The Cold War and Civil Rights 267complied with the agreement, and the likelihood of a nuclear war be-
tween the two countries was averted.
Another incident of the Cold War involved the action by the Soviets
to seal off East Germany. A year earlier, in August 1961 , the commu-
nists closed the border crossings in Berlin and built the Berlin Wall,
ostensibly to prevent East Germans from escaping into the West. It
was an action that would separate East and West Berlin for the next
twenty-eight years.
One of the ways that Kennedy hoped to bring about a greater union
among free peoples around the world was passage of the Peace Corps
Act, on September 22 , 1961 , in which $ 40 million for fi scal 1962 was
appropriated to prepare thousands of young American men and women
for volunteer work providing educational, medical, and other technical
services in underdeveloped countries. The overwhelming response by
young people in colleges and universities indicated how strongly they
believed they could make a difference in helping to improve living
conditions throughout the world. The Peace Corps enjoyed great suc-
cess from the very beginning.
But the need at home in several areas was also great, especially
among African-Americans. Still, Kennedy indicated that civil rights
were not a top priority for his administration, probably because he
needed southern support for other measures he deemed more urgent,
such as education and housing. A seemingly vigorous man in his early
forties, who successfully concealed his many medical problems from
public scrutiny, Kennedy spoke boldly and called for measures in a pro-
gram labeled the “New Frontier” that would combat tyranny, poverty,
disease, and war. But events would occur that would force the young
President to change his mind.
Freedom riders who hoped to desegregate the South were attacked
in Alabama, and their bus burned by an angry mob. Race riots oc-
curred, forcing the governor to declare martial law to restore order.
The violence escalated, and once more the nation witnessed the conse-
quences of racial bigotry. But it had one salutary effect in bringing
about passage of the Tw e n t y -fourth Amendment to the Constitution,
which outlawed poll taxes as a requirement for voting. At the time
when the amendment was ratifi ed—January 23 , 1964 —Virginia, Texas,
Alabama, arkansas, and Mississippi charged a poll tax.