John F. Kennedy 1961-1963

The Election of 1960 The election of 1960 was the closest since 1884; Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon by fewer than 119,000 votes.

Election of 1960 Eisenhower was not able to transfer his popularity to another Republican His VP, Richard Nixon, had gained a reputation as a statesman in his diplomatic travels to Europe and South America

Election of 1960 He was seen standing up to Nikita Khrushchev in the “kitchen debate” in a visit to Moscow The Republican candidate was known to be a though and seasoned campaigner

Election of 1960 Many Democrats wanted to nominate Adlai Stevenson again or Lyndon B. Johnson In the primaries, John F. Kennedy defeated his rivals

Election of 1960 To balance the ticket, MA senator Kennedy chose L.B. Johnson from TX - a choice crucial to getting the southern states

The Debates Four televised debates took place, the first in American politics Kennedy used make-up and appeared vigorous and comfortable Nixon looked sinister, pale and tense

The Debates The debates were broadcasted coast to coast and watched by 60-70 million viewers

The Debates Orval Faubus, States’ Rights Party, was kept out of the debates

The Debates Kennedy attacked the Eisenhower administration for The recent recession Losing the arms race to the Soviets A losing gap in the space race - not true by 1960

The Debates When polled after the debates, the majority of people who listened to the debates on the radio, said Nixon won Those who watched on TV thought Kennedy won Appearances make a difference

The Results Kennedy won by a little over 100,000 votes but a wider electoral college margin 303-219 Republicans charged Democrats of stuffing ballot boxes with “votes” of deceased people

Election of 1960

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 Address Kennedy 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.

Bay of Pigs (Bahía de Cochinos )

The Bay of Pigs On the nights of 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.

What was the objective of the Bay of Pigs Invasion? Who started the idea? Why was it unsuccessful? What happened to the Cuban Exiles? What impact did it have on Cuba, US, other countries?

Assassination Attempts on Fidel Castro Booby Trapped Seashells Skin Diving Suit Contaminated cigars Poison Pills in ice cream Thalium salt (to make his beard fall out)

The New Frontier President Kennedy’s legislative program to provide medical care for the elderly…. To rebuild blighted urban areas….

To aid education…. To bolster the national defense….

To increase international aid…. To expand the space program.

To provide volunteer assistance to developing nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. And to promote civil rights.

Kennedy and Berlin One of the high points of Kennedy’s foreign travels was a trip he made to Berlin in 1963 to dramatize America’s commitment to West Berlin and West Germany. In a speech at the Berlin Wall, Kennedy electrified an audience of about 150,000 Germans by stating , “Ich bin ein Berliner” (I am a Berliner), thus declaring the solidarity of all free people with the people of West Berlin.

Crisis Over 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.

Cuban Missile Crisis In October, 1962, photographs taken by American planes revealed Soviet missile bases in Cuba-and some contained missiles ready to launch. They could reach U.S. cities in minutes.

On October 22, Kennedy ordered a naval blockade of Cuba to prevent further deliveries of Soviet weapons. He also demanded that the Soviets remove the missiles. Khrushchev promised to challenge the blockade, calling it “outright banditry.”

For a few days, nuclear war and massive destruction was a distinct possibility for every American. In schools, children practiced air raid drills, a common occurrence during the Cold War. People who had built bomb shelters began stocking them with food and other provisions. Even the president called his family to the White House where they could be protected in the presidential nuclear shelter.

Suddenly, on October 24, many of the Soviet ships stopped short of 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.

Tragedy in Dallas In 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 and Mrs. Kennedy went to Texas to mend political fences with members of the state’s Democratic Party.

Crowds lined the streets of Dallas to greet the President. In front of them sat Texas Governor John Connally and his wife Nellie.

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

Kennedy was shot in the head. His car raced to a nearby hospital, where doctors frantically tried to revive him, but it was too late. President dead.

In 1963, the Warren Commission investigated and concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald had shot the president while acting on his own.

On Sunday, Nov. 24, as millions watched live television coverage of Oswald being transferred between jails, a nightclub owner named Jack Ruby broke through the crowd and shot and killed Oswald.