The 60s were years of major political and cultural changes due to numerous events that occurred. This event helped shape the 60s in America ; November 22, 1963, The United States witnessed one of the most tragic days in its history. While visiting Dallas, Texas Where He was scheduled to speak at a luncheon. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy (famously known by the initials JFK) was publicly Assassinated.
Millions of Americans were present and spectating therefore millions of Americans had this horrific sight and images in their memories ; The bloodstained dress of The First Lady, a mournful Family, The Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson swearing the Presidential oath of office, This was a major event in regards to the political and cultural upheaval of the 1960s era, bringing about many changes and having a high impact on America for generations to come.
As of today, the United States has 45 presidents and only four of them were assassinated while in office. President Kennedy is among that small margin of presidents. Until Kennedy’s assassination it has been six decades since a president was assassinated , the last president to get assassinated before Kennedy was William McKinley (1901). Due to that, Many Americans did not consider that outcome at all and were took by surprise, Even the president and his team did not as he was to ride around in a convertible.
127 our experts are availableright now
The skies were clear, the weather was beautiful, and President Kennedy wanted to wave to the crowds as his motorcade made its way from the airport through the city. Therefore, his limousine was a convertible lacking a protective covering. This can be further seen in a photograph which was taken on November 1963 at 1:40 p.m. showing President Kennedy facing open top limousine, with Gov. Connally and his wife and two Secret Service agents in the streets of Texas right before his assassination took place that same day and shocked many Americans.
Moments later many Americans witnessed this horrific and tragic event either in person or on the broadcasting stations and TV screens , this is an Actual Photograph showing the Limousine rushing with bleeding and dying president to parkland Hospital. This captures the intensity of the moment and helps viewers and researches relive and reimagine the chaos and shock of many Americans. Photographs such as these aids researchers understand the setting and the mood the people of America were in pre and post the assassination of the president.
President Kennedy appealed to many Americans when he was sworn into office. Geyer Studio’s helps audiences who were not alive or a part of the 60’s era and Kennedy’s inauguration relive the emotional tension and excitement and hope Americans in the 60’s felt during Kennedy’s inauguration by providing photographic evidence of Kennedy’s intension as president and his domestic and forging policies and plans. This is a photograph of a physical copy of his Inaugural address that many Americans witnessed during his inauguration.
Which set the tone of his administration and their intentions towards Americas current social and economic and political situation. On Sept. 12, 1960, President (presidential candidate at the time) John F. Kennedy gave a major speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, who were Protestant ministers, regarding the issue of his religion. At that time, many Protestants questioned and debated whether Kennedy’s Roman Catholic faith would allow him to make important national decisions as president independent of the church. Kennedy addressed those concerns.
President Kennedy was ambitious to become president and while many people told him to wait, he was worried of not ever getting a chance to and he had a fear of being forgotten. This ambition and dedication along with his vision towards America can be further explored by ‘JOHN F. KENNEDY AND REVISIONISM.’
A journal article by Kenneth Thompson where he (Thompson) describes JFK’s “revisionism”. He speaks about his domestic and foreign policies into further detail which helps modern time readers of that article understand where JFKs presidency was headed had he lived and was allowed to continue his term as the leader of the united states.
Some of Kennedys actions and policies had a similar focus and ideas to many presidents before him, and ironically quite like Abraham Lincoln’s policy and struggles, Kennedy wanted to win over democrats of the south. president ‘John F. Kennedy’s Southern Strategy, 1956-1960.’ Was a Journal Article touch bases on the common “southern strategy” and details regarding JFK’s actions during his presidential campaign to win over the south whites as many Democrats and Republicans did before him.
This Tragic event will be remembered for generations to come. It will always be an important factor of the united states history and a defining factor of the 1960s. One cannot simply reflect on the 60s without pausing and remembering the death of the United States president. The 1960s saw many political issues , The Cuban Missile crisis, the separation of berlin after World War 2, the Vietnam war , the Cold War to name a few.
Making the assassination of the president another problem for America to Solve and endure. Shortly after the shooting, before Kennedy was pronounced dead to the public, it was a time of great confusion, Elliott Erwitt manages to capture that pure sadness in a photograph. This photograph shows the first lady Jacqueline Kennedy at the Funeral of her late husband and former United states president John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK). It captures the intense moment of her receiving the American Flag from her Husband’s coffin , this photograph illustrates the confusion, sorrow and pain the first lady and many American felt that day.
The assassination left Americans wondering as the shooting took place during the Cold War, it was a likely possibility to many that the shooting might be part of a larger attack upon the U.S. from outside nations, this event left a lasting impression on Americans and people worldwide. Many were considered as to whom will fill the vacancy as many Americans believed that vice-president Johnson might be injured as well . this Motivated Congress to make a constitutional change, to the 25th amendment , making it clear that the Vice President became President when the presidency became vacant under three circumstances: death, resignation, and removal from office.
