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.