JFK Inaugural Address
Sarah Morris
English 11
12/16/13
JFK Inaugural Address Rhetorical Analysis America in the 1960‘s were very vigorous due to Civil Rights, the Vietnam war, and the country slowly evolving as a nation. Presidency was very a important attribute to the country, so whoever was elected at that time, he needed to be efficient. John F. Kennedy was the perfect candidate. He was one of the best presidents in history so far. Kennedy administrated the New Frontier in outer space, saved the world from a thermonuclear war by signing the Nuclear Test Ban Theory, and sign the Peace Corps to promote world peace and friendship. On January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy delivered one of the most inspirational and uplifting inaugural addresses in U.S. history. Kennedy calmed fears from the Civil war and rise of the Soviet power by introducing change and promoting peace throughout the nation for the benefit of the whole world. John F. Kennedy used many rhetorical devices including ethos, pathos, and logos to draw the attention and capture the emotion of the entire nation. The decade of the 1960‘s was very socially separated. It was impacted by disagreements about the Vietnam War. The Civil Rights movement was also majorly impacting politics at that time. Kennedy was elected in the midst of these social climates, which came with big responsibilities. Being that he served as a lieutenant during World War II and was apart of the House of Representatives, he was ideal for the job. In his inaugural speech, he evokes people emotionally by concerning every citizen as an individual. He talked about the future while using the past as an example. He tried to focus on uniting the country and staying as one nation, which was appointing to Civil Rights. Although he didn’t openly speak out against segregation, he was a believer in Civil Rights, because he was a strong believer of the Peace Corps. Kennedy calls people to action in his speech. He says, “Let both sides join in creating a new
English 11
12/16/13
JFK Inaugural Address Rhetorical Analysis America in the 1960‘s were very vigorous due to Civil Rights, the Vietnam war, and the country slowly evolving as a nation. Presidency was very a important attribute to the country, so whoever was elected at that time, he needed to be efficient. John F. Kennedy was the perfect candidate. He was one of the best presidents in history so far. Kennedy administrated the New Frontier in outer space, saved the world from a thermonuclear war by signing the Nuclear Test Ban Theory, and sign the Peace Corps to promote world peace and friendship. On January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy delivered one of the most inspirational and uplifting inaugural addresses in U.S. history. Kennedy calmed fears from the Civil war and rise of the Soviet power by introducing change and promoting peace throughout the nation for the benefit of the whole world. John F. Kennedy used many rhetorical devices including ethos, pathos, and logos to draw the attention and capture the emotion of the entire nation. The decade of the 1960‘s was very socially separated. It was impacted by disagreements about the Vietnam War. The Civil Rights movement was also majorly impacting politics at that time. Kennedy was elected in the midst of these social climates, which came with big responsibilities. Being that he served as a lieutenant during World War II and was apart of the House of Representatives, he was ideal for the job. In his inaugural speech, he evokes people emotionally by concerning every citizen as an individual. He talked about the future while using the past as an example. He tried to focus on uniting the country and staying as one nation, which was appointing to Civil Rights. Although he didn’t openly speak out against segregation, he was a believer in Civil Rights, because he was a strong believer of the Peace Corps. Kennedy calls people to action in his speech. He says, “Let both sides join in creating a new