John F. Kennedy 1961-1963

The Election of 1960

•closest since1884 (~119,000)•TV debate may have swung election

JFK’s Bio

• decorated naval officer in World War II.• Pulitzer Prize for his book, "Profiles in Courage."• He served exactly 1,000 days in office.• He was the first president born in the 20th century and the youngest president ever elected.•He is the only Roman Catholic president•He could read 1600 words a minute.

The Inaugural Address

“Let the word go forth…That the torch has beenpassed to a new generation of Americans…The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bringto this endeavor will lightour country and all who serve it…And so, my fellowAmericans-ask not whatyour country can do for you-ask what you can dofor your country.”

Camelot

Crisis Over Cuba

The first test of Kennedy’sforeign policy came in Cuba,just 90 miles off the coast ofFlorida. Revolutionary leader,Fidel Castro, openly declaredhimself a communist and welcomed aid from the Soviet Union.

The Bay of PigsOn April 17,1961, some 1500 Cuban exiles supported by the U.S. military landed on the island’s southern coast at Baja de Cochinos, the Bay of Pigs. The CIA and the exiles hoped it would trigger a mass uprising that would overthrow Castro. It didn’t! Cuban forces, backed by Soviet tanks and jet aircraft, easily repelled the exile invasion. Some of the exiles were killed, others imprisoned.

Cuban Missile CrisisIn October, 1962, photographs takenby American planesrevealed Soviet missile bases in Cuba-and somecontained missilesready to launch.They could reachU.S. cities in minutes.

On October 22,Kennedy ordereda naval blockadeof Cuba to preventfurther deliveriesof Soviet weapons.He also demandedthat the Sovietsremove the missiles.Khrushchev promised tochallenge the blockade,calling it “outright banditry.”

For a few days, nuclear war and massive destruction was a distinct possibility for every American. In schools, childrenpracticed air raid drills, a common occurrence during the ColdWar. People who had built bomb shelters began stockingthem with food and other provisions. Even the president calledhis family to the White House where they could be protected inthe presidential nuclear shelter.

Suddenly, on October 24, many of the Soviet ships stopped shortof the blockade line, turned, and sailed home. “We’re eyeball toeyeball,” said Secretary of State Dean Rusk, “and I think the other fellow just blinked.” On October 28 Khrushchev agreedto dismantle the missile bases in response to Kennedy’s promisenot to invade Cuba.

Kennedy and BerlinOne of the high pointsof Kennedy’s foreigntravels was a trip hemade to Berlin in 1963to dramatize America’scommitment to WestBerlin and West Germany.In a speech at the BerlinWall, Kennedy electrifiedan audience of about 150,000Germans by stating , “Ich binein Berliner” (I am a Berliner),thus declaring the solidarity of all free people with the peopleof West Berlin.

The New FrontierPresident Kennedy’slegislative program toprovide medical carefor the elderly….

To rebuild blightedurban areas….

To aid education….

To bolster the nationaldefense….

To increase international aid….

To expand the space program.

And to promote civil rights.

To provide volunteer assistance to developingnations in Asia, Africa,and Latin America.

"I can now retire from politics after having had Happy Birthday sung to me in such a sweet, wholesome way."

“Happy birthday Mr. President…”

May 19, 1962 at Kennedy’s 45th birthday celebration

Tragedy in DallasIn the fall of 1963, public opinion polls showed that Kennedy was losing popularity because of his advocacy of civil rights. On November 22,1963, President andMrs. Kennedy wentto Texas to mendpolitical fences withmembers of the state’s DemocraticParty.

Crowds lined thestreets of Dallasto greet the President. In frontof them sat TexasGovernor JohnConnally and hiswife Nellie.

As the car approached a state building known as the Texas State BookDepository, rifle shots rang out.

Shot in the head,his car raced toa nearby hospital, wheredoctors triedto revive him to no avail.JFK died on Nov. 22, 1963

In 1963, the WarrenCommission investigatedand concluded thatLee Harvey Oswaldhad shot the presidentwhile acting on his own.

On Sunday, Nov. 24,as millions watchedlive television coverage of Oswaldbeing transferredbetween jails, anightclub ownernamed Jack Rubyslipped through thecrowd and shot andkilled Oswald.

JFK is buried in Arlington Cemetery. The eternal flame burns at his grave site.

JFK, Jr. saluting his father as his casket passed by became the defining moment of his assassination.

The Kennedy Curse had begun.