P R E S I D E N T J F K

KENNEDY AND CAMELOT

BEGINNINGS OF POLITICAL DYNASTY

• Kennedy’s from Massachusetts• Influenced by FDR• Earned money in liquor industry• Joseph Kennedy became millionaire in banking

and was active in the Democratic party, became Ambassador to Britain

CALL TO PUBLIC SERVICE

• Kennedy children include: Joseph Jr., John, Robert, Edward, Rosemary, Kathleen, Eunice, Patricia, Jean• Brought up in friendly competiveness and were

taught to be successful in everything they tried• They were to be educated, well read, and have

knowledge of world events• JFK called to politics

JOHN F. KENNEDY’S POLITICAL APPEAL

• Representative in House of Reps for 6 years• Single, handsome, wealthy, war hero• Gained political appeal when he married

Jaqueline Lee Bouvier

POLITICAL STAR

• Became US senator from Massachusetts 1956-1958• Running for Pres.: 1960 campaign• “Need to get country running again”• Won nomination for Pres. and selected Lyndon B.

Johnson as Vice Pres.• JFK=young, Roman Catholic, Harvard Grad from

Northeast• LBJ=Older, Protestant, with supporters from South

and East

POLITICAL VISION

• Challenges of the New Frontier: end stagnation of the Republican Party• Help those in need• Catch up to Soviet Nuclear Power and Space

Programs

GREAT DEBATES: JFK AND NIXON TELEVISED

• JFK wins 1960 election by slim margin and is inaugurated in January 1961• 1st televised president to advance goals of “New

Frontier”• Met resistance from Conservatives• Programs meant to assist poor, elderly, and the

underprivileged from other nations:• Alliance for progress• Peace Corps• Space program: land on the moon• Civil Rights Bill

CAMELOT ERA

• JFK had limited legislative accomplishments, but was popular with constituents• Included exciting people to political parties• Jacqueline hated political scrutiny and left with 2

children to countryside allowing JFK to engage in secret affairs• JFK’s brothers also active in politics

JFK AND CIVIL RIGHTS

• Advocate for Civil Rights• Met often with MLK• Cautious and needed backing of Democrats in

Congress• Appointed African Americans to office• Civil rights became a priority in 1963• Proposed Civil Rights Bill to ban discrimination

and fight opposition

MOON EXPEDITION

• Soviets get to space first• US orbits earth• US lands on Moon 1969 Apollo II• Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, Michael Collins

ASSASSINATION

• November 22, 1963 as he campaigned for 1964• Shot by gunman in Texas Motorcade• LBJ becomes President• Lee Harvey Oswald is arrested for assassination

and is then murdered by Jack Ruby• The Nation Mourns the loss of the President• LBJ pushed the Civil Rights Bill into Law