into hawks (those who supported military action) and doves (those who called for the cutback of United States involvement in Vietnam and eventual withdrawal).
The two chief critics of the war were Eugene McCarthy and Robert F. Kennedy. Opposition to this country's increasing role in Vietnam increased. Demonstrations took place throughout the nation and riots broke out in Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York City, and Newark that were against the U.S.'s involvement in Vietnam.
Many people began to doubt statements by the administration on progress of the war. Soon Johnson's popularity dropped because of his drop in credibility. He rejected any chance of reelection as he announced the reduction of bombing in Vietnam. The beginning of peace talks with North Vietnam representatives stated on May 13, 1968.
The United States bombing on Vietnam was halted on November 1, 1968. Peace between the U.S. and all of Vietnam soon followed.
본문에 나오는 주요 단어와 발음청취
tragedy
명. 비극 (사건, 이야기 등); 비극의 창작; 재앙, 참사
colleague
명. 동료
coincidentally
부. 우연히, 우연의 일치로
poverty
명. 가난, 궁핍; 결핍
falter
동. 주저하다, 주춤하다; 더듬거리다, 더듬거리며 말하다; 비틀거리다
negro
명. 아프리카 흑인; 아프리카계 미국인 (경멸적)
outlawed
형. 법적 권리가 박탈된; 법률밖의; 금지된
literacy
명. 읽고 쓰는 능력; 교육; 특정한 주제나 분야에 대한 지식이 있음
discrimination
명. 차별, 차별대우; 식별, 판별력, 감식력
urban
형. 도시의; 도시에 사는; 시의
plunge
동. 다이빙하다, 물속에 뛰어들다; 투기하다, 내기하다; 빠지게 하다
dispute
동. 논쟁하다; 이의를 제기하다; 반대하다, 저항하다
명. 논쟁, 분쟁, 말다툼
opportunity
명. 기회, 경우; 호기, 좋은 때
describe
동. 묘사하다
excise tax
명. 물품세
measures
명. 수단, 방책
inherit
동. 유산받다, 법적 권리를 물려받다; 재산을 상속받다; 유전받다
riot
명. 폭동; 매우 웃기는 것이나 사람; 감정의 폭발; 난장판, 뒤죽박죽
unceasing
형. 끊임없는, 계속되는, 연장되는
torpedo boat
수뢰정
casualty
명. 사상자, 죽임을 당한 사람 ( 전쟁의 결과로, 자연 재해로, 사고 등으로); 사고
sporadically
부. 불규칙적으로, 간헐적으로
hawk
명. 매 (조류); 강경파, 매파 (미국); 공격적인 사람 (속어)
credibility
명. 믿을 수 있음, 신임할 수 있음
representative
명. 대리인; 대표단
halt
동. 멈추다, 정지하다; 정지시키다, 중단시키다; 망설이다, 불확실하다