Causing Johnson to assume the role of President of the United States. Secret Service Agents who are Agents in charge of criminal investigations and providing protection to the nation’s leaders and their families, were shown in a Photograph that captured the Agents Re-Enacting the horrific assassination of President Kennedy , perhaps to understand how everything went and what went wrong and how it could be improved upon, or simply to help the Agency Find the Assassin . The Americans viewing the photograph was assured that the secret service was taking actions attempting to understand how to better protect future presidents and bring justice to the late President Kennedy.
In 1992 Almost 30 years After the president’s assassination , Kennedy once again impacted the Congress. The U.S Congress enacted the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act. This Act Stated that all assassination-related records are to be kept in a single collection in the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The Collection contains almost 5 million pages of assassination-related records if not more, And Most of the records are open for public research. This provides researchers ,Scholars, anyone interested in the 1960s Era and the assassination of John F. Kennedy a place to find primary and secondary sources and increase the knowledge regarding that event and that Era in general. A JFK Library and museum stands as a further proof of the impact Kennedy’s presidency and assassination had on America not only in the 60’s but even today.
Dan H. Fenn ‘Launching the John F. Kennedy Library.’ is a journal article by a man who was involved in the Launching of the JFK Library and museum , in which he speaks of everything that took place before during and after the creation of the building and points out the importance of the building to JFK’s family and Legacy. Freelance Historian and Biographer 74-year-old Carl Brauer further proves and investigates this when he does research in his article ‘John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.’ aimed towards the library describing the building in detail and showing why everything is the way it is . this journal article shows the importance and the impact JFK’s life and presidency had on America
Before becoming President of the United States, Kennedy had lived a life of comfort and privilege, Many voters desired for the vitality that Kennedy’s youth and politics implied, but other Americans worried that Kennedy’s inexperience made him a poor candidate to lead the united states during such a challenging time. Early errors in judgment by Kennedy, particularly the event in Cuba known as the Bay of Pigs, seemingly confirmed these fears that Americans had and questioned Kennedy’s leadership.
By the summer of 1962, a year prior to his assassination the administration was in trouble being a major part of a very difficult Cold War, an antagonistic Congress at home, increasingly bold activist groups asking for change, and a discouraging economic outlook all contributed to an increasingly negative view of the Kennedy’s administration. However, by the fall of that same year (1962).
Kennedy’s Skillful statesmanship led to huge success in the showdown with Cuba. The Economy began to improve. Long-running, difficult negotiations finally resulted in a nuclear test ban treaty that prevented the outbreak of another war and the possible death of millions. And the work of civil rights activists and the limited intervention from the federal government were slowly and steadily, wearing down the power of Southern segregationists and helping put Kennedy’s southern strategy into effect.
America is divided on the opinion of whether Kennedy was a good president or not and whether his moral believes, his religion and personal life was that of an ideal united states president or not. But regardless of that Kennedy was a president who had a great impact on the united states and helped contribute into turning the United States into the great powerful country that it is today, success in the space race and the cold war reminded the world once again that the United States was a world power and that regardless of the challenges it will rise up and overcome them, his assassination led to changes for the better in terms of laws regarding the vice presidency and vacancies.
Kennedy was an icon of the 1960’s not only in America but in the World and had a major impact and role in the United States political and cultural upheaval in the 60’s and beyond. In the United States’ memory, Kennedy was a major ,a fascination, a compelling, charismatic leader during a period of immense changes and challenges to the United States as a nation, and is a reason that the world we live in today is the way it is.
References and Citations
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Pres. U.S., head and shoulders, facing right, in open air limousine, with Gov. Connally of Texas, his wife and two Secret Service men; crowd lined along Broadway, San Antonio, Texas. , 1963. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2005683509/.
- The president’s car, carrying the wounded President John F. Kennedy, speeds toward Parkland Hospital. , 1963. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2003668448/
- Geyer Studio, Copyright Claimant. Inaugural address, by John Fitzgerald Kennedy, President of the United States, 1961 to 1963. , 1966. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2015649386/.
- Meinecke, Thomas, and Christoph Lohmann. ‘From ‘The Church of John F. Kennedy’.’ Chicago Review 48, no. 2/3 (2002): 191-99. . Accessed March 8, 2020. doi:10.2307/25304924.
- THOMPSON, KENNETH W. ‘JOHN F. KENNEDY AND REVISIONISM.’ The Virginia Quarterly Review 70, no. 3 (1994): 430-43. . Accessed March 8, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/26438485.
- Land, Guy Paul. ‘John F. Kennedy’s Southern Strategy, 1956-1960.’ The North Carolina Historical Review 56, no. 1 (1979) Accessed March 8, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/23535517.
- Erwitt, Elliott, photographer. Mrs. Kennedy receives flag from coffin. , 1963. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2003668288/.
- Secret Service agents re-in act the assassination of President Kennedy. Dallas Texas, 1963. Photograph . https://www.loc.gov/item/2013646376/
- Fenn, Dan H. ‘Launching the John F. Kennedy Library.’ The American Archivist 42, no. 4 (1979): 429-42. Accessed March 8, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/40292863
- BRAUER, CARL M. ‘John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.’ The Public Historian 28, no. 3 (2006): 194-97. Accessed March 8, 2020. doi:10.1525/tph.2006.28.3.194.
