beginning on the 60s were a time of hope for Americans. John F. Kennedy took office at the beginning of the decade with plans to eliminate social injustice and bring equality through what he called "The New Frontier". However a group of southerners in Congress blocked what they could and frustrated Kennedy. When Kennedy was assassinated and Johnson took office he tried to fight a war on poverty, but when the war in Vietnam began there were not enough funds to help the poor. The war divided the nation; some became hippies for peace, others fled the country to avoid the draft. The majority of the country however formed a "silent majority" in support of the war. The 60s were also a time of civil rights movements which finally succeeded when Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act. These acts did not provide and instant fix as can be seen through America's current struggles with civil rights and racism. The most influential leaders of this era were assassinated; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Bobby Kennedy, and JFK. By the end of the 60s it was clear that it was anything but the start of a golden age. Nixon went into office in 1968 and the 70s ear came as a continuation of the 60s. Nixon's actions while in office led people to distrust the governments intentions. The 1960- early 1970s were a time of struggle for peace in the world and order in the government.