LBJ: A President born to humble beginnings
Sandwiched
between the presidencies of John F Kennedy and Richard Nixon, perhaps it’s no surprise Lyndon B Johnson’s place in history has diminished over time. The straight-talking Texan’s ascent to the commander-inchief’s seat came at a time when America was in mourning, having only become the 36th President of the United States due to the assassination of John F Kennedy in 1963. He was a success at first, winning a landslide election the following year with more than 60% of the vote and introducing reforms that positively impacted on civil rights, education and poverty. Yet his determination to lead America further into the Vietnam War, which resulted in thousands of young men dying, meant he never stood for re-election and retired to Texas, aged just 61. LBJ, as he was known, was born in Stonewall, Texas on August 27, 1908. The eldest of five children, his genes could be traced back to Dumfriesshire. Lyndon was a teacher before being appointed legislative secretary to Richard M. Kleberg in the House of Representatives in 1931. It began a journey up the political ranks, becoming a member of the House in his own right and taking on various roles in the Senate before vying for the Democratic candidacy in the 1960 election. Johnson had no chance against JFK, but he was offered the vice-presidential nomination by JFK. Three years later, he was hastily sworn in as President on Air Force One hours after Kennedy’s murder. LBJ worked fast, not only setting up a panel to investigate the death, but pursuing JFK policies such as tax cuts and the Civil Rights Act. Seeing the latter over the line probably contributed to why he didn’t feel confident about the 1964 election, yet he won with the highest-ever share of the popular vote. He pushed through policies that created healthcare, continued to tackle the issue of racial discrimination, tightened gun control laws and provided better housing and education as part of his “war on poverty”. But by the 1968 election, he shocked the nation by declaring he wouldn’t seek another term. His approval ratings had plummeted, not helped by the situation in Vietnam. From 16,000 military advisers in non-combat roles in 1963 to 525,000, many in combat roles, in 1967, the war was at the forefront of every American’s mind. LBJ had suffered a heart attack in 1955 and his health worsened after he left the White House. He died from a heart attack in January, 1973. His death came two days after Richard Nixon’s second inauguration and meant for the first time since 1933 there were no former Presidents still living.