History: John F Kennedy - Research Paper Example

?Jerry Ciacho November 8, John F. Kennedy John “Jack” Fitzgerald Kennedy who is often referred as JFK, despite all the challenges he faced through, was among the most famous and well-regarded presidents in the history of America. He has changed and shaped not only the country he was serving but also the entire world through many breakthroughs and developments made in his time. He was the thirty-fifth president of the United States. Although he served the country as president for just about roughly two years until his assassination in 1963, he has had a great an lasting impact on the American people and has shaped the history of the United States and the world. Born in the afternoon of May 29, 1917 in the border town of Brookline, Massachusetts, John was born in an affluent and politically associated family. He was the second son of well-known business magnate, shareholder and highly influential politician, Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald whose father was a distinguished public figure in Boston’s political affairs and served as the Mayor of Boston and in U.S. House of Representatives. His childhood was spent in Brookline with his eight other brothers and sisters. He attended three schools namely Edward Devotion Elementary School, Noble and Greenough Lower School and the all-boys Dexter School. When JFK was ten years old, he and his family moved out of Massachusetts and settled in New York City, in the Bronx, continuing his studies at Riverdale Country School. Then, he moved again to Connecticut where he spent his middle school and high school. After his graduation from Choate School and a trip abroad to London, he returned back to the U.S. and studied in Princeton University for about six weeks. After health problems and issues, he enrolled in 1936 at Harvard College. During this time, he as well travelled around the world. He was able to make the Dean’s List and graduated from Harvard as cum laude. During his military service as a U.S. Navy where he received medals for his heroic conduct and for being a war hero, his elder brother Joseph Kennedy, Jr. who was expected to be the family’s political standard-bearer, was killed in action. The job and the responsibility now fell on his younger brother. Kennedy became a congressman for six years and in 1952, he won the position against Henry Lodge for the U.S. Senate. He married Jacqueline Kennedy the next year. Due to health problems, he was mostly absent from the Senate. However, as he was recuperating, he wrote and published “Profiles in Courage” which gained him the Pulitzer Prize in 1957. The year prior to that, Kennedy nearly obtained the nomination for Vice President under the Democratic Party. After four years, he arose as a first-ballot nominee and entrant for presidency. Kennedy’s arguments and debates with the Republican contender, Richard Nixon was aired on TV to millions of viewers across the nation. They both spoke of similar issues and concern for the nation such as progress and change. Both dealt with social and economic problems that the United States have been struggling and battling against for a long period such as poverty, unawareness and disregard for the need of provision for a better and a brighter future, warfare and hostilities. They had similar viewpoints in the need for a reinforced military and the threat of Communism. Ultimately, John won and became the youngest man to be elected as U.S. president and the first ever Roman Catholic President. JFK was sworn in office as the thirty-fifth president of America on the twentieth of January 1961. As the new president of the United States of America, Kennedy gave his memorable inaugural address, which is considered one of the best presidential inauguration speeches in all history of American and until today, is still remembered in the hearts of millions of Americans. In his address, he encouraged and called out to all Americans to be active, committed and involved citizens of the country, notably saying his famous line, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." He also invited and reached out to the whole world to unite and come together as one to fight and overcome what he calls as the "common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself." He tells all that men have the capability to build a better tomorrow for the nation and the world saying, "The world is very very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life." He closes with a moving and rousing concluding avowal. He says as he is about to end his thirteen minute speech, "All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin." Just soon subsequent to his swearing in, Kennedy allowed a group of repatriated exiles from Cuba, previously carrying weapons and skilled, to march into their native soil. The long attempt and effort in putting an end to the Communist rule and administration of Prime Minister Fidel Castro ended up as a failed endeavor. Quickly after that, the Soviet Union rehabilitated its movement and operation against West Berlin. Kennedy answered back by strengthening and enhancing the defense force of Berlin. He also augmented and amplified the strength of the armed forces of the nation. This included the new attempts and undertakings in outer space. Faced by this rejoinder, Moscow, the