1960 Presidential Election
April 15, 2014
1960 Presidential Election
• Democrat
– John F. Kennedy
• Republican
– Richard M. Nixon
Similarities
• Born in 20th century
• Navy (WWII)
• Enter Congress 1946
• Foreign affairs/ against Communism
Differences
• JFK
– Wealthy family/ gov’t
– Harvard graduate/Catholic
• Nixon
– No wealth (work & school)
– VP to Eisenhower
TV huge impact
• 4 televised debates
• JFK: great speaker/
appearance/ confident
• ISSUE: Civil Rights Movement
• Weeks before election
– King imprisoned for protest
• Nixon: did nothing
• JFK: called King’s wife
– Work behind scene to get King
bail
• JFK wins election (tight)
– One of largest voter turnout
– 68 million voters
– Won by 120,000
Kennedy wins 1960 campaign
• Against Communism/ fights for Civil Rights
– Inaugural Address
• “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us
well or ill, that we shall pay ANY price, bear
ANY burden, support ANY friend, oppose
ANY foe to assure the survival and success
of liberty”
– Challenges Americans
• “Ask not what your country can do for you;
ask what you can do for your country”
• Build up ALL military
• Promote Pro-Democracy
– 3rd World Countries
• Africa, Asia, & Latin America developing
countries
• Aid $$$ will limit communism
• Peace Corps (1961)
– U.S. volunteers in 3rd world (medical/ education)
Red Scare Continues: Cuba
March 11, 2015
• Soviets argue
– Capitali$m creates poverty & inequality
• Americans argue
– Communism creates dictators/ no rewards
for hard work
Cuba
• 1959: Castro takes over Cuba
– 90 miles away from U.S.
– Forms COMMUNIST gov’t/ Worries Americans
– Thousands wealthy/ middle class Cubans leave
• Eisenhower tried to form relationship
– U.S. businesses in Cuba (ex: Hershey)
• CIA plan invasion to overthrow Castro
– Recruit Cuban exiles & train
• Exile: enforced removal from native country
• Nov. 1960: Kennedy elected President
– Plan unexecuted
• April 1961: Kennedy decides to
implement plan
• Called Bay of Pigs Invasion
– U.S. trained Cuban exiles to attack
Cuba & overthrow Castro
• Badly mismanaged
– Soldiers poorly equipped for invasion
– Out of 1400 soldiers
• 1100 died/ captured
• Strengthens Cuba
– Makes U.S. look bad
In response to Bay of Pigs Invasion…
• 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis
– Soviets build nuclear missile sites in
Cuba (Khrushchev)
– Protect Castro from another invasion
• Major east coast cities could be hit
• Kennedy demands removal of
missiles and blockades Cuba
– Prevent Soviets from sending
missiles
• Tense for 6 days
– Nuclear war possible
Agreement
• US agrees to remove missiles in Italy &
Turkey aimed at Soviet Union
• USSR agrees to remove missiles in
Cuba