Kennedy Flashcards

Flashcards based on Kennedy and Domestic/Foreign Policy

What were the reasons for Kennedy's victory in the 1960 election based on Eisenhower's decisions?

Eisenhower didn't promote Nixon, focused on defending his own presidential record, massive spending cuts in 1960 led to a recession, refused to refute Kennedy’s accusation of a missile gap, spoke unfavourably of Nixon as VP.

What decision did Eisenhower refuse damaging Nixon’s chances?

Refused to allow Nixon to call for open health discussion - Kennedy had Addison’s disease, colitis and chronic prostatitis

What were some errors Nixon made during the 1960 election?

Didn’t let Eisenhower campaign for him until Oct 1960, rejected Eisenhower’s advice not to have TV debates, campaigned in all 50 states, didn’t respond to the arrest of MLK in Oct 1960, Cabot Lodge poor choice of VP

How did Kennedy's personality and performance contribute to his win in the 1960 election?

Charmed journalists, responded to anti-Catholic sentiment, film star looks & celebrity status, contrasted youth and energy with Eisenhower’s stagnancy, called Coretta King after her husband’s arrest 1960, LBJ as running mate, wore a blue suit in the TV debates

According to Kennedy, what was the most influential factor in winning the 1960 election?

Saying it was the TV more than anything that turned the tide

What were Kennedy's promises for the future during the 1960 election?

Kennedy made promises not to ignore poverty, calling the new frontier.

Who were Kennedy's key advisors?

Theodore Sorenson, Bobby Kennedy, McGeorge Bundy, Lyndon Baines Johnson, Robert McNamara, Dean Rusk, Sargent Shriver

What was Theodore Sorenson's role in Kennedy's administration?

Wrote Kennedy’s speeches and articles, helped him write his book profiles in courage in 1956

What was Bobby Kennedy's role in Kennedy's administration?

Ran Kennedy’s election campaign, was McCarthy’s legal assistant, performed the role of Kennedy’s attorney general

What was McGeorge Bundy's role in Kennedy's administration?

Former intelligence officer in WW2, had been a professor of government at Harvard, was Kennedy’s national security advisor.

What was Lyndon Baines Johnson's role in Kennedy's administration?

24 years of congressional experience, served as vice president, a legislative expert

What was Robert McNamara's role in Kennedy's administration?

President of ford cars, previously taught statistics at Harvard, was Kennedy’s head of defence dept

What was Dean Rusk's role in Kennedy's administration?

Diplomat who had worked for the state dept, and was Kennedy’s secretary of state

What was Sargent Shriver's role in Kennedy's administration?

Lawyer in charge of the peace corps, brother in law to JFK

What was Kennedy's approach to poverty and surplus in his new frontier policy?

Kennedy claimed he would not be ignorant to poverty as Eisenhower had been, adopting a democratic progressive New Deal tradition

What was Kennedy's perspective on peace and war, as reflected in his policies and campaigns?

Kennedy was fascinated by war as foreign policy shown in his 1940 book, why England slept. In his cold warrior campaigns, Kennedy emphasises how the democrats defended the country better than the republicans.

What was Kennedy's focus regarding science and space exploration?

Kennedy instructed NASA to get a man on the moon by the end of the decade & universities were encouraged to produce more scientists

What was Kennedy's approach to civil rights legislation, considering he needed to maintain support from the Dixiecrats?

Kennedy encouraged courts to resolve civil rights issues and sent federal troops when forced to

How impressive was Kennedy’s legislative record?

More style then substance. No major new domestic policy was passed in his presidency, it was an extension of existing programmes rather than new frontier legislation

What were Kennedy's key aims in his foreign policy in the West (Berlin)?

Contain communism Maintain peace & prevent nuclear war, Improve international reputation, Arms race/ close the missile gap, Encourage agreements about testing nuclear weapons

What was the Berlin issue?

Nov 1958, Khrushchev demanded west berlin become a free city and the west should recognise east Germany. Eisenhower denied any crisis and the conversation was pushed back to the Paris Peace conference in 1960 but was overshadowed by the U2 crisis

What was discussed in Vienna 1961?

Berlin, Cuba and Laos, Kennedy stood firm but privately admitted to feeling savaged. Khrushchev believed Kennedy was likeable but naïve and weak

What were the problems in Berlin prior to the wall being built?

1949-58- over 2 million fled to west Germany

What actions were taken regarding the Berlin Wall in 1961?

13th August 1961, the east Germans sealed off their frontier with west berlin with a barbed wire fence. 4 days later they started building a 30 mile wall with only 4 crossings or checkpoints

What were the advantages that followed from the Berlin wall?

Propaganda triumph as the east needed to wall its people in. East Germany started rebuilding its economy. Stabilised the situation in the west- “wall is better than a war”

What were the disadvantages that followed from the Berlin wall?

Khrushchev convinced that JFK was a coward and could be pushed around by the USSR, encouraging Cuba

Why and with what results did Kennedy back the Bay of Pigs invasion?

