Chapter 29

Children's Protest and Government Response

  • Children participated in protests believing police wouldn't retaliate against them.
  • Over 1,200 people were arrested during the protests, which were televised.
  • This brutality against children forced the government to intervene, leading to President Kennedy sending federal troops to stop the violence.

March on Washington (1963)

  • Took place in August 1963 with over 250,000 participants at the Lincoln Memorial.
  • Most notable event was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.
  • The March pressured civil rights leaders to meet with President Kennedy for federal legislation against segregation.

Aftermath of the March and Birmingham Church Bombing

  • Following the march, a tragic church bombing in Birmingham killed four young girls.
  • This tragic event intensified public outrage and pushed the president towards taking more substantial civil rights actions.
  • President Kennedy was later assassinated, halting further progress on civil rights legislation.

Kennedy's Foreign Policy: Berlin

  • The Berlin Wall's construction began in August 1961, symbolizing the division between East and West Berlin.
  • The Soviets had earlier blocked access to West Berlin in an attempt to force the US out, prompting the Berlin Airlift in the 1940s.
  • Nikita Khrushchev, the new Soviet leader, threatened Kennedy to withdraw from Berlin during the Vienna Summit.
  • The Berlin Wall was heavily fortified on the Soviet side, creating a stark division between East and West with significant human and social consequences.

Cuban Revolution and the Bay of Pigs

  • In 1959, Fidel Castro led a communist revolution in Cuba.
  • Under Eisenhower’s administration, plans were made for a CIA invasion to overthrow Castro, which transpired under Kennedy’s term as the Bay of Pigs Invasion.
  • Cuban exiles trained by the CIA attempted the invasion but faced immediate resistance from Castro’s forces, resulting in a disastrous failure with most being killed or captured.

Cuban Missile Crisis

  • Following the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, Castro sought assistance from the Soviet Union, allowing Soviet missiles to be stationed in Cuba.
  • The US, not wanting to be threatened by these missiles just 90 miles away, initiated a U-2 reconnaissance flight to confirm the situation, which revealed construction of missile sites in Cuba.
  • Kennedy faced a pivotal decision: order a military airstrike or a naval quarantine of Cuba.
    • An airstrike could provoke nuclear response from the Soviets.
    • A naval quarantine was legally questionable but was enacted.
  • The crisis lasted 13 tense days during which potential conflict loomed over both nations.
  • Ultimately, a resolution was reached: the Soviets would dismantle the missiles in Cuba in exchange for a US promise not to invade.

Conclusion

  • The events during Kennedy's administration showcased critical tensions in both civil rights and foreign policy, particularly the fraught nature of US-Soviet relations and the fight for civil rights in America.
  • This period marks significant pivotal moments that influenced both national policy and global status during the Cold War.