What was kennedys inaugural speech about

He said he did not think Americans would shirk their responsibilities regardless of the difficulties. Ten days later, Kennedy gave his first State of the Union message.

It was a long and detailed policy program, much of it having to do with domestic spending. In this way, it was complementary to the inaugural, whose large thoughts and interesting turns of phrase now were accompanied by the elucidation of practical details. How much the thousand days of the Kennedy presidency may have flowed from the impulses of the inaugural remains a difficult question. During his administration, Kennedy affirmed U.

But he also grew in his office and met challenges with solutions not contained in the inaugural address. His two major legislative accomplishments — the civil rights and tax cut bills introduced in and made law in — remain hard to connect to the themes to which he had dedicated himself in the speech.

Kennedy did not discuss which of the following topics in his inaugural address? For inspiration in the drafting of this inaugural address, President John Kennedy turned to which historic example? In his inaugural address, President Kennedy stated it was the responsibility of industrialized nations to.

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty. To that world assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations, our last best hope in an age where the instruments of war have far outpaced the instruments of peace, we renew our pledge of support.

Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction. Which of the following actions of the Kennedy administration best reflects the message in the excerpted address?

The ideas expressed by Kennedy in the excerpt were most similar to which twentieth-century policies? Kennedy, John F. Early draft of the inaugural address. Clarke, Thurston. Kennedy and the Speech That Changed America. New York: Penguin, Dallek, Robert. An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, Attend in person or watch our livestreams and explore a video archive from over 20 years of great performances. Help us celebrate the Kennedy Center's 50th Anniversary with year-round events, stories, and video performances to enjoy right now.

You have 0 items in your cart. As a non-profit organization, the Kennedy Center is reliant upon our generous donors to fulfill our mission. Your tax-deductible gift will help keep our vital arts and education initiatives accessible to more communities across the nation! To join or renew as a Member, please visit our Membership page. To make a donation in memory of someone, please visit our Memorial Donation page. Widely viewed as one of the most enduring inaugural messages in United States history, the speech was meticulously crafted—then worked and reworked—by President-elect John F.

Kennedy and his close advisor, Theodore Ted Sorensen. Many of the notes and drafts provide fascinating glimpses into the drafting process. John F. Kennedy won the Presidential election by one of the smallest margins in U. The power and prestige of the United States was slipping, he had warned. On Inauguration Day, he understood that his message would have to project a commanding image to inspire confidence at home and respect abroad. He was a war veteran—a combat hero. He had read the great speeches of the ages, and believed in the power of words.

He thought that a democracy thrives only when citizens contribute their talents to the common good, and that it is up to leaders to inspire citizens to acts of sacrifice. He lifted the spirits of his listeners, even as he confronted the grim reality of the nuclear age. The speech was a sensation. Skip past main navigation. Past Exhibits. Poetry and Power presents documents from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Archives that trace the evolution of President Kennedy's inaugural address.

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