Why Is John F Kennedy Important

Aryn Rodriguez
Coach Fox
English III - 7
1 March 2015
John F. Kennedy
America has been influenced historically and culturally by some of the many events in John F. Kennedy’s life and career. Dealing with major political crisis’, an international space race, and upholding the idea of the perfect family, John F. Kennedy, the “President of Presidents”, is known for his many accomplishments in life and American culture, therefore, he deserves to be placed on a commemorative stamp.
Known as the Camelot years, the Kennedy family ‘ruled’ America with grace, elegance, and peace. Some of the prime factors of why he won the election was his charm, religion, and family. His family consisted of fresh-faced children and a stylish and beautiful wife, all of whom were the first Roman Catholic ‘First Family’. Although he grew up privileged, the youthful President seemed
humble, focusing on the peoples’ struggles and domestic affairs. Although Kennedy didn’t live to see the first man on the moon, he is considered to be a visionary leader in both politics and history. The ‘Space Race’ between Russia and the U.S. was a competition to safely put a man on the moon and imply that that country was ahead of the game. (Space Sciences)The first object to go into space, Russian satellite, Sputnik, was the starting point that showed the tension between the two countries. The underlying truth about the race was the threat of Russia being able to land on the moon and have the availability to bomb America.(Space Sciences) During Kennedy’s term in office he had many political issues that would deem him a good or bad president to the people.
One of the most important issue faced during his time in office was being an advocate for the Civil Rights Movement. In a time where half of America was segregated, Kennedy looked past the effects of what would happen to his political career, in order to install justice and equality throughout the country. For all of the voters he had lost due to his favoring of integration, he gained in the African American Community who had now seen the government morally and politically changing. In fact, during his term, Kennedy had hired many African Americans into office. (The Presidents: A Reference History) Although presidents before him may have been against segregation, Kennedy was one of the first to speak of it directly to the public saying, “We preach freedom around the world, and we mean it, and we cherish our freedom here at home, but are we to say to the world, and much more importantly, to each other that this is a land of the free except for the Negroes?” (The Presidents: A Reference
History)

Works Cited
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