John F. Kennedy

The Election of 1960

The election of 1960 was the closest since 1884; Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon by fewer than119,000 votes.

Did You Know?

• He was a decorated naval officer in WW II• He received the Pulitzer Prize for his book, Profiles in Courage• He served exactly 1,000 days in office•He was the only Catholic president

Kennedy’s Inaugural AddressKennedy was the youngest person ever to be elected president. His youth helped provide the theme to his inaugural address:

“Let the word go forth…that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it…And so, my fellow Americans -ask not what your country can do for you-ask what you can do for your country.”

The Camelot Years

With JFK’s youthful glamour and his talented advisors, the Kennedy White House reminded many of a modern-day Camelot, the mythical court of King Arthur.

Crisis In Cuba•The first test of Kennedy’s foreign policy came in Cuba, just 90 miles off the coast of Florida.

•Revolutionary leader Fidel Castro openly declared himself a communist and welcomed aid from the Soviet Union.

Fidel Castro

The Bay of PigsApril,1961:1500 Cuban exiles, trained by the CIA and supported by the U.S. military, landed at Baja de Cochinos, (Bay of Pigs). The CIA hoped to trigger a mass uprising that would overthrow Castro.

It didn’t…Backed by Soviet tanks and jet aircraft, Cuban forces easily repelled the invasion. Some of the exiles were killed, others imprisoned.

• The failed invasion and overthrow of Castro was a “black eye” for the JFK administration…

• It made the U.S. (and JFK) look like a bully…

• Caused a wave of anti-Americanism around the world

The Cuban Missile Crisis

October, 1962

The Key Participants:

John F. Kennedy

Nikita Khrushchev

Robert F. Kennedy

Khrushchev & Castro

American U-2 spy plane photos reveal missile launchers under construction in Cuba

Potential Target Range

Phoenix, AZ? 15 mins. after launch

• Kennedy warns Soviets that U.S will not tolerate offensive missiles in Cuba

• Warns any attack from Cuba would trigger all out attack on Soviet Union

JFK speaks to the American public about the events…

• John F. Kennedy Missile Crisis – YouTube

October 22: JFKordered a naval blockade of Cuba to prevent further deliveries of Soviet weapons. He also demanded that the Soviets remove the missiles.

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.

The President and top advisors… “EX COMM”

Suddenly, on October 24, many of the Soviet ships stopped shortof the blockade line, turned, and sailed home.

“We’re eyeball to eyeball,” said Secretary of State Dean

Rusk, “and I think the other fellow just blinked.”

On October 28 Khrushchev agreed to dismantle the missile bases in response to Kennedy’s promise not to invade Cuba and to remove U.S. missiles in Turkey

End Part I

SECTION 2: THE NEW FRONTIER

• Kennedy’s vision for America: “The New Frontier”

• The economy, education, medical care for the elderly and the poor, and space exploration were all part of his vision

THE PEACE CORPS

• One of the first programs launched by JFK was the Peace Corps

• volunteer program to assist developing nations in Asia, Africa and Latin America

• The Peace Corps has become a huge success

RACE TO THE MOON

• On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space

• Meanwhile, America’s space agency (NASA) began construction on new launch facilities in Cape Canaveral, Florida and a mission control center in Houston, Texas

A MAN ON THE MOON

• Finally, on July 20, 1969, the U.S. would achieve its goal

• An excited nation watched as U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong took the first steps on the moon

• Space and defense-related industries sprang up in Southern and Western states

Armstrong

“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”

KENNEDY ADDRESSES INNER CITY BLIGHT AND RACISM

• JFK called for “a national assault on the causes of poverty”

• He also ordered his brother, U.S. Attorney General

Robert F. Kennedy to investigate racial injustice in the South• Finally, he presented Congress with a sweeping civil rights bill and

a sweeping tax cut bill to spur the economy

TRAGEDY IN DALLAS

• On a sunny day on November 22,1963, Air Force One landed in Dallas with JFK and Jackie

• JFK received warm applause from the crowd that lined the downtown streets of Dallas as he rode in the back seat of an open-air limousine

As the motorcade passed the Texas Book Depository, shots rang out

• JFK was shot in the neck and then the head

• The Undamaged Zapruder Film - YouTube

• He was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors frantically tried to revive him

• President Kennedy was dead (11/22/63)

LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON BECOMES PRESIDENT

• The Vice-President, Lyndon B. Johnson became President after JFK was assassinated

• The nation mourned the death of the young president while Jackie Kennedy remained calm and poised

A somber LBJ takes the oath of office aboard Air Force One

with the Jackie next to him

JFK LAID TO REST• All work stopped for

Kennedy’s funeral as America mourned its fallen leader

• The assassination and the televised funeral became historic events

• Like 9-11, Americans can recall where they were when they heard the news of the President’s deathThree-year old John Kennedy

Jr. salutes his father’s coffin during the funeral

LEE HARVEY OSWALD CHARGED; SHOT TO DEATH

• A 24-year-old Marine with a suspicious past left a palm print on the rifle used to kill JFK

• He was charged and as a national TV audience watched his transfer from one jail to another, nightclub owner Jack Ruby broke through the crowd and shot Oswald to death

Jack Ruby, right, shoots Oswald, center, to death 11/24/63

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

• The bizarre chain of events led many to believe that Oswald was part of a conspiracy

• The Warren Commission investigated the assassination and determined that Oswald had indeed acted alone

• Filmmaker Oliver Stone isn’t so sure – his film, “JFK,” is filled with conspiracy theories

An alternate view…

Seinfeld - The Magic Loogie, Reconstruction - YouTube