shots fired in Dallas, Texas, shook the
nation: President John F. Kennedy was
assassinated. He had been the youngest president
ever elected, and he was also the youngest
to die in office at the age of 46.
On November 22, Kennedy and his wife were
riding in a Lincoln
convertible, waving to the cheering
crowds that lined their 10-mile route from Love
Field to Dealey Plaza. Riding with them was
the state's governor, John Connally, along with
his wife, Nellie. Nellie leaned back to Kennedy
and said, "You
can't say Dallas doesn't love you, Mr. President." But
then bullet shots fractured the jubilant moment.
Nellie's husband was critically
wounded, and the president was dead.
Nellie was the last survivor
of the car's four passengers when she died at
age 87 on Saturday, September 2, 2006. Since that
tragic day, she had said, she found herself
more fearful than before and looking over her
shoulder more frequently. Life for her—and
for the nation—changed
JFK served for only half of his term
as president, but the combination
of who he was as a person, what was happening in
the United States at the time, and how he died,
has made him one of the most memorable figures
in our nation's history. Several significant places
have even adopted his name, including the JFK International
Airport in New York and NASA's Kennedy Space Center
During this week's lesson you will get a glimpse
into the life and times of JFK. You will begin to
understand how he affected people's lives and how
life affected him through his triumphs and challenges.
A Challenging Era
fellow Americans: ask not what your country can
do for you—ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for
the freedom of man...."
This is what you will hear as soon as you land
at the John
F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
To reveal the man and times behind those words,
begin your exploration in the Education & Public
Programs section For
Use the red-colored navigation menu at the very
bottom of the page to open the Timeline.
Make sure to start at
the beginning, in January of l960, when Kennedy
first announced his candidacy for President.
Move forward through each month to read about the
big events that were going on at the time.
As you will see, whoever ended up sitting
in the American President's chair at the time
was facing a rocky term. The
modern Civil Rights Movement was gaining momentum,
and technological advances in
communications and space science were
exploding. What memorable events in popular culture—entertainment,
sports, etc.—also happened during this period?
What did a stamp cost? What was the average home
Zoom in on JFK's life at the time by taking a
Museum Tour. Read the preface and click
to Start Virtual Tour. As you browse through
the exhibit, click on blue "i" dots for more information
about an exhibit object.
Listen to the Introduction
in the theater, and then you will automatically
step into the Convention exhibit. Here,
you will hear a clip of Kennedy's acceptance speech,
after being chosen as the Democratic Party's presidential
nominee. (Note: To locate complete audio clips
and text transcripts of speeches, visit the library's Reference
through the 1960 Campaign
Trail, the Kennedy-Nixon Debate—the
first-ever televised presidential debate, the Peace
Corps, Space, the Attorney General office,
and the Oval Office. Finally, learn how
Lady enhanced the White
House and then finish your tour at the Pavilion.
Now that you have a good overview of the
man and the era, dig into the deeper issues going
on during JFK's presidency. From the students'
page, explore one of two crises that JFK faced
as president: Integrating
Research the Controversy
by reviewing the related documents. Click
on the big question marks on document pages when
they appear, to read the related Guiding Questions.
How did the federal government respond to the conduct
of the state of Mississippi?
Learn more about James
Meredith, who applied for acceptance
at the university In
Mississippi. In what ways and for what reasons
Opinion vary over
this case? What happened during the Confrontation and
in the Aftermath?
Next, discover how a 13-day standoff put the World
on the Brink of nuclear war. Read the Introduction,
and then dive into the toughest days starting
October 16. Who was directly involved in
the crisis? Why did it happen? How did it get resolved?
If you would like to do more research on President
Kennedy and his ties in this era, explore other
pages linked from the Student section
and other places in the library.
All in the Family
you have likely noticed, John's brother, Robert (RFK),
had a pretty high position in the government as
Attorney General. In that position, from civil
rights enforcement in Ole Miss to the Cuban missile
crisis, Robert clearly had a direct role in the
strength and direction of President Kennedy's
But John and Robert were no't the only family members
to serve the American public in government positions.
Youngest brother, Edward "Ted" Kennedy,
has served in the U.S. Senate since 1962. Brother-in-law
Sarge Shriver served as the first director of the
Through exceptional triumphs as well as terrible
tragedies, the Kennedy family has endured more
than most families that live and work in the public
PBS to meet The
Kennedys and find out more about
each of them and the family's "political dynasty".
Climb through the Kennedy
Family Tree, starting with JFK's parents,
Joseph and Rose. Then, meet each of their nine
children, their spouses, and grandchildren. What
have been some of their triumphs? What have been
some of their tragedies?
Identify who has been (or is) involved in politics
in any way, and also identify family members involved
in charity organizations. What factors do you think
influenced them in following a certain career