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'''Lyndon Baines Johnson''' became the 36th [[President of the United States of America]] after the assassination of [[John F. Kennedy]]. He held that position from 1963 until 1969.  Though he won election handily in 1964, he decided not to seek re-election in 1968 due to the unpopularity of the [[Vietnam War]].

'''Lyndon Baines Johnson''' (1908–1973), often referred to as '''LBJ''', was the 36th [[President of the United States of America]] (1963–1969). After serving in the House and Senate since 1937, Johnson was elected Vice President in 1960, and in November, 1963, he succeeded to the presidency following President [[John F. Kennedy]]'s assassination. Although he had a reputation as a moderate in the 1950s, he seized the leadership of liberalism as president, moved the [[Democratic Party]] to the left, and pushed through Congress the [[Great Society]], comprising liberal legislation including civil rights laws, Medicare (free health care for the elderly), Medicaid (free health care for the poor), aid to education, and a major "War on Poverty". Simultaneously, he escalated the American involvement in the [[Vietnam War]], from 16,000 American soldiers in 1963 to 550,000 in early 1968.

 

Johnson won reelection in a landslide in 1964 over conservative leader [[Barry Goldwater]], and in 1965 succeeded in obtaining new liberal legislation. Johnson's popularity steadily declined after 1966 and his reelection bid in 1968 collapsed as a result of turmoil in his Democratic party over Vietnam, race, and widespread crime and rioting. He withdrew from the race to concentrate on peacemaking. Johnson was renowned for his domineering personality and arm twisting of powerful politicians.  

==Early Life==

==Early Life==

As President, Johnson greatly expanded the federal government with his [[Great Society]] programs.  He played a key role in helping the [[civil rights movement]] win legislative victories, pushing for the adoption of the Civil Rights Act (1964), which outlawed segregation, and the Voting Rights Act (1965), which guaranteed African-Americans' right to vote. He also greatly expanded American involvement in [[Vietnam]] (see [[Vietnam War]]).  Although Johnson won the 1964 presidential election in a landslide over Republican [[Barry Goldwater]], his popularity plunged as the death toll from the conflict in Vietnam steadily increased.  In early 1968, faced with plummeting poll numbers and mounting public opposition to his foreign policy, Johnson announced that he would neither seek nor accept his party's nomination for the presidency in 1968.  It is widely thought that had he run, he would have been trounced in the primaries or in the subsequent general election - eventually won by Republican [[Richard M. Nixon]].

As President, Johnson greatly expanded the federal government with his [[Great Society]] programs.  He played a key role in helping the [[civil rights movement]] win legislative victories, pushing for the adoption of the Civil Rights Act (1964), which outlawed segregation, and the Voting Rights Act (1965), which guaranteed African-Americans' right to vote. He also greatly expanded American involvement in [[Vietnam]] (see [[Vietnam War]]).  Although Johnson won the 1964 presidential election in a landslide over Republican [[Barry Goldwater]], his popularity plunged as the death toll from the conflict in Vietnam steadily increased.  In early 1968, faced with plummeting poll numbers and mounting public opposition to his foreign policy, Johnson announced that he would neither seek nor accept his party's nomination for the presidency in 1968.  It is widely thought that had he run, he would have been trounced in the primaries or in the subsequent general election - eventually won by Republican [[Richard M. Nixon]].

==References==

==References==