Notes # 2 Kennedy White House

Election of 1960 John F. Kennedy, a democrat, won against his challenger Richard Nixon, who was Eisenhower's Vice-President. Kennedy was a war hero, and the youngest President to be elected at the age of 43 – you have to be 35 to be President.

The New Frontier Kennedy saw many Americans living in poverty, and many Americans living in Segregation. Though he was able to increase spending for things like education, he could not get his fellow democrats to help him in improving Civil Rights.

Peace Corps In order to promote the U.S. around the world and to better peaceful relations, President Kennedy sets up the Peace Corps on March 1, 1961. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y2mZH1dVeA This organization, still in existence today, seeks volunteers for many different jobs around the world, from teaching, engineering, and health care. (though it is a volunteer organization, most jobs provide for free housing and food – great on your resume.)

!!!STOP RIGHT THERE!!! ???What was Kennedy’s New Frontier??? ???What was the mission of the Peace Corps???

Bay of Pigs 17-19 April 1961 The U.S. government had trained many anti – Communist Cubans to retake the island of Cuba, which had a Communist revolution in 1959. However, the invasion was a flop, with many of the anti – Communist Cubans being killed or imprisoned. Kennedy was blamed because the U.S. agreed to help if the rebels met with problems, but Kennedy feared a war, and did nothing.

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Cuban Missile Crisis October 16-28 1962 The Communist island of Cuba was threatening America by placing nuclear warheads in their country. The Soviets were supplying these weapons – America had weapons in Turkey, right next to the Soviets. Kennedy set up a naval quarantine- in which the U.S. blockaded – prevented from entering or leaving – any ships to or from Cuba. In the end, the Soviets stopped supplying Cuba with nuclear weapons, and the U.S. agreed to do the same thing with Turkey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLxgeINIBEM

Assassination Lee Harvey Oswald, a former Marine turned Communist, shot President Kennedy for his stance against Communism. Kennedy was campaigning for his second term in Dallas Texas, on November 22, 1963. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HZc99iD7ho https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n9VQ-dXrwQ

Exit Ticket How old was Kennedy when he was elected President? Why is this so ground breaking? What was Kennedy’s New Frontier? Why do you think Kennedy created the Peace Corps? What positives could come out from this? Kennedy’s solution to the Cuban Missile Crisis was to blockade the Cubans. Currently, we are trying to do the same thing with North Korea. How would you handle the current North Korean “Missile Crisis”. Would it be like Kennedy, or something else? Why was Kennedy assassinated? *Some people say Kennedy was weak, because we still have the threat from Cuba, is he weak for not invading with the U.S. military, or is he right?