The New Frontier “Ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country.” ~ John F. Kennedy

Early Years Born and raised in Massachusetts Son of Joe Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald

Irish Catholic So what?

Health Problems Digestive Problems Back Problems Skinny Doesn’t live up to Joe Jr.

After Harvard JFK Joins the Navy Rejected from Army because of back problems Hero in the Solomon Islands –Rammed by a Japanese Ship –JFK personally rescues 3 men –Receives Navy & Marine Corp. Medal

Early Political Career 1946 – House of Rep – Senator 1953 – Marries Jacqueline Lee Bouvier

Election of 1960 Nixon - Kennedy A new kind of campaign TV

Kennedy 34,220, % Nixon 34,108,157 – 49.5%

Kennedy frequently appears on television.

1st family fascinates public Examples: Kennedy reads 1600 wpm Thousands enroll in speed reading Millions copy Jackie’s hairstyle

Stimulating the Economy Cut taxes Deficit spending

Dept. of Defense receives a 20% budget increase Nuclear missiles Nuclear submarines Expansion of armed services Nuclear missiles Nuclear submarines Expansion of armed services

Race to the moon 1961 Soviets orbit the earth 1962 US orbits earth 1962 TELSTAR (US) launched – Television satellite July – Neil Armstrong walks on the moon

Bay of Pigs Castro takes control of Cuba 1959 Castro allies w/ Soviets Eisenhower trains Cuban refugees to fight Kennedy approves attack Disaster Increases tension

Berlin Wall Khrushchev wants Western powers out of Berlin Build the wall in 1961 Keep East Berliners out of West Berlin Khrushchev wants Western powers out of Berlin Build the wall in 1961 Keep East Berliners out of West Berlin

Cuban Missile Crisis Soviet missiles in Cuba

Cuban Missile Crisis Cont. Terms Soviets remove missiles from Cuba U.S. promises not to invade Cuba U.S. privately agrees to remove missiles from Turkey

Entertainment During JFK Era Marilyn Monroe Alfred Hitchcock West Side Story Mary Poppins Frankie & Annette

Tragedy in Dallas 60% approval rating Dallas, typically conservative

Lee Harvey Oswald 24 years old Ex-marine Briefly lived in USSR Returned to US Supported Castro 24 years old Ex-marine Briefly lived in USSR Returned to US Supported Castro

November 22nd 1963

Oswald transferred from one jail to another Shot by Jack Ruby “Murder without Malice” (Manslaughter) 5 Years

Unanswered Questions Chief Justice Earl Warren investigates Warren Commission Conclude Oswald acted alone

1979 – Reinvestigated probably Oswald maybe a 2nd shooter but in conspiracy with unknown people

Kennedy - Lincoln Similarities

Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in Abraham Lincoln was elected President in John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.

The names Lincoln and Kennedy each contain seven letters. Both were particularly concerned with civil rights. Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy. Kennedy's secretary was named Lincoln

Both Presidents were shot on a Friday. Both were shot in the head. Both were assassinated by Southerners. Both were succeeded by Southerners.

Both successors were named Johnson. Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.

Both assassins were known by their three names. Both names are comprised of fifteen letters

John Wilkes Booth was born in Lee Harvey Oswald was born in 1939.

Booth ran from the theater and was caught in a warehouse. Oswald ran from a warehouse and was caught in a theater. Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.