Kennedy's wartime service made him a hero. After a short stint as a journalist, Kennedy entered politics, serving in the U. House of Representatives from to and the U. Senate from to Marc J. Secret recordings that reveal what President Kennedy was thinking—and the advice he was receiving—during the Cuban Missile Crisis. JFK's Inaugural Address is best know for these words: "Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.
Kennedy's Inaugural Address focused on the hope and youth that his administration brought to Washington. Grant Rutherford B. Hayes James A. Garfield Chester A.
Roosevelt Harry S. Truman Dwight D. Eisenhower John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Bush Bill Clinton George W. Help inform the discussion Support the Miller Center. While recovering from surgery, he wrote a book about several US Senators who had risked their careers to fight for the things in which they believed. The book, called Profiles in Courage , was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for biography in John F.
Kennedy was becoming a popular politician. In he was almost picked to run for vice president. Kennedy nonetheless decided that he would run for president in the next election. He began working very long hours and traveling all around the United States on weekends.
On July 13, the Democratic party nominated him as its candidate for president. Kennedy asked Lyndon B. Johnson, a senator from Texas, to run with him as vice president. Nixon in a very close race.
At the age of 43, Kennedy was the youngest man elected president and the first Catholic. Before his inauguration, his second child, John Jr. His father liked to call him John-John. Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th president on January 20, In his inaugural speech he spoke of the need for all Americans to be active citizens. He also asked the nations of the world to join together to fight what he called the "common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself. The Kennedys believed that the White House should be a place to celebrate American history, culture, and achievement.
They invited artists, writers, scientists, poets, musicians, actors, and athletes to visit them. Jacqueline Kennedy also shared her husband's interest in American history. Everyone was impressed and appreciated her hard work. There was a pre-school, a swimming pool, and a tree-house outside on the White House lawn. President Kennedy was probably the busiest man in the country, but he still found time to laugh and play with his children.
However, the president also had many worries. One of the things he worried about most was the possibility of nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. He knew that if there was a war, millions of people would die. Since World War II, there had been a lot of anger and suspicion between the two countries but never any shooting between Soviet and American troops.
This 'Cold War', which was unlike any other war the world had seen, was really a struggle between the Soviet Union's communist system of government and the United States' democratic system.
Because they distrusted each other, both countries spent enormous amounts of money building nuclear weapons. There were many times when the struggle between the Soviet Union and the United States could have ended in nuclear war, such as in Cuba during the missile crisis or over the divided city of Berlin.
President Kennedy worked long hours, getting up at seven and not going to bed until eleven or twelve at night, or later. He read six newspapers while he ate breakfast, had meetings with important people throughout the day, and read reports from his advisers.
He wanted to make sure that he made the best decisions for his country. The New Frontier was not a place but a way of thinking and acting. President Kennedy wanted the United States to move forward into the future with new discoveries in science and improvements in education, employment and other fields. He wanted democracy and freedom for the whole world. One of the first things President Kennedy did was to create the Peace Corps. Through this program, which still exists today, Americans can volunteer to work anywhere in the world where assistance is needed.
They can help in areas such as education, farming, health care, and construction. Many young men and women have served as Peace Corps volunteers and have won the respect of people throughout the world. President Kennedy was also eager for the United States to lead the way in exploring space. The Soviet Union was ahead of the United States in its space program and President Kennedy was determined to catch up.
He said, "No nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in this race for space. President Kennedy had to deal with many serious problems here in the United States.
The biggest problem of all was racial discrimination. The US Supreme Court had ruled in that segregation in public schools would no longer be permitted. Black and white children, the decision mandated, should go to school together. This was now the law of the land. However, there were many schools, especially in southern states, that did not obey this law. There was also racial segregation on buses, in restaurants, movie theaters, and other public places.
Thousands of Americans joined together, people of all races and backgrounds, to protest peacefully this injustice. Martin Luther King Jr. The President believed that holding public protests would only anger many white people and make it even more difficult to convince the members of Congress who didn't agree with him to pass civil rights laws. By June 11, , however, President Kennedy decided that the time had come to take stronger action to help the civil rights struggle.
He proposed a new Civil Rights bill to the Congress, and he went on television asking Americans to end racism. On November 21, , President Kennedy flew to Texas to give several political speeches. The next day, as his car drove slowly past cheering crowds in Dallas, shots rang out. Kennedy was seriously wounded and died a short time later. Within a few hours of the shooting, police arrested Lee Harvey Oswald and charged him with the murder. On November 24, another man, Jack Ruby, shot and killed Oswald, thus silencing the only person who could have offered more information about this tragic event.
The Warren Commission was organized to investigate the assassination and to clarify the many questions which remained. President Kennedy's death caused enormous sadness and grief among all Americans. Next Art in the White House. The collection of fine art at the White House has evolved and grown over time. The collection began with mostly Presidents have found different ways to escape the pressures and politics of the position.
For early leaders, it was a After President John F. On November 22, , about two hours after the assassination of President John F. It is hard to imagine that it was something as casual as a lunch conversation between a newly elected president At age 43, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the youngest person ever elected to the presidency.
Before his vibrant presidency was cut President John F. Search WHHA - start typing and then listen for common searches like yours. Explore the Initiative. The Sessions Podcast.
Have you Ever Wondered How was the location of the White House selected?
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