History 2301E Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Nikita Khrushchev, Conservative Democrat, Appeasement
2 May 2018
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Department
Course
Professor
March 8, 2018
John F. Kennedy and the New Frontier
Divide between how historians see the Kennedy’s administration and the public
Because of the assassination
➢ John F. Kennedy, 1961-1963
➢ Kennedy’s New Frontier
o Civil rights
➢ Foreign policy
o Nikita Khrushchev
o Cuba
➢ Dallas, 1963
John F. Kennedy, 1961-1963
- Joseph Kennedy, his father
o Irish Catholic president
o 1930s England and appeasement
▪ America’s ambassador to Great Britain
▪ Became a supporter of British appeasement
• Supported Hitler
o Very wealthy
▪ Invested in Hollywood
▪ Sold illegal booze
o Groomed John to have a good public face
▪ Build up military and academic qualifications
- JFK went to Harvard - Harvard thesis
o Looked at 1930s appeasement
▪ Took a critical position
o Joseph pulled strings to get this thesis published as a book
▪ Wanted to show how smart his son is
- PT 109 tales
o JFK served in the Navy
o Part of the patrol (PT boats)
o In 1944, the boat capsized – joseph uses it to create an era of heroism
o Singlehandedly, JFK rescued every sailor
▪ Never happened
o Addison disease – little strength in his back
▪ About creating the military militarism
- The 1946 Congressional election
o Brought it Nixon and other conservatives
o Ran as a conservative democrat from Massachusetts
▪ Strong relationship with McCarthy
- The 1960 presidential election
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
o Kennedy running against Nixon
o Nixon had been Eisenhower’s VP
o Kennedy family pushed to have a televised debate
▪ Father and son understand that he looks Presidential
• A Hollywood version of what a president should look like
• A masculine president
o Nixon doesn’t understand makeup
▪ Has a shadow bear and makeup
o Significance: image mattered more than substance
▪ Radio: Nixon won – understood the issues and complexities
▪ Image: Kennedy won
- JFK won by 100,000 votes
- Known the Joseph Kennedy did a lot of illegal things
o In 1960, known that he bought votes in Texas and Michigan
o Nixon doesn’t want to look like a sole loser,
o Height of cold war
- Narrow victory
o Catholicism
▪ Was a big deal in 1960 and Kennedy had to pledge allegiance to U.S. over
the pope
▪ Country > religion
o Womanizing
▪ Married Jackie to try to stop rumours but he never stopped having affairs
▪ Still has a conservative nature in society
o Nixon’s strengths
▪ Nixon had a lot going for him
▪ 8-year VP
▪ In 1959 met and debated the Soviet premier
▪ Could stand up to big leaders of the world
o Father’s reputation
▪ A Nazi sympathizer
o Youth
▪ Nixon and Kennedy the same age
▪ An issue of experience
• Kennedy didn’t have it
• Does the country want to trust someone like kennedy
JFK’s Inaugurated Address, January 1961
- Final line: ask now what your country can do for you but what you can do for your
country
o A call for arms
o To student activists that they can take control and make the changes that they see
- Everything about foreign policy
o Not a single address to civil rights
o Nothing about women’s rights
o Nothing about poverty, or economic social programs
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Divide between how historians see the kennedy"s administration and the public. Joseph kennedy, his father: irish catholic president, 1930s england and appeasement, america"s ambassador to great britain, became a supporter of british appeasement, supported hitler, very wealthy. Invested in hollywood: sold illegal booze, groomed john to have a good public face, build up military and academic qualifications. Jfk went to harvard - harvard thesis: looked at 1930s appeasement, took a critical position, joseph pulled strings to get this thesis published as a book, wanted to show how smart his son is. The 1946 congressional election: brought it nixon and other conservatives, ran as a conservative democrat from massachusetts, strong relationship with mccarthy. Known the joseph kennedy did a lot of illegal things: in 1960, known that he bought votes in texas and michigan, nixon doesn"t want to look like a sole loser, height of cold war.