Cuban revolution 1959, US backed Fulgencio Batista overthrown by Fidel Castro, who was not communist in 1960. CIA was at its height of prestige; JFK believed developing countries were the new cold war arena, and he had promised in 1960 he wouldn’t let Cuba become a soviet base so close.

What was the origin of the CIA plot that lead to the Bay of Pigs?

Eisenhower planned to use Cuban exiles to overthrow Castro- Eisenhower was a military hero so it was sensible to use his plans

What happened at the Bay of Pigs invasion in April 1961?

The exiles landed miles from the mountains to which they had intended to flee if anything went wrong. Kennedy gave only minimal aid . The exiles were killed or captured

What were the outcomes of the Bay of Pigs invasion?

Kennedy was humiliated, Castro moved closer to the soviets, announcing he was now communist, Missiles were put on Cuba by October 1962

Why did Khrushchev put missiles on Cuba?

Arms race and his own political position, Resentment of the US’ missiles in Türkiye, Impress critics, He believed Kennedy was a pushover and he could get away with it

How did Kennedy initially respond to the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Kennedy set up Ex- comm- Executive Committee of the national security council

What was the Soviet Union's initial response when confronted about the missiles on Cuba?

Robert Kennedy meets with soviet foreign minister Andrei Gromyko, who tells him the only help the soviets are giving Cuba is assistance growing crops- the missiles are only for defence

What strategy did the Executive Committee (Ex-Comm) propose to address the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Ex-comm comes up with the idea of a quarantine or naval blockade

What actions did JFK order as the Cuban Missile Crisis escalated?

JFK orders flights over Cuba to be increased twice a day, Ex-comm begins discussion about invading Cuba

What demands did Khrushchev make to resolve the Cuban Missile Crisis, and how did Kennedy respond?

Khrushchev sends a telegram promising to dismantle the sites if Kennedy promises not to invade. a U2 plane is shot down, Kennedy receives a second telegram demanding the dismantling of the sites in Türkiye- Kennedy agrees to both

What were the immediate outcomes following the resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Khrushchev fell from power the oct 1964, replaced by Brezhnev, Cold war thaw & hotline as well as the 1963 partial test ban treaty

What was a long-term effect of the Cuban Missile Crisis on the Soviet Union?

USSR feelings of inferiority led to nuclear and naval build up so they were on par with the US by the end of the 60s

What were Kennedy's interventions in Vietnam?

Helping train the south Vietnamese army, Strategic hamlet project, the US colluded to overthrow and assassinated Diem

What was the Strategic Hamlet Project, and why was it initiated?

Moving Vietnamese villagers to fortified villages away from the Vietcong- it was highly unpopular and ineffective, the Vietcong continued to influence anyway

What was the purpose of the Peace Corps, as envisioned by Kennedy?

An organisation that would let Americans fulfil responsibilities to world development and world peace by sending young volunteers to help poor nations through teaching and technical aid

What was the scale of the Peace Corps operations between 1961 and 1963?

between 1961-3 volunteers were sent to 44 developing countries that had requested aid

What were the key events in the space race leading up to and including Yuri Gagarin's orbit?

USSR launched Sputnik 1957, flopnik- failed satellite launch November 1957, April 1961 Yuri Gagarin first man to orbit earth

What were the key groups involved in the Civil rights movement during the Kennedy years?

CORE- Congress of Racial Equality, SCLC- South Christian Leadership Conference, SNCC- Student Non-violent coordinating Committee

What were the 1960 sit-ins?

Sit ins began in Greensboro, North Carolina as four black college students decided not to leave the all white Woolworth’s cafeteria when asked. As students were arrested, others took their place

What were the reasons for the 1960 sit-ins?

Students tired of slow pace of integration & Inspired by previous rulings and actions

What were the successes of the 1960 sit-ins?

Loss of business meant Woolworth’s desegregated all its lunch counters by 1961, 150 cities desegregated various public places soon after & Black students were mobilised and following a meeting with Ella Baker, set up the SNCC

Why did the Freedom Rides of 1961 occur?

Test the effect of supreme court ruling Morgan V. Virginia 1946- interstate bus segregation was unlawful & Boynton V. Virginia ruling segregated bus facilities were unlawful

What were the events that occurred during the Freedom Rides of 1961?

The rides began in May, beginning in Washington ending in New Orleans. Riders were met with violence in Alabama where they were firebombed and attacked by the KKK

What were the outcomes of the Freedom Rides of 1961?

Kennedy administration was embarrassed, Bobby Kennedy enforce the ruling in Nov 1961, ordering bus companies to desegregate, Suggested JFK would help the civil rights movement, CORE & SNCC gained respect and members

What was the Albany Movement?

Targeted Albany bus stations and arranged freedom rides, boycotts and sit ins, as well as demanding fair employment and an end to police brutality

What was the goal of the Albany Movement?

End segregation in Albany

What successes did the Albany Movement experience?