capital of Russia, loosened and reduced its force in Central Europe after the creation of the Berlin Wall. As an alternative, the Russians now hunted after the setting up and putting in of nuclear missiles in Cuba. On October of 1962, air investigation and inspection found out and exposed this. Consequently, Kennedy ordered all offensive arms destined for Cuba isolated and quarantined by the U.S. Navy. As the humanity turned terrified and shook in trepidation on the possibility for a nuclear warfare, the Russians decided to shift ground and carried the missiles away. The wise course of action that Kennedy had taken regarding the Cuban crisis palpably influenced and changed the perception of Moscow, making them realize the ineffectiveness and pointlessness of nuclear blackmail. This crisis made the image of the president stronger and increased his credibility as the leader of the nation. Kennedy is ascribed for the launching of the Peace Corps and the proposition of the civil rights law to the legislature. He is by and large admired and commended for his handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Although Kennedy was unsuccessful with the Bay of Pigs invasion against Fidel Castro that caused trouble during the inception of his administration, Kennedy faced the Cuban Missile Crisis with strength of mind and fortitude. In addition, Kennedy fulfilled testing negotiations resulted in success. Despite the fact that Cold War apprehension and tension were elevated, he made evident the unceasing obligation of loyalty and responsibility of the U.S. to West Berlin. JFK’s "New Frontier", the name of his domestic program had great promises and vows off social and economic progress and development. Among these were national financial support for edification, financial support to rural areas in the country, health care for the aged, and the participation and involvement of the government to stop the progress of the recession. Kennedy also gave his word to a future where there is no longer any bigotry and racial chauvinism. Although the promises seemed to give hope and a chance for America to step forward in progress, Congress did not take action until a year after his death, in 1964. John F. Kennedy, throughout his entire presidency, looked on for support, encouragement and motivation from his wife, Jacqueline “Jackie” Kennedy and their two children. Jackie, as first lady of the United States, restored and transformed the White House, wanting people to have a better awareness and appreciation for what it represents. She also invited artists, writers, musicians, poets and scientists into the White House. As support for her husband, she traveled around the world on behalf of the United States abroad. John F. Kennedy had numerous extramarital affairs with different women, such as Marilyn Monroe, Judith Campbell, Gunnila von Post, Mary Pinchot Meyer, Marlene Dietrich and Mimi Beardsley Alford. Jackie, retaliated by having her own affairs with a number of men, including Hollywood stars. Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963 while in Dallas, Texas for a trip to resolve the discord and tension between liberals and conservatives in the Democratic Party. After thorough investigation by the Warren Commission, it was concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald, a worker in Texas School Book Depository was the sole assassin of Kennedy, firing three rifle shots from the sixth floor window in the book depository. A Requiem Mass was held for Kennedy three days later at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle. After the mass, he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery wherein millions of people within three years following his sudden death. His wife and their two children were later buried there with him. This assassination, along with other misfortunes that were mostly caused by reckless choices and heartbreaking twists of fate that occurred in the lives of the Kennedy family was later known to be The Kennedy Curse or the Kennedy Tragedies. This well-known superstition was fostered by the news media. Looking back at his life and accomplishments as one of the most celebrated and remembered presidents in American history, despite the fact that he was unfaithful to his wife; he still maintained a positive image among Americans for all the accomplishments and developments he has fostered to the whole country. I personally admire him, his character, and the many brave and successful endeavors he had that changed and shaped America and the world. He was an inspiring man in many levels, fighting strongly for what he believed was right. He took action and made a great effort in the development and growth of America. I chose to write about John F. Kennedy because he was the very first president I learned about. He fascinated me and I have always wanted to know more about him and the great life that he lived. His presidency, although it only lasted for a short while, had a great impact overall on the nation and even the world. Works Cited "Life of John F. Kennedy." John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2011. Mills, Judie. John F. Kennedy. New York: F. Watts, 1988. Print. Dallek, Robert. An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963. Boston: Little, Brown, and Co., 2003. Print. Read More