Lyndon Johnson's Texas Roots

Paper Summary:

The paper notes that Lyndon Baines Johnson was a southern President with a Texas accent and in some ways he exemplified the stereotypical Texan. The paper attempts to link his social identity as a Texan with his liberal political views, and questions how closely connected his liberal politics were to his persona as a Texan. The paper discusses the fact that, as a senator from Texas, he had to be involved in Texas politics and to be concerned about voter issues in Texas, but it would be hard to prove that he agreed with the social and political views of his fellow Texans. This paper argues that LBJ's communication style clearly reflected his Texas roots, but that his liberal politics came from his father's influence and the poverty of his upbringing.

From the Paper:

"No rich oil barons lived there. Farmers in the Hill country could barely eke out a living, and one good year for crops was nearly always cancelled out by two or more years of drought and loss. Johnson's father was a state representative in the days when representatives were paid only $5 a day for two months of service a year--$2 a day if they didn't get done on time. Presumably, state representatives were expected to hold office for the "honor" of it. Other elected officials made up for the lack of pay by accepting graft and bribes and using the system to enrich themselves, but Lyndon Johnson's father Sam Ealy Johnson was incorruptible. He never accepted so much as a cup of coffee from a lobbyist or anyone that could ask a political favor of him in return."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Schulman, B. J. (1995). Lyndon B. Johnson and American liberalism: A brief biography with documents. Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press.

More papers on Lyndon Johnson's Texas Roots:

• Comparison Essay # 109434 : "Insight to Lyndon Johnson"
• Essay # 68214 : "Lyndon Johnson and Vietnam"
• Essay # 7641 : "Lyndon Johnson and the Vietnam War"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: