Does the myth reflect reality? John F. Kennedy Does the myth reflect reality?

JFK’s New Frontier 1960 Presidential Election Domestic programs Television Campaign Debate, Kennedy Commercial, Nixon Commercial Major issues: Cold War, arms race, space race, poverty, Civil Rights, economy, etc. Kennedy wins narrowly, promises progress Domestic programs Most languished in conservative Congress Tax cuts, defense spending, space exploration Peace Corps Foreign Policy See notes on Eisenhower and Kennedy Cold War Policies

1960 Election: Kennedy vs. Nixon Nixon had been Vice –President for eight years JFK began his political career in Congress in 1946 then moved to the Senate in 1952. Kennedy only second Catholic to run for President Mythology of first televised debate Kennedy wins Inaugural address struck a hopeful message

Presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon Presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon during the second of three televised debates held during the 1960 election campaign. Moderator Frank McGee sits at a desk upstage, facing a panel of newsmen. Eighty-five million viewers watched at least one of the first-ever televised debates, which both reflected and increased the power of television in the electoral process.

MAP 27.2 The Election of 1960 MAP 27.2 The Election of 1960 Kennedy’s popular vote margin over Nixon was only a little over 100,000 votes, making this one of the closest elections in American history.

John F. Kennedy and the Cold War Addressed Americans’ concern about the “missile gap” Soviet government under Nikita Khrushchev felt Kennedy was young and inexperienced The two leaders met once in Vienna – Kennedy refused to allow West Berlin to be turned over to East Germany – 82% of Americans supported a war if necessary JFK speaking in Berlin

Bay of Pigs Castro leads successful revolution in 1959 Eisenhower breaks off relations and imposes economic sanctions(still in effect today) CIA planned covert operation - Bay of Pigs invasion 1400 Cuban exiles killed or captured Public relations disaster for Kennedy

Berlin Wall August 13, 1961 – put barbed wire up to cut off West Berlin Overtime a full-scale war was erected Kennedy- “A wall is better than a war” Kennedy visited Wall in June ’63 “Ich bin ein Berliner”

24.17 Berlin Wall Two sisters living in West Berlin chat with their grandparents across the barbed wire that divided East and West Berlin. Before East Germany replaced the barbed wire with a concrete wall, many East Germans escaped to the West by jumping over the flimsy barricade.

Cuban Missile Crisis Oct. 1962 – “13 Days” Soviets building missile launching pads in Cuba for short- and intermediate-range nuclear missiles Estimated to be operational in two weeks U.S. had bases in Italy, Britain and Turkey aimed at the Soviet Union

Distance between Cuba and Major U.S. Cities, 1962

Cuban Missile Crisis

Cuban Missile Crisis U.S. places a “quarantine”, a naval blockade to prevent Soviet ships from arming the launching sites with nuclear missiles Soviet ships turn back, missile bases dismantled U.S. secretly agrees to remove missiles from Turkey, pledges to not conduct another invasion attempt 1963 – Britain, U.S. and U.S.S.R. sign Limited Test Ban Treaty

Kennedy Assassination Killed in Dallas Nov. 22, 1963 “Where were you when Kennedy was killed” Shot by Lee Harvey Oswald(“Lone Gunman Theory”) Warren Commission investigates conspiracy Zapruder film