Preview

President John F. Kennedy

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1639 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
President John F. Kennedy
There is something about John F. Kennedy. Could it be his

charisma and charm that still entrances America? Maybe it

is his elevated status as a pop culture icon that bedazzles

most American citizens. It might be the martyr status he

attained through his tragic assassination that makes

American culture revere him as a President. Whatever the

reason is that defines John F. Kennedy as probably one of

the most beloved Presidents in American History; one

assumption by many is that it has nothing to do with his

political legacy. Many respected historians will tell you that

he has an insubstantial political legacy. Using the body of

legislation that was passed during his short time in office as

evidence, historians say that significant legislation was

lacking. More than likely they will remark about his

emphasis on rhetoric and his deficient action. On the other

hand, many historians and writers contend his political

legacy reverberates to this very day. They claim that

through his mastery of that novel medium of his day,

Television, his inclusion of culture into the office of

President, and most of all his idealism, echoes in today 's

political atmosphere. In total, the latter argument is actually

stronger. Although JFK does lack substantial legislation

that would bolster a claim to a significant political legacy, in

other ways John F. Kennedy has such an intense political

legacy that to this very day the Presidency of the United

States cannot escape it. In respect to truly monumental

legislation, John F. Kennedy does lack and therefore the

people who say he does not have a true political legacy

have a point. These critics believe a true political legacy is

in what the President has accomplished legislatively in the

White House. With Kennedy, they state he was more talk

than action. They do concede it was not truly do to his lack

of initiative. He did have many proposals, but because he

was dealing with a Congress that was very strong and



Cited: Http://users.southeast.net/~cheryl/auspeech.html, June 10, 1963 Aïda DiPace Donald. New York:Hill and Wang, 1966. Company, 1983. Schlesinger Jr., Arthur M. "Kennedy on the Eve." John F Aïda DiPace Donald. New York:Hill and Wang, 1966. York:Hill and Wang, 1966.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    John F. Kennedy is one of the nation’s most popular and recognizable presidents of the 20th century. Kennedy is most famous in his presidency for his powerful and inspiring speeches. His positive energy and young yet wise personality made him easy to listen to for all audiences. In fact, on January 20th, 1961 John F. Kennedy delivered one of the most remembered speeches of all time; his inaugural address. At a time of racial tensions, economic hardships, and lingering fears of war, he strived to bring comfort and confidence to the American people. In order to achieve this, Kennedy understood and addressed the need for dire changes to be made for the good of the country, through the involvement of the people. Therefore, Kennedy…

    • 1231 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    JFK Assassination

    • 655 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Friday, November 22nd, 1963: The President of the United States, John F. Kennedy was traveling through Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas. While riding down the street with his wife, Jacqueline, a bullet hit JFK at 12:30 p.m. Two other shots followed and Kennedy was struck. His body was sent to the Parkland Hospital where JFK was pronounced dead. Then against the wishes of Texas authorities, the body was flown to Washington where autopsies were taken place and he was later buried. This was the event of the assassination of our 35th president. There are many supposed reasons and theories as to why the president was shot and still today people try to link together pieces to the story.…

    • 655 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    JFK Assassination

    • 1980 Words
    • 8 Pages

    President John F. Kennedy was the 35th and youngest president to take office. JFK was born May 29, 1917 in Brooklyn, Massachusetts. According to Biography.com, “from a young age he was set on a path to political greatness.” After attending Harvard, John F. Kennedy joined the U.S. Navy. Unfortunately after two sailors died and Kennedy badly injured his back, he was discharged from the Navy. Upon discharge, he earned a Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his heroic actions and a Purple Heart for his injuries to his back. After the Navy, JFK was a reporter for Hearst Newspapers for a very short time. After working for the Hearst Newspapers, JFK began his political journey at the age of 29. In 1946, he decided to run for…

    • 1980 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    John F Kennedy Dbq

    • 1320 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Kennedy was the president from the start of the 60s and was able to avoid nuclear war. John F. Kennedy (JFK) had tremendous skill when it came to political challenges, in that he had no real internal challenges. John F. Kennedy’s economic plans helped the nation with his low tax plan and lower interest rates. JFK lead to the GDP increasing and many businesses booming. JFK advanced civil rights by being the first president to advocate of civil rights of African Americans and setting the ground work for Lyndon B. Johnson. Where JFK failed is what many consider his success, his diplomacy skills. While it is true JFK was able to prevent going to nuclear war with Cuba it was JFK who put us there in the first place. JFK instead of communicating with Fidel Castro and negotiating diplomatically JFK tried other methods. JFK had numerous assassination attempts on Castro and the whole reason Cuba felt it needed nuclear weapons was to protect itself from the US after the Bay of Pigs incident. Another stain on his record which is more often blamed on his successor was the start of the Vietnam war. JFK first backed a dictator over a democratically elected official and when he fell, JFK trained the “resistance” against North…

    • 1320 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Kennedy was more of a playboy in the public’s viewpoint. He had the support of many young voters and minorities. He was charming, motivational and influential. At first, he did not seem so daring and revolutionary. He came out to be a modest, passive politician who was interested in certain reforms. Along with his charm, he had a substantial amount of wealth to back him. He made massive donations all around the country to not only gain support, but to show that there is a direct influence…

    • 1186 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Although his life was filled with conflict and tragedy JFK’s presidency was led with the utmost optimism and strong patriotic drive. His presidency was one that strived to perfect and hone democracy. Because of his efforts and those who followed in his footsteps, a potential nuclear holocaust was avoided. His presidency had setbacks but then again, which presidency hasn’t had one? Despite these setbacks, JFK managed to establish care for the elderly and proposed the civil rights act which eventually led to the end of racial segregation, unfortunately he was unable to witness the end of segregation due to his assassination. His presidency was short but his accomplishments affected the U.S. in the most beneficial of ways, in my opinion he was…

