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John F. Kennedy 1961-1963
1960 Campaign and Election
OrKennedy-Nixon Debates
Significances of the 1960 Nixon Kennedy Campaign
• Television debate : Appearance versus substance
• Television ads: campaign spending $
• Main Issues:– “missile gap”– religion
• Close election results• http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=tRpxKHlRQUc
The Election of 1960
The election of 1960was the closest since1884; Kennedy defeated RichardNixon by fewer than119,000 votes.
Did You Know?• He was a decorated naval officer in World War II.• He received the 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.
Kennedy’s Inaugural AddressKennedy was the youngest person ever to be elected president. Hisyouth helped provide the theme to his 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.”
The Camelot YearsWith JFK’syouthful glamourand his talentedadvisors, the Kennedy WhiteHouse remindedmany of a modern-day Camelot, themythical court ofKing Arthur.
Crisis Over CubaThe 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 the nights of April 17,1961,some 1500 Cuban exiles supported by the U.S. militarylanded on the island’s southern coast at Baja deCochinos, the Bay of Pigs. The CIA and the exiles hoped itwould trigger a mass uprisingthat would overthrow Castro.It didn’t! Cuban forces, backedby Soviet tanks and jet aircraft,easily repelled the exile invasion.Some of the exiles were killed,others imprisoned.
Cuban Missile Crisis
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.
What to do?
1. Do nothing. 2. Use diplomatic pressure to get the Soviet
Union to remove the missiles. 3. An air attack on the missiles. 4. A full military invasion. 5. The naval blockade of Cuba, which was
redefined as a more restrictive quarantine.[12]
The Crisis
• Soviets armed Cuba with nuclear missiles
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.”
Dear Mr. President, .... Imagine, Mr. President, what if we were to present to you such an ultimatum as you have presented to us by your actions. How would you react to it? I think you would be outraged at such a move on our part. And this we would understand. Having presented these conditions to us, Mr. President, you have thrown down the gauntlet. Who asked you to do this? By what right have you done this? Our ties with the Republic of Cuba, as well as our relations with other nations, regardless of their political system, concern only the two countries between which these relations exist. And, if it were a matter of quarantine as mentioned in your letter, then, as is customary in international practice, it can be established only by states agreeing between themselves, and not by some third party. Quarantines exist, for example, on agricultural goods and products. However, in this case we are not talking about quarantines, but rather about much more serious matters, and you yourself understand this.
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.
• Soviet ships turned back at the last minute
Soviet ship Poltava on its way to Cuba (CIA photo)
The Compromise
• Soviet missiles removed from Cuba• U.S. promises not to invade Cuba• U.S. removed missiles from Italy and Turkey
Members of ExComm and JFK planning a compromise
The Compromise
• Soviet missiles removed from Cuba• U.S. promises not to invade Cuba• U.S. removed missiles from Italy and Turkey
Members of ExComm and JFK planning a compromise
• “Hotline” b/t the S.U. and U.S. leaders• Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty: no testing of nuclear weapons aboveground• JFK foreign policy success
JFK signs Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1963
The New Frontier
President 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.
Insert notebook noteshere
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.
Kennedy wasshot in the head.His car raced toa nearby hospital, wheredoctors frantically triedto revive him,but it was toolate. PresidentKennedy wasdead.
On Sunday, Nov. 24,as millions watchedlive television coverage of Oswaldbeing transferredbetween jails, anightclub ownernamed Jack Rubybroke through thecrowd and shot andkilled Oswald.
Because there is not trial mystery and conspiracy theories abound. In 1963, the WarrenCommission investigatedand concluded thatLee Harvey Oswaldhad shot the presidentwhile acting on his own.
