From the moment he took office on November 22, 1963, President Johnson was a man on a mission, determined to use his powerful position to create a better life for all Americans, in all aspects of their lives, and by the end of 1965 his administration would pass more transformative legislation than most presidents achieve in their entire terms. His vision for a Great Society and his War on Poverty were not just rhetoric; he proved that strong leadership, combined with knowledge of the political system, could indeed effect change. Things we now take for granted—Medicare, federally funded public education, laws that protect our water, air, and environment, as well as the historic Civil Rights Acts that banned discrimination—were all passed through Congress in LBJ’s first two years as president.
Despite this long list of notable accomplishments on domestic issues, it would be the U.S. involvement in Vietnam that would become his overriding concern, and which would become synonymous with his presidency.