    • 142 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    John F. Kennedy will always and forever be one of America's greatest presidents. Hey not only risked his life for what he believed in, but ended up paying the ultimate price with his life to change America for the better. Before his death in Dallas, Texas on November 22nd 1963 he made changes that will forever be in the hearts and minds of Americans. In his short-lived presidential term JFK accomplished a lot for this country and gave his people hope for equality. He accomplished a lot but his greatest achievements include his promotion of the “New Frontier" program, signing the civil rights act of 1964, and launching Project Apollo. All of these would help shape…

    • 272 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jfk Assassination

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages

    "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country." John Fitzgerald Kennedy, also known as Jack or JFK, was the first person to hold office that was Roman Catholic. He was also the youngest president elected at the age of forty-three years old. JFK was an important leader, he served our country in many ways, he was our 35th President, and he was still assassinated even though he was liked by many people.…

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    These words have made a significant impact on United States history, because he truly meant the words he was saying. John F. Kennedy was also the first president to use live television press, which entailed the nation seeing their first presidential debate.…

    • 1097 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    jfk the killing of him

    • 489 Words
    • 2 Pages

    John Fitzgerald Kennedy was killed on November 22, 1963 .One article of his death wrote, "The day the country cried". Unlike previous presidents killed, the JFK assassination is one that is filled the conspiracy theories. Such theories include a Government cover-up, Mafia influence and Cuban President Fidel Castro. I believe that it was the mafia and Lee Harvey Oswald. Lee Harvey Oswald, plotting to kill President Kennedy is too simple.Since he had no communication with the outside world but someone had to take the blame for it and it wasn’t going to be the mafia. In this paper I will discuss a couple of the conspiracy theories. President John F. Kennedy was killed while riding through the streets of Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. Many people now believe that his murder was a result of a conspiracy. Based on acoustical evidence, it has been scientifically proven that were four shots fired from two different shooters. People believe that there was no possible way that Oswald had the time to fire all four shots, therefore there must have been a second shooter or three shooters! There were three different directions.…

    • 489 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    JFK Assassination

    • 834 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The assassination of John F. Kennedy is one of the most debated topics in American History. JFK was one of the best presidents that the United States has had. Unlike other assassinations, the JFK assassination is one that filled the conspiracy theories. There are a lot of different conspiracies out there that are thought to be true. Some have to do with the government and some with the mafia and Cuban President Fidel Castro. I think that the idea of a lone assassination, including just Lee Harvey Oswald, is too simple. I think it had to have been a conspiracy. I think there is simply no way that Lee Harvey Oswald did all of that by himself. There is a lot of conspiracy theories that are clearly not true but there is also a couple that make a lot of sense and could easily be true. So I am on the conspiracy side.…

    • 834 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lyndon B Johnson was born on August 27th, 1908. Johnson lived on a ranch in Texas with his wife and 2 daughters. In the 1960 election, Lyndon B Johnson was elected Vice President behind John F Kennedy. On November 22, 1963 when John F Kennedy was assassinated and by the power of the 25th amendment Johnson became President. Johnson was the 16th president of the United States and his vision was to build “A Greater Society” for the people. In Johnson’s presidency he had roles such as commander in chief, chief legislator, chief executive, etc.…

    • 246 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the first letter, Khrushchev first appealed to Kennedy in a thankful tone. The letter is assumed to be a personal letter from Khrushchev attempting to convince Kennedy to not invade Cuba and end the blockade; in return, he would remove the missile sites in Cuba and the Russians would stop shipping weaponries to Cuba. Khrushchev also described communists as peaceful and hard-working people who wanted nothing more than a diplomatic relationship with USA. Robert McNamara once quoted a part of the letter from Khrushchev, “Everyone needs peace; both capitalists, if they have not lost their reason, and still more, communists. War is our enemy and a calamity for all people. If indeed war should break out, then it would not be in our power to stop it, for such is the logic of war. I have participated in two wars and I know that war ends only when it has rolled through cities and villages, everywhere sowing death and destruction. I should like you to agree that one cannot give way to pressures; it is necessary to control them. If people do not show wisdom, then in the final analysis they will come to a clash, like blind moles, and then reciprocal extermination will begin. If you have not lost your self-control, then Mr. President we and you ought not now to pull on the end of a rope in which you have tied the knot of war, because the more the two of us pull, the tighter the knot will be tied. And a moment may come when that knot will be tied so tight that even he who tied it will not have the strength to untie it. And then it will be necessary to cut that knot. And what that will mean is not for me to explain to you, because you yourself understand perfectly what terrible forces our countries possess. Let us not only relax the forces pulling on the end of the rope; let us take means to untie the knot. We are ready for this.” This quote summarizes Khrushchev’s view on this whole situation.…

    • 930 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    President Ronald Reagan

    • 415 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Ronald Reagan was the 40th President of the United States during 1981 to 1989. He was born in Illinois on February 6, 1911, and died on June 5, 2004, at the age of 93 years. President Reagan went to College and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and sociology. He started his career as an actor. He got started in politics in the 1950’s. When he first started in politics, he was a Democrat, but then later he became a Republican in 1962. Before he became President of the United States, he was the 33rd Governor of California in 1967 to 1975.…

    • 415 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr.

    • 2672 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Our project is about heroes and leaders, what defines them and what special qualities are needed in order to be a successful hero or leader.…

    • 2672 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays