Kennedy Presidency
(1961-1963)
Chapter 20-1,2
U.S.A. in 1960
•  ___% of the nation is under 25 in the census of
1960.
•  Fear that U.S. was losing the Cold War under
Eisenhower
•  _________________ (1957)
•  ______ becomes a Communist country (1959)
•  ______ Incident (1960)
•  _________________ runs for President as a
Republican.
•  Democrats nominate Senator _________________
•  Important issues: Cold War, poverty,
recession, civil rights
The __________________
presidential debates
in US History took
place between John
Kennedy and Richard
Nixon
These debates impacted how the presidency would
be perceived by Americans.
1
Impact of Television on
Election of 1960
•  _________ people
watched the debates
•  Millions also listened on
the radio
•  Polls showed:
–  Those who listened on
the radio thought
___________________
won the debate
–  Those who watched on
television thought
___________________
won the debate
Inauguration
Speech
KENNEDY PRESIDENCY
The Camelot Years
•  Kennedy White House:
__________________
•  Young and talented
•  ________________:
31 years old
•  Most of advisors were
under 40
•  Inspired _____________
2
Kennedy's ____________________
Domestic Program
• Name given to JFK’s domestic and foreign policies.
Goals:
• More funding for _____________
• Medical care for the _______________
• Halt the recession
• __________________ legislation
• Accelerate ________________ program.
• Increased aid to the _____________
• Kennedy saw some success but most was passed when LBJ
was President (“The Great Society”)
The Space Race
•  1961, Soviet astronaut ________________: first man in space.
•  Americans worried that their technology was falling behing that
of the USSR
•  JFK wants more funding for ______________
–  Fear USA is falling behind USSR
–  In 1961 and 1962, American astronauts made initial
space flights
–  1962: ___________:first American to orbit the Earth
–  1969: ___________________: first person to walk
on the moon.
KENNEDY FOREIGN POLICY
Crises over Cuba
The Cuban Dilemma
•  Communist ____________
leads communist revolt in
Cuba.
•  1959: Castro nationalized
businesses in Cuba
• Kicked out U.S.
businessmen
• Eisenhower cuts off
diplomatic relations
•  10% of Cuban population
goes into ____________;
mostly to _____________
3
Khruschev Embraces Castro,
1961
• U.S. feared Castro was becoming an
ally with the _____________.
• Secret _____ plan to overthrow
Fidel Castro.
• Trained Cuban __________ to
invade Cuba
• 1961: Exiles land in
“_____________________”
• Invasion _____
• _____ took blame for failed invasion
• Embarrassed U.S.
• Drove Cuba into closer
relationship with USSR.
KENNEDY FOREIGN POLICY
Berlin Crisis, 1961
•  By 1961 thousands of
Germans fleeing _________
•  _______________ wants to
close access roads to West
Berlin
•  JFK sends in troops to
protect West Berlin because
he feared ______________
•  Soviets isolate West Berlin
from East Germany with
____________________
NEXT
4
• Berlin Wall became a symbol of the ______________
KENNEDY FOREIGN POLICY
A New Military Policy
•  Ike’s foreign policy: ______________________
• JFK: ________________________________
•  Prepare for a variety of military responses
•  Do not have to rely on _______________for
everything
• JFK increases defense spending in three areas:
- strengthens __________________________
- creates army Special Forces (_____________)
- triples ________________________
capabilities
NEXT
Major countries and leaders involved
US
President Kennedy
Cuba
Fidel Castro
Soviet Union
Nikita Khrushchev
5
cuban missile2
• This U-2 reconnaissance photo showed concrete evidence of missile
assembly in Cuba. Courtesy of CIA
The Missiles
•  USSR had sent missiles and launchers
at request of Castro after ___________
•  USSR thought it could blackmail US into
backing down in ______________
•  US had missiles in ________________
pointed at USSR
U.S. on Full Alert
•  What should the US
do?
•  JFK chooses
__________ of Cuba
•  Warns attack on ships
or launch of missiles
from Cuba would lead
to war
6
• The crisis developed as the U.S.
demanded the Soviets to dismantle
missiles in Cuba or the U.S. would
invade Cuba.
USSR Tests Quarantine
•  USSR demands
removal
•  USSR sends ships
and stops at
quarantine line
U.S. convinces the __________________ to back the quarantine.
cuban missile2
7
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
• Khrushchev
ordered the
ships to turn
around.
"We are eyeball to eyeball, and I think the
other fellow just blinked.” -Sec. of State
Dean Rusk
cuban missile2
• Last minute decision made: Soviets would dismantle
missile sites in Cuba in return for U.S.______________.
• U.S. would later dismantle missile sites in __________
• Kennedy and
Khruschev both
realized how
close they came
to nuclear war.
• The monster of
nuclear war must
never be released.
• _____________
installed to help
with
communication.
• Both vow to
negotiate
_______________
_______________
8
lbj sworn in
lbj sworn in
lbj sworn in
9
___________________________________, the lone gunman , killed
JFK……..Oswald murdered by Jack Ruby two days after JFK s
murder…..
lbj sworn in
_______________________ takes oath of office
assassination3
10