1. JFK

2. Unit Objectives
To learn about the JFK Administration and how he was elected
To understand JFK’s role in the Cold War including the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis

3. Election of 1960 (JFK vs Richard Nixon)
TV Debates:
First Presidential debates broadcast on TV; JFK
took advantage of TV, Nixon did not;
Those who saw the debate on TV said
they thought JFK won, those who did not
said it was even
New kind of campaign:
First campaign based on image
JFK won one of the closest elections ever

5. The Kennedy Mystique First Catholic President
One of most popular presidents ever; known for his youth and optimism; master of media, especially TV (first to televise press conferences), very charismatic

6. JFK’s Policies
New Frontier:

7. Alliance For Progress:

8. Peace Corps:

9. Fought more for civil rights than any other president of his time (March on Washington occurred during his presidency; Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed after his death)
Set goal of reaching moon by 1969 (Neil Armstrong made it)

11. JFK and the Cold War
Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD):

15. Flexible Response:

16. Cold War Events under JFK
Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)
Cuban refugees were trained by the CIA to invade
Cuba and overthrow Castro (Communist, ally of
Soviet Union)—had to be a secret mission with
no ties to the U.S. due to a risk of war
The refugees were promised air support to get
them to go but it was thought it would not be needed
because the Cuban people would rise up and help
once the refugees landed in Cuba

17. Bay of Pigs
-The plan failed for two reasons: 1.) 2.)

18. Bay of Pigs
U.S. was forced to pay a ransom of supplies and medicine to get the refugees released
The failure exposed a U.S. plot to overthrow a neighboring country
It made the U.S. look weak and disorganized and JFK look like an inexperienced leader

20. Berlin Wall (1961):
Why it was built:
JFK’s response:

22. Cuban Missile Crisis (October 1962)
What caused a “crisis”?:
JFK’s response:

26. How the crisis was resolved:
The Soviets finally agreed to remove the missiles in Cuba, America agreed to never invade Cuba (America also secretly agreed to remove missiles it had in Turkey that were aimed at the Soviet Union)