Lyndon Johnson Guide

Johnson arrived in Washington in 1931 as a congressional aide and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1937 as a fierce supporter of FDR’s New Deal. His rise was marked by both legendary work ethic and controversy:

: He created Medicare and Medicaid, launched Head Start, and declared a "War on Poverty". lyndon johnson

: He won a seat in the U.S. Senate by a razor-thin margin of just 87 votes amidst allegations of voter fraud, earning him the derisive nickname "Landslide Lyndon" . Johnson arrived in Washington in 1931 as a

: As Senate Majority Leader, LBJ became arguably the most powerful man in Congress. He was famous for the "Treatment"—towering over colleagues, invading their personal space, and using a mix of flattery, threats, and sheer will to force legislation through. The Presidency: The Great Society and Vietnam Senate by a razor-thin margin of just 87

Born in 1908 in the "hardscrabble" Hill Country of Texas, Johnson’s family lived in a farmhouse with no electricity or running water. His father, a local politician, eventually lost the family farm to debt, a humiliation that fueled Lyndon’s lifelong obsession with security and power.