The Kennedy Years

John “Jack” Fitzgerald Kennedy

Born in Massachusetts (1917) to a wealthy, politically elite family descended from Irish immigrants

Had an older brother (Joe Jr.) two younger brothers (Bobby & Teddy) and five younger sisters

Attended private schools, including Harvard

Suffered from a disease later diagnosed at Addison’s disease

Symptoms include chronic muscle pain, mood swings, depression

Disqualified him from joining Army, but his dad helped get him special approval for joining the Navy in 1941 (before Pearl Harbor)

Became a lieutenant and commanded PT boats

His boat was rammed one night by a Japanese destroyer in 1943

He got his crew to safety on an island by swimming, then grabbed a life jacket in his teeth and went back to save injured crew, despite his own injuries

Joe Jr. died serving in the war in 1944 while Jack was still in the Pacific.

Joe Sr. had expected Joe Jr. to become president, but now Jack had to take over the family’s political legacy.

Served in the House of Representatives 1946 – 1952

Won Senate seat in 1952

Married Jacqueline Bouvier in 1953

Miscarriage in 1955Stillbirth in 1956Daughter (Caroline) in 1957Son (John) in 1960

Hospitalized in 1956 due to complications with war injuries and Addison’s disease

Almost died

During recovery wrote Profiles in Courage which won a Pulitzer Prize

Ran for President in 1960 against Richard Nixon who was only 4 years older and was also a WWII vet and a Senator

Chose Lyndon B. Johnson as running mate to get support in the south where he was disliked due to his opposition to segregation

Just barely won

Took office during the height of the Cold War and the Civil Rights Movement

Sputnik had been launched in 1957 before he took office and Fidel Castro had overthrown the Cuban government in 1959 and allied Cuba with the USSR

Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961

CIA trained Cuban dissidents to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro, but they were captured (some killed) by Cuban government

Huge failure and embarrassment for Kennedy and the U.S.

Construction of Berlin Wall begins later in 1961

Cuban missile crisis in October of 1962

U.S. had nuclear missiles in Turkey aimed at USSR

USSR secretly sent missiles, supplies, troops to Cuba

U.S. spy planes found launch sites in Cuba and Soviet ships on their way there

Kennedy authorized a partial blockade (quarantine) of Soviet ships to Cuba

Announced blockade on television causing panic among American public

Kennedy and Krushchev (the Soviet leader) were able to reach a deal where each would withdraw missiles

In August of 1963, John and Jackie’s infant son Patrick died

Jackie stayed out of the spotlight for months, but joined her husband in December for a tour of Dallas,

where he was assassinated

LBJ was sworn in as President on a plane to Washington, D.C. hours after the assassination

Jackie stood by his side

The assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was killed by Jack Ruby who died of cancer a few years later

Because President Kennedy had Supported the Civil Rights Act,

Johnson made that his top priority and Congress passed it in 1964.