THE PROGRAMS OF THE GREAT SOCIETY
There were different programs that helped create The Great Society. The programs were made to help create an equal society with in the United States. These programs were the following: (click on the name of the Act to see the full text and click on the name of the programs for a video)
- The Equal pay Act of 1963. The Equal Pay Act was created and passed when President Kennedy was in office but was not enforced until President Lyndon B. Johnson took office. This Act created a society in which men and women would get paid the same amount of money for doing the same job. The only exceptions of the payment being equal for men and women were a seniority system, a merit system, and a quality or quantity system.
- The Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Civil Rights Act was created by President Johnson and a group of senators, which included Senate Majority Leader Everett M. Dirksen. This Act was created to make a society in which there was racial equality within school buildings, office buildings, and in town squares. This legislation would also address equal employment opportunities for African Americans. The Civil Rights Act was upheld by the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution,
"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." (14th amendment of the Constitution of the United States, Section One)
In support of this Act, a march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama happened on March 7th 1965. John Lewis and Hosea Williams led this march to push for equal voting rights. The voting rights activists who marched in Selma were met by state troopers and were beaten and gassed to hold off their protest. That Sunday became known as "Bloody Sunday". With all of the unjust actions faced by African Americans events that have happened in the US at that time, President Johnson pushed for two and a half months for the Bill to be passed.
- The National Voting Act of 1965. This Act was signed by President Johnson in 1965 to eliminate obstacles for African Americans to register to vote. This Act upheld the 15th Amendment of the Constitution,
"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." (15th amendment of the Constitution of the United States, Section One)
Due to this Act, the number of African American voters rose to a quarter of a million new voters since 1964 (when the Act was created). In support, Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis led a march in Washington, D.C. to raise awareness regarding civil rights.
- Food Stamps Act of 1964. This was created and signed by President Johnson to help feed low income families. Food Stamps are tickets, or vouchers, that are given to low income families so they are able to buy healthy food (since healthy food is more expensive).
- Head Start Program of 1965. This program was created for low income families to provide access to a pre-school eduction. It began as a summer program that provided educational services as well as 2 meals a day. This served over 560,000 students across the United States in the first summer of the program. This program continued into the public school system in the fall of 1965. Head Start was created by a committee run by President Johnson. Dr. Robert Cooke, a pediatrician at John Hopkins University, led the committee. President Johnson's State of the Union address in 1964 discussed the "War on Poverty". A need for an early intervention program would provide low income families with a strong "head start". As the Head Start Program evolved, it grew to provide medical care, dental care, and mental health services for those students who qualified.
- Medicare of 1965. Medicare started in 1965. This was an affordable health care plan that helped the elderly as well as the low income families. This was created to help supply health care to those who could not afford private health care.
Click Here for Bibliography
- The Equal pay Act of 1963. The Equal Pay Act was created and passed when President Kennedy was in office but was not enforced until President Lyndon B. Johnson took office. This Act created a society in which men and women would get paid the same amount of money for doing the same job. The only exceptions of the payment being equal for men and women were a seniority system, a merit system, and a quality or quantity system.
- The Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Civil Rights Act was created by President Johnson and a group of senators, which included Senate Majority Leader Everett M. Dirksen. This Act was created to make a society in which there was racial equality within school buildings, office buildings, and in town squares. This legislation would also address equal employment opportunities for African Americans. The Civil Rights Act was upheld by the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution,
"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." (14th amendment of the Constitution of the United States, Section One)
In support of this Act, a march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama happened on March 7th 1965. John Lewis and Hosea Williams led this march to push for equal voting rights. The voting rights activists who marched in Selma were met by state troopers and were beaten and gassed to hold off their protest. That Sunday became known as "Bloody Sunday". With all of the unjust actions faced by African Americans events that have happened in the US at that time, President Johnson pushed for two and a half months for the Bill to be passed.
- The National Voting Act of 1965. This Act was signed by President Johnson in 1965 to eliminate obstacles for African Americans to register to vote. This Act upheld the 15th Amendment of the Constitution,
"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." (15th amendment of the Constitution of the United States, Section One)
Due to this Act, the number of African American voters rose to a quarter of a million new voters since 1964 (when the Act was created). In support, Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis led a march in Washington, D.C. to raise awareness regarding civil rights.
- Food Stamps Act of 1964. This was created and signed by President Johnson to help feed low income families. Food Stamps are tickets, or vouchers, that are given to low income families so they are able to buy healthy food (since healthy food is more expensive).
- Head Start Program of 1965. This program was created for low income families to provide access to a pre-school eduction. It began as a summer program that provided educational services as well as 2 meals a day. This served over 560,000 students across the United States in the first summer of the program. This program continued into the public school system in the fall of 1965. Head Start was created by a committee run by President Johnson. Dr. Robert Cooke, a pediatrician at John Hopkins University, led the committee. President Johnson's State of the Union address in 1964 discussed the "War on Poverty". A need for an early intervention program would provide low income families with a strong "head start". As the Head Start Program evolved, it grew to provide medical care, dental care, and mental health services for those students who qualified.
- Medicare of 1965. Medicare started in 1965. This was an affordable health care plan that helped the elderly as well as the low income families. This was created to help supply health care to those who could not afford private health care.
Click Here for Bibliography