The Great American Story Course Notes Part 8

John F. Kennedy called his campaign platform the new frontier.

According to Professor McClay, Martin Luther King, Jr. drew inspiration from Christianity, the
Constitution, and Gandhi.

The Southern states had voted solidly Democrat until the election of Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.

President Nixon’s approach to the Vietnam War was to achieve peace with honor.

According to Professor McClay, one of Nixon’s most surprising diplomatic achievements was improving relations with the Chinese.

Following Richard Nixon’s presidency, some political scientists feared that the presidency had
become autocratic and imperialistic.

Under Nixon, the economy underwent a period of high inflation and economic stagnation.

According to Professor McClay, although many within the conservative movement of the 1970s
disagreed on specific policy proposals, they were in general agreement on certain principles
such as limited government, free market economy, and anti-communism.

Although a conservative Republican by the time he was elected president, Ronald Reagan was a
liberal Democrat in his youth.

According to Professor McClay, establishment Republicans opposed Reagan’s nomination in
1980 and wanted to run George HW Bush for the presidency instead.

The Soviet Union was dissolved in December of 1991.

According to Professor McClay, President George HW Bush was interested in establishing a new
international order that was prosperous, law-abiding, and democratic following the end of the
Cold War.

Operation Desert Storm was undertaken in response to Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait
in 1990.

Source: "The Great American Story: A Land of Hope"