Johnson was the 36th President of the United States of America. His term as President was from 1963 until 1969. He succeeded to the Presidency after the assassination for John F. Kennedy, and was re-elected in 1964 by a large margin.

As President he was responsible for designing the "Great Society" package of legislation, which included laws that would uphold Civil Rights, educational aid, Medicaid and Medicare, environmental protection, and "The War on Poverty."

While pushing these progressive domestic programs, Johnson escalated American involvement in the Vietnam War. The war would be a drag on Johnson's popularity, and a cause of turmoil within the Democratic Party.

By the 1968 Presidential election the Democratic Party had become highly factionalized, splintered by reactions to the war and other issues. Johnson saw no way to win the war in Vietnam, and no way to reunite his fractured party long enough to win reelection. On March 31, 1968, Johnson announced "I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term" as President.

History remembers Johnson with great favor for his domestic agenda, despite his failure in foreign policy.