Link to Reading
Name__________________________________ _____________________Date_______________________________ Per____
JFK & His Domestic Policy
• Domestic: definition- existing or occurring inside a particular country; not foreign or international.
EARLY CAREER & LIFE READING & QUESTIONS
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/jfk-early/
What about Kennedy’s
background made
some American
uneasy?
How does the text
describe
Kennedy’s father
and how was JFK
similar to his
father?
Why was JFK
referred to as a
WWII hero?
What did he do?
What illnesses
had JFK suffered
from? Why might
JFK want to hide
this from the
public?
Note 3 reasons
that aided JFK to
earn a seat in
Congress?
1
2
3
How did the televised
debated help Kennedy
get elected?
How did Kennedy’s
view on Martin Luther
King help him in the
election?
According to the
text what did
JFK’s book, Why
England Slept
demonstrate
about JFK’s
capabilities?
nd
In the 2
paragraph the
text notes:
“Many of the
people who
knew Kennedy
in his earlier
years would
have been
surprised at the
transformation.”
Explain why the
text notes this.
Kennedy the Democratic Nominee
• The _______________________ nominee for president in 1960 was a young Massachusetts senator named
__________________________________________
• He promised to “get America ________________________”
• Kennedy had a well-organized campaign and was _________________________ and charismatic
Kennedy is Catholic
• Americans felt uneasy about Kennedy religious background (___________________)
• “I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute”
Opponent: Nixon
• The Republicans nominated Richard________________, Ike’s Vice-President
• The candidates agreed on many domestic and foreign policy issues
• Two factors helped put Kennedy over the top: ________ and _______________________
What do their political buttons tell us about them or/and their campaign?
Televised Debate effects vote
• On September 26, 1960, Kennedy and Nixon took part in the first _________________ debate between
presidential candidates
• Kennedy _________________ and ___________________ better than Nixon
• Journalist Russell Baker said, “That night, image replaced the printed word as the national language of
politics”
1960s Presidential Elections
• Compared to earlier campaigns, the 1960s presidential race made use of TV advertisements
– Democrats spent $6 million
– Republicans spent $7.5 million
What volunteer
program was created to
assist third world
countries?
African Americans vote for Kennedy
• While the ____________________ Administration refused to intervene, JFK phoned King’s wife and his
brother, Robert Kennedy, worked for ____________________ release
• The incident captured the attention of the __________________________ community, whose
_________________ JFK would carry in key states
Which Candidate would you vote for based on the information provided? Why?
Did you vote for JFK?
During the space race,
what was Kennedy’s
goal for the nation?
Content Vocab
John F Kennedy
Nixon
Peace Corp
NASA
Academic Vocab
Opponent
Campaign
Inaugural address
• In his inaugural address, JFK uttered this famous challenge: “Ask not what your country can do for you --ask what you ____________________________________________________”
The Best and Brightest
• JFK surrounded himself with what one journalist described as the “best and the brightest” available talent
• Of all of his elite advisors who filled Kennedy’s inner circle, he relied most on his 35-year-old brother
____________________________, whom he appointed attorney general
The New Frontier
• Explore areas of ________________ and ______________,____ _________, and poverty/surplus
• One of the first programs launched by JFK was the ___________________________________
• The Peace Corps is a volunteer program to assist developing nations in Asia, Africa and Latin America
• Stimulate the economy-Kennedy’s pushed for deficit spending
Space Race
• During this time of increased tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, the two countries
engaged in a space race.
• Kennedy wanted Americans to be the first to reach the moon. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the
first human being to walk on the moon.
JFK & The Civil Rights
• ________________________: sent 400 federal marshals to protect the freedom riders and urged the
Interstate Commerce Commission to order the desegregation of interstate travel
• ________________________ and the Integration of Ole Miss: President Kennedy mobilized the National
Guard and sent federal troops to the campus. Meredith registered the next day and attended his first class,
and segregation ended at the University of Mississippi.
• ______________________________: President Kennedy sent several thousand troops to an Alabama air
base, and his administration responded by speeding up the drafting of a comprehensive civil rights bill.
• ____________________ the University of Alabama: To protect the students and secure their admission,
President Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard. And on June 11, the president addressed the
nation.
• The March on Washington and the _________________________ of 1964: In August 1963, more than
200,000 Americans of all races celebrated the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation by joining the
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. JFK supported the Civil Rights bill to be passed
Summary