Less than a year later, he was back in Boston preparing for a run for Congress in He entered the 80th Congress in January , at the age of 29, and immediately attracted attention as well as some criticism from older members of the Washington establishment for his youthful appearance and relaxed, informal style.
Kennedy won reelection to the House of Representatives in and , and in ran successfully for the Senate, defeating the popular Republican incumbent Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. Two years later, he was forced to undergo a painful operation on his back.
While recovering from the surgery, Jack wrote another best-selling book, Profiles in Courage , which won the Pulitzer Prize for biography in He defeated a primary challenge from the more liberal Hubert Humphrey and chose the Senate majority leader, Lyndon Johnson of Texas , as his running mate.
In the general election, Kennedy faced a difficult battle against his Republican opponent, Richard Nixon, a two-term vice president under the popular Dwight D. Offering a young, energetic alternative to Nixon and the status quo, Kennedy benefited from his performance and telegenic appearance in the first-ever televised debates, watched by millions of viewers. With his beautiful young wife and their two small children Caroline, born in , and John Jr.
In his inaugural address, given on January 20, , the new president called on his fellow Americans to work together in the pursuit of progress and the elimination of poverty, but also in the battle to win the ongoing Cold War against communism around the world. An early crisis in the foreign affairs arena occurred in April , when Kennedy approved the plan to send 1, CIA-trained Cuban exiles in an amphibious landing at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba.
Intended to spur a rebellion that would overthrow the communist leader Fidel Castro , the mission ended in failure, with nearly all of the exiles captured or killed. Two months later, East German troops began erecting a wall to divide the city. Kennedy sent an army convoy to reassure West Berliners of U. Kennedy clashed again with Khrushchev in October during the Cuban missile crisis. After learning that the Soviet Union was constructing a number of nuclear and long-range missile sites in Cuba that could pose a threat to the continental United States, Kennedy announced a naval blockade of Cuba.
During his first year in office, Kennedy oversaw the launch of the Peace Corps, which would send young volunteers to underdeveloped countries all over the world. Otherwise, he was unable to achieve much of his proposed legislation during his lifetime, including two of his biggest priorities: income tax cuts and a civil rights bill.
Kennedy was slow to commit himself to the civil rights cause, but was eventually forced into action, sending federal troops to support the desegregation of the University of Mississippi after riots there left two dead and many others injured. Although Kennedy failed to realize his promise, he left a legacy of hope to millions of Americans. Discover the fascinating story of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, the groundbreaking cryptanalyst who helped bring down gangsters and break up a Nazi spy ring in South America.
Her work helped lay the foundation for modern codebreaking today. I n the summer of , hundreds of wildfires raged across the Northern Rockies.
By the time it was all over, more than three million acres had burned and at least 78 firefighters were dead. It was the largest fire in American history. Kennedy grew up in a family defined by wealth, Catholicism, Democratic politics, and patriarchal control. He encouraged Americans to lift up those less fortunate than themselves, both at home and abroad. He challenged the nation to reach for the impossible and land a man on the moon before the end of the decade.
He set new directions for international diplomacy, seeking better relations with Latin America and newly independent nations. John F. We will send Americans abroad who are qualified to do a job. We will send those abroad who are committed to the concept which motivates the Peace Corps.
How many of you who are going to be doctors, are willing to spend your days in Ghana? Technicians or engineers. How many of you are willing to work in the Foreign Service and spend your lives traveling around the world? On your willingness to do that, not merely to serve one year or two years in the service, but on your willingness to contribute part of your life to this country, I think will depend the answer whether a free society can compete.
I think it can! And I think Americans are willing to contribute. But the effort must be far greater than we've ever made in the past. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans--born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage--and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.
To those people in the huts and villages of half the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves, for whatever period is required. Inform students that their essay must include: An evaluative thesis that fully answers the question Evidence supporting their thesis Explanation of evidence Collect student responses.
Informal Assessment Allow students to finish the essay for homework. Extending the Learning Have students conduct research to evaluate the effectiveness of the Civil Rights Act of and the Voting Rights Act on ending discrimination in the United States. Teaching Approach Learning-for-use. Resources Provided The resources are also available at the top of the page. Background Information During the first half of the twentieth century, African-Americans were systematically denied civil rights guaranteed in the Constitution.
Prior Knowledge General understanding of the politics of the Jim Crow South Working knowledge of discrimination and tactics used in southern states to suppress African-American voting Understanding of and experience analyzing maps and public opinion data to make inferences and draw conclusions.
Recommended Prior Activities None. Vocabulary discrimination. Jim Crow. Modification If students are already familiar with the history of the civil rights movement in the early twentieth century, do not have them read the pre-lesson handout on civil rights. Tip If students are having a hard time visualing the geographic distribution of the Senate vote in step 4, show this map from Senate Vote for Civil Rights Act H.
Tip If students struggle to examine the election maps, project maps and discuss with all students. Modification If you do not have access to student computers, print out or project relevant data to allow students to complete the activity. Tip If you have access to a document camera, use it to help students set up their T-chart and model effective note taking.
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Media If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. Text Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Interactives Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. Related Resources. Civil Rights Act of View Historic Article.
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