Democratic Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy was elected the 35th president in Nov. 1960, replacing President Eisenhower. His charismatic personality in public, as well as his promise to "get America moving again", helped him gain the edge over his Republican opponent Richard Nixon. Kennedy concentrated strongly on military policies intended to improve upon those of the Eisenhower Administration. After being sworn into office in Jan. 1961, Kennedy put more effort into competing with the Soviet Union’s military program, as the Soviets were gaining support in less developed countries, as well as in nearby Cuba. The increased funding for nonnuclear forces enabled the United States to indirectly fight smaller wars against the Soviet Union’s imperialism while avoiding an all-out nuclear war.
However, one of Kennedy’s critical errors was approving the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, originally conceptualized by the Eisenhower administration. This plan was intended to overthrow Castro, the new communist revolutionary leader of Cuba, with a small force of Cuban exiles and United States soldiers. When the American forces invaded Cuba on April 17, 1961, the Cuban troops backed by Soviet forces were more than a match for the American troops, and most of the invading exiles were imprisoned or killed. Following this disaster, Kennedy was forced to negotiate for the release of the American prisoners, and Castro was able to openly accept Soviet aid without fear of retaliation from the United States.
In addition, Kennedy passed many policies based on his idea of progress called the New Frontier. For the economy, Kennedy had to deal with the recession in America, as well as the high unemployment. Therefore, Kennedy proposed a policy of deficit spending, meaning the United States Government would spend more money than it received. This opened up more jobs and stimulated the economy, reversing the stagnant economy from the Eisenhower era.
As for social issues such as poverty, Kennedy created the Peace Corps - a program of volunteers that helped people in developing nations like Asia, Africa, and Latin America. At home, although Kennedy was sympathetic towards civil rights activists like Martin Luther King, he was reluctant to actively pursue civil rights since he thought this would anger the white Southern congressmen who decided whether his bills got passed. However, Kennedy did overturn selective immigration, which at the time, were mainly European immigrants. He expanded the immigration to Asia and Latin America, placing emphasis on family reunion instead of race.
Although Kennedy's presidency was cut short by his asassination on Nov. 22, 1963, his administration greatly impacted the military, economic, and social policies of America.
Written by: Derek O'Connor
