The Assassination Of John F. Kennedy

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The Assassination of John F. Kennedy



Our nation has had many memorable, yet unforgettable, moments in its long, enduring history. The assassination of John F. Kennedy, our thirty-fifth president, in the fall of 1963, is not only one of the most memorable, it is also one of the most bizarre cases in our nation’s history.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy became our nation’s thirty-fifth president on January 20, 1961 (Rivera 12). Kennedy was a good-looking man. Rich, honest, attractive, everything a forty-three year-old Democrat would need to become one of America’s best-known presidents. Many historians believe Kennedy the greatest president in U.S. history. Kennedy’s promise of new health, housing, and civil rights programs only helped his popularity as he defeated Richard Nixon in the election of 1960 (Rivera 12, 13).
Kennedy’s presidential job faced many problems as soon as the young president took the oath of office. Hundreds upon thousands of Cubans were flocking to the United States because of Communist Leader, Fidel Castro (River 13). Kennedy’s growing problems led to the invasion of Cuba, a place known as the Bay of Pigs, on April 17, 1961. The invasion was a complete failure and the US was unable to overthrow Castro in the Communist regime. Many Cubans, as well as Americans, felt Kennedy made a bad decision and distrusted the government because of the Bay of Pigs. In the same year, the US Government sent spy airplanes over Cuba. Photos clearly showed weapons, mainly missiles and anti-aircraft weaponry. This was the beginning of what became known as the Cuban Missile Crisis (Rivera 9). Kennedy wanted the missiles gone. Advisors wanted to drop bombs, but Kennedy wouldn’t allow it. He thought Russia could possibly interfere and another world war would be in sight.
Another growing problem with the Kennedy campaign was the fight for civil rights. Kennedy created the Committee on Equal Employment Oppo...