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John F. Kennedy. John F. Kennedy. Young, handsome, navy veteran, (PT109 Harvard educated, Congressman, Senator, President. Election 1960: Richard Nixon v. Kennedy. First televised presidential debates. Kennedy;charisma, Nixon; pasty & sweaty, appeared nervous. Election very close.
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John F. Kennedy • Young, handsome, navy veteran, (PT109 • Harvard educated, Congressman, Senator, President.
Election 1960: Richard Nixon v. Kennedy • First televised presidential debates. • Kennedy;charisma, Nixon; pasty & sweaty, appeared nervous.
Election very close • Kennedy 1st Roman Catholic elected president of the US. • Inaugural address: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
"Camelot" JFK, Jackie, Caroline & John Jr.
Brought a new sophistication and excitement to the White House.
Jackie from a society family • Parents divorced, dad “black sheep”. • Educated in private schools. • Interested in the arts. • Photographer when met JFK.
Bay of Pigs • Invasion of Cuba planned by Eisenhower. • Cuban exiles trained by CIA to overthrow Castro. • JFK withdrew air support prior to invasion. • Disaster.
Over 1,000 captured... • Castro had advanced warning. • Invaders old, outdated equipment. • Ransomed over 1 year later by Robert Kennedy for medical supplies, baby food & farm equipment.
JFK takes full responsibility... • Was his decision, didn’t make excuses. • Bad start in Foreign Policy.
Suspicious increase in freighter traffic between USSR & Cuba • Summer of 1962. • U-2 spy plane investigates and takes pictures Oct. 62. • Missile sites are detected. • What to do?
JFK calls in National Security Council. • 3 options: • bomb, invade or blockade Cuba. • Decide on “quarantine”.
Quarantine softer. We want the missiles out, but DON’T want war. Blockade implies an act of war
USSR denies presence of missiles in Cuba. • US takes photos of sites to the UN. • Soviets are caught redhanded.
"We're eyeball to eyeball & I think the other fellow just blinked."
USSR backs off... • Crisis is settled through diplomacy. • Robert Kennedy important advisor to his brother. • Robert McNamara, sec of def. • Dean Rusk, sec of state
Four after effects... • 1. First superpower showdown over nuclear weapons. • 2. Hot line phone installed. • 3. Hilite of Kennedy Administration. • 4. Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
Then…Dallas. • Trip to unify the Democratic Party before 64 campaign. • 1st trip for Jackie since 1960. • San Antonio, Houston, Dallas. • Arrived Love Field, then motorcade to downtown.
Mrs. Connelly quote... • “You can’t say Dallas doesn’t love you Mr. President!” • Then the shots.
John Connally wounded... • JFK shot in the head & neck. • Rushed to Parkland Hospital.
Suspect Lee Harvey Oswald • Employee of Texas Schoolbook Depository. • Killed a cop on the street.
Hides in Texas Theater • Taken into custody. • Ex US marine, defected to USSR, then back to US. • Failure at everything. • Murdered by Jack Ruby in police station.
LBJ sworn in on Air Force One • Conspiracy theories everywhere. • Castro, Cuba, USSR. • Facts point only to Oswald. • Kennedy buried at Arlington National Cemetary. • Eternal Flame.
JFK Legacy • Civil Rights-bill to congress, no action. • Tough Foreign Policy. • NASA.
New Social Programs • Peace Corps • Food for Peace • Alliance for Progress
We can never know what he might have become... • A life cut short, the future denied. • An American Tragedy.