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JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY

JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY. “For One Brief Shining Moment…. Camelot”. ELECTION OF 1960. JFK VS. NIXON Recession/Soviet Fears Promised active leadership Candidates very similar in positions Close election TV & Civil Rights helped JFK win. Wealthy family Organized campaign Handsome

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JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY

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  1. JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY “For One Brief Shining Moment…. Camelot”

  2. ELECTION OF 1960 • JFK VS. NIXON Recession/Soviet Fears • Promised active leadership • Candidates very similar in positions • Close election • TV & Civil Rights helped JFK win

  3. Wealthy family Organized campaign Handsome Charisma Would be youngest ever elected Inexperience Roman Catholic Why would people be fearful of these things? Kennedy the Candidate

  4. TELEVISED DEBATES • First ever • Nixon hoped to make JFK look bad in foreign policy • Camera loved JFK, not so much for Nixon • TV audience = JFK • Radio audience = Nixon

  5. Civil Rights Leads to Victory • King arrested in Alabama, sentenced to hard labor for minor traffic violation • Bobby Kennedy got judge to release King on bail • Votes helped carry key states

  6. The Kennedy Mystique • First Family fascinated the public • Youth and vibrancy in the white house- modern day Camelot • Invited artists, celebrities, scientists & poets into White House • 1st lady- fashion icon • Appealing young family

  7. The Best and the Brightest • Surrounded himself with a team of young group of advisors • Robert McNamara-sec of defense • Dean Rusk-sec of state • Robert Kennedy-attorney general.

  8. Kennedy Takes Over • Hard line on Communism • Redefine nuclear strategy • massive retaliation not an option • flexible response • strengthen conventional weapons • provide more options • led to massive defense spending • Created Green Berets

  9. Bay of Pigs • Fidel Castro takes over Cuba • Friendly w/Soviets • Ike had CIA train rebels for Cuban invasion • JFK approves plan • Disaster - Embarrassment • JFK said he would resist further Communist expansion

  10. Cuban Missile Crisis • Khrushchev promised to defend Cuba • Sent nuclear weapons to Cuba • JFK warns we won’t put up with it!

  11. Cuban Missile Crisis • U-2 spy planes deliver photographic evidence • Missiles could get to US in minutes • Brink of nuclear war

  12. Global game of chicken • US Navy quarantines island - no more Soviet ships to Cuba • Khrushchev offers to remove missiles if we agreed not to invade Cuba • US agrees and also removes missiles in Turkey • Castro closed Cuba’s door, many migrated while they could

  13. Ich Bin Ein Berliner…OOPS • Berlin Crisis • People trying to escape to West Berlin • Khrushchev builds Berlin Wall, with armed guards • Symbol of oppression • Finally came down in ‘89

  14. Ways to Ease Tension • Hot Line • Direct communication in time of crisis • Limited Test Ban Treaty • no more testing of nukes in atmosphere

  15. The New Frontier • Difficult/couldn’t gather enough votes from Congress • Tended to “play it safe” • Challenged people to volunteer • “Ask not what your country can do for you;ask what you can do for your country.”

  16. New Frontier Programs • Economy at home • deficit spending by govt • increase min. wage-$1.25 • pump $ into economy • Poverty Abroad • Peace Corps • volunteer assistance to developing nations • Alliance for Progress • economic and technical help for Latin America

  17. Race for Space • Yuri Gagarin becomes 1st human in space • US should commit to putting man on moon and returning him safely

  18. From the Earth to the Moon • NASA goes into overdrive-new tech • Universities/industry • John Glenn orbits earth 3x in 1962 • 1969: Neil Armstrong 1st person to set foot on moon

  19. JFK Acts on Poverty & Civil Rights • Called for “national assault” on poverty • Ordered Justice Dept. to investigate injustices • Proposed civil rights bill

  20. The End of a Dream

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