First of its kind- a coalition of businesses, churches and organisations & Use of freedom songs developed, sung in jail, at mass meetings and marches

What failures did the Albany Movement experience?

Bad publicity at other black people pelted officers with stones- not part of the movement but reflected badly, No public violence so no federal intervention

What was the purpose of the Birmingham campaign?

Aimed to challenge segregation and integrate the city

Why was Birmingham selected as the target for civil rights protests?

it was a KKK stronghold & Likely violence would create attention

What were the outcomes of the Birmingham campaign?

Connor’s violence- setting police dogs on demonstrators and using a water cannon- attracted media attention, Kennedy administration admitted the events in Birmingham encouraged JFK to put forward the 1963 civil rights act

Why was the March on Washington organized in 1963?

Encourage the passing of Kennedy’s 1963 civil rights bill, and to reduce black unemployment which was twice the rate of whites. Maintain black morale and advertise the effectiveness of non-violent protest- a method he feared was becoming less popular due to the slow pace of change

What were the successes of the March on Washington?

Increased white support and impressed an international audience, created some political momentum for the civil rights act of 1964 and voting rights act of 1965 & MLK awarded times magazine man of the year 1963 and given the Nobel peace prize in 1964

What were the limitations or criticisms of the March on Washington?

some opposition came from the black community themselves, as they claimed is showed an unrepresentative and inaccurate view of racial harmony

What efforts were undertaken in Mississippi by the Black freedom movement between 1961 and 1964?

SNCC worked with communities in Mississippi to educate potential voters encouraging them to try to register to vote

What conditions made it difficult for African Americans to vote in Mississippi during the early 1960s?

Difficult to vote in Mississippi- in 1960 only 5.2% of Mississippi blacks could vote, far from even the southern average of 30%. High levels of illiteracy 70%

What was a key success of the Black freedom movement in Mississippi?

Contradicted the lie that African Americans didn’t care about politics and therefore don’t deserve the right to vote

How did the Citizens' Council and the KKK oppose the civil rights movement?

White citizens council set up in in 1954 in response to brown ruling. by 1956 there were 250,000 members. Middle class members were determined to fight integration using intimidation, economic blackmail, ostracism etc or violence if necessary

How did state officials oppose the civil rights movement?

George Wallace, state governor of Alabama tried to prevent 4 black students from attending the university of Alabama - inaugural speech, “segregation now, segregation tomorrow segregation forever”

How did law enforcement officials hinder the civil rights movement?

Bull Connor, police chief of Birmingham allowed him men to have time off on mothers day so the KKK could attack the freedom riders, used water cannons and dogs against Birmingham protesters

How did public opinion impact the civil rights movement?

south had much opposition & 63% of Americans opposed the freedom rides

What actions did Kennedy take that suggest an attempt to help towards the civil rights movement?

JFK appointed 40 blacks to top posts in the bureaucracy and 5 black federal judges e.g. Thurgood Marshall Justice dept- Robert Kennedy as attorney general, brought 57 suits against violation of black voting rights in Louisiana

What actions suggest that Kennedy showed a lack of effort to help with the civil rights movement?

Slow to start civil rights for fear legislation would be unpopular with voters and congress, Thought legislation to help the poor would be less likely to provoke controversy with congress

What symbolic gestures did Kennedy undertake to show support of the civil rights movement?

Said Washington Redskins couldn’t use federally supported stadium as they refused to hire black players

How did Kennedy attempt to balance civil rights with political concerns in the South?

Chose segregationists as his judges in the Deep South to avoid alienating white voters

What executive actions did Kennedy take regarding employment and civil rights?

Used executive powers to set up the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission to encourage companies to hire more blacks but was not very successful, aside from Lockheed aircraft plant

What was Kennedy's stance on intervening in Southern justice matters and his view of SNCC's tactics?

Reluctant to interfere with southern justice and saw SNCC as unnecessarily provocative

What actions did Kennedy take regarding segregation in interstate travel?

Kennedy announces he has ordered the interstate commerce commission to enact stricter regulations and fines for buses and facilities that refused to integrate

What was Kennedy's approach to housing discrimination during his presidency?

very slow to act on election promise of ending housing allocation discrimination

How did Kennedy respond to the situation at Ole Miss when James Meredith enrolled?

James Meredith becomes the first African American student at Ole Miss; JFK orders marshals to Mississippi to ensure his safety

What was Kennedy's initial response to civil rights activism, specifically regarding federal intervention?

JFK wasn’t keen to respond to activism, didn’t want to send federal troops to protect the freedom riders

What actions did Kennedy take in 1963 to address civil rights issues in Congress?

Special address to congress calling for them to enact legislation protecting all American’s voting rights, legal standing, educational opportunities, and access to public facilities

How did Kennedy address the nation regarding civil rights in June 1963?

Address to the nation, spoke against Wallace’s action in Alabama and proposed civil rights legislation to congress

What were the key provisions of Kennedy's 1963 Civil Rights Bill?

Moderate attempt to guarantee segregation in public places, to help black workers and to encourage blacks to use their vote