Kennedy
By: Thomas Han
Election of Kennedy
Election of 1960
- Democratic candidate - John F. Kennedy
- Republican candidate - Richard Nixon
- Kennedy was Roman Catholic and many believed he wouldn't get elected
- Kennedy and Nixon's votes were close that the difference were only 0.1%
The Cold War
- Kennedy charged that under Eisenhower and the Republicans the nation had fallen behind the Soviet Union in the Cold War.
- Flexible Response - it was a defense strategy implemented by president JFK in 1961, to address the skepticism on the policy of massive retaliation
- Alliance for Progress - The goal was to increase economic cooperation between North and South America, and to help countries south of the Rio Grande to modernize their economics and political structures.
- Bay of Pigs - Anti-Castro forces trained in the US. The purpose of the invasion was to overthrow Castro. It was a total failure because it was meant to be a surprise attack but Cuba became aware of it.
- Berlin Wall - A wall that was constructed by Soviets in Germany so it can stop people from leaving the Communist East Germany for West Germany.
- Berlin Blockade - It was a land blockade of Berlin patrolled by Soviet troops between the western zone of Germany and the city of Berlin
Kennedy and Civil Rights
- Kennedy supported civil rights movements
- He got the support of Black Americans during his campaign, but at first seemed to be reluctant to help out.
- in 1963 MLK launched a campaign against discrimination in Birmingham, Alabama; activists were repelled by police with dogs and water hoses, but Kennedy, in shock, delivered a speech in which he said he would try to find a solution for the racial problems
- March on Washington - MLK gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech to 200,000 people in August 28, 1963 in Washington DC.
Kennedy's Assassination
- Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald on November 22, 1963.
- Oswald was later killed by avenger Jack Ruby
- Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in on the plane returning the assassinated president's body to Washington.
- He took Kennedy's spot and kept most of Kennedy's cabinet