John F. Kennedy
Although much of The Eve of Destruction takes place in 1965 (nearly two years after JFK's assassination), Kennedy looms large over the book. Kennedy, who was President of the United States from 1961 to 1963, effectively presided over the end of an era in the U.S. - the end of an idealistic and upbeat nation replete with consumer confidence and a tremendous amount of patriotism. His death marked the start of a new America - the start of free love and the more widespread use of psychoactive drugs (called the "Hippie Movement.")
Lyndon Johnson
Lyndon Johnson is a key character in Patterson's book. It was Johnson who mentioned that America and its people had “no irreconcilable conflicts.” However, it was Johnson (as Patterson argues), that radically changed America. Johnson's so-called "Great Society" legislation had reshaped American culture, politics, and its social safety net. Most importantly, though, Johnson's legislation gave more power and rights to African Americans - something which had been sorely lacking for most of America's history. Johnson's legislation provoked a tremendous amount of violence and animosity in the U.S., provoking a stark conservative resurgence in the nation and creating a seemingly irrevocable divide in the country.
