“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s famous 1961 inaugural address began one of the most important presidencies in the history of the United States. The 35th president of the United States was like no other, he had a leadership quality that as the quote implies, gave the people empowerment, and held a relationship with the American people different than the prior 34 presidents. Kennedy was born into a very wealthy Irish Catholic family in Brookline Massachusets on May 29, 1917. His father Joseph Patrick Kennedy Sr, was a businessman and politician while his mother, Rose, was a philanthropist. His father kept him and the rest of his family in the media as much as he could, …show more content…
He ran for congress, helped a political campaign, and even became senator. Eventually through growing popularity, Kennedy eventually ran for President and beat Nixon to become the 35th president of the United States. There are many theories as to how JFK became such a successful leader, whether it was through wealth, charisma, popularity, or through learning. John was not however born into leadership, as the Great Man Theory suggests of leaders. As a boy he was unmotivated by school and often caused trouble. He instead had to learn how to give inspiring speeches, learn to invest time in studies, and learn to take life seriously. The older John got the more his leadership skills grew, some of his weaknesses transformed and he eventually became the leader we know as President John F. Kennedy. There are many contributions to Kennedy’s success, but his charisma was the most notable. Growing up Joseph Kennedy Sr. believed keeping his family in the public eye was important. This gave John an advantage in being in the media. He was able to portray the best of himself to the public at all times, without seeing bad sides of the future president the world only saw what he wanted them to see. He gained popularity by being consistently in the media and was a friendly face to most of the …show more content…
Kennedy power in speaking to his audience. His speeches were not about facts, they were not explaining positions or the future of the county. JFK’s speeches spoke in terms of the people, they held underlying messages of empowerment, they gave the people a reason for action. One of his most famous lines, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” is a prime example of this underlying message. JFK is giving the American people a reason for action. He is not telling them to work, he is not asking for help, he is telling Americans exactly what they want to hear. That is that we are unified, we need to work together, we are America. This initiative in his speeches, the underlying meaning behind his speeches are how he connected with the audience, he gave people a purpose and put their beliefs into
To accomplish a great movement these men needed their audience to be awoken and come to action. Getting people to get up and act according to your words is a trait that Kennedy and King alike possessed. Kennedy knew his facts and was an educated man. When speaking to his audience he
John F Kennedy delivered one of the finest speeches on January 20, 1961 after being sworn into office. His inauguration speech was so powerful that it captured the entire nations attention, and quotes from it are still remembered by people today. It is one of the finest speeches ever written. It provides a strong appeal to pathos, ethos and logos, and it is because of this that people who never heard the speech can quote lines from it.
Kennedy was elected president in the year of 1961. Which was during the time that the Cold War was in full swing. The Cold War being the tension filled era between the superpowers in the east and the superpowers in the west. Contrary to the other two presidents, JFK was not speaking to the American public at the time of the war 's conclusion but right near the middle of the 40 plus year issue. Regardless he was assuring the public. He stated, “...that the torch has been passed to a new generation of American-”. That optimism cannot be matched. Even at the darkest of times could he stand up there, the president of the United States, and tell the young people of America that their time is now. Not only that but he attempts to inspire Americans when he says “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 to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”, which was definitely a knock at the Russians. JFK overall had this persona about him. This was the speech where muttered that historic and uplifting quote, “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.” His message of peace and coexisting really stand the test of
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States of America was the youngest man to ever win the Presidential election at the age of 43. He was a well liked president, known for his youthfulness, high spirits and the commitments he made to the Unites States (O’Brien). During his inaugural speech, he stated that the U.S. would pledge “to convert our good words into good deeds” by forming alliances with the countries that border us. In order to prosper as a nation (“The Avalon”). President Kennedy had several great plans for this country and knew they “will not be finished in the first 100 days. Nor will it be finished in the first 1,000 days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin” (“The Avalon”). Unfortunately, these plans were not carried out to their full extent because while riding in an open parade car in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963, Kennedy was shot and killed. Kennedy did suffer hard times as far as international affairs go, but he is known for The Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and the Alliance for Progress (“John”).
John F. Kennedy, of Irish decent, was born in Brookline, Massachusetts on May 29,1917. He entered the Navy, after graduation from Harvard in 1940. In 1946, home from World War II, Kennedy became a Democratic Congressman and in 1953, he joined the Senate. A "privileged aristocrat," his father's wealth and influence contributed largely to Kennedy's political career. 1 John's father, Joseph Kennedy was a self-made millionaire. "In Joseph's political career, he accompanied President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal, as the chairman of the new Securities and Exchange Commission. Joseph was also chairman of the Maritime Commission and from 1937- 1940, he was ambassador to Great Britain." 2 John's mother, Rose (Fitzgerald) Kennedy, was daughter to John F. Fitzgerald, Mayor of Boston. John's paternal grandfather, Patrick J. Kennedy, had served in the Massachusetts Senate.
Besides being a President, JFK was also the lieutenant of his navy crew during WWII (John F. Kennedy). N.p., n.d., n.d.). He also served three terms in the House of Representatives. In 1952 JFK was elected to the U.S. Senate. Then later in 1960, JFK was nominated by the Democratic Party to run for president against Vice president Richard Nixon ("John F. Kennedy Elected President."
During the time of domestic war at home and foreign relations concerns, the United States of America experienced one of the greatest time periods in American history which was during what people called the "Camelot" period. This occurred when the 35th President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was in office and he initiated a period of social development which overcame major differences between Americans and the rest of the world. President Kennedy was inaugurated on January 20, 1961 and became the second youngest and first Catholic president of the United States. This new president initiated a series of new changes in the country, from which he became an inspiration to many Americans, as he is still remembered for his idealism and courage. He was the leader of the Democratic party and won the election by 49.7% of the votes. Kennedy was seen as an intellectual young man who's beautiful wife helped his political image. JFK initiated many programs to help improve American society. Kennedy was one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights of African- American citizens along with the other leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks who were becoming the voice of these American minorities. He commenced the creation of the Peace Corps to the New Frontier Program. Kennedy also worked on reforming U.S. immigration and made the commitment to win the space race before the Russians. Kennedy focused on Russian-American relations during the Cuban Missile Crisis and as the risks of a nuclear attack increased, Kennedy signed a treaty with the Soviet Union preventing the use of nuclear weapons. One of the most famous quotes that JFK is known for is: "Ask not what your country can do for you- ask what you can do for your country" . His ...
John emphasized if a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich. He felt Americans needed to use their freedoms to do great things, not just be thankful they have them. Pres. Kennedy’s heart longed for the nation of America to grab hold of the reigns of their freedom and take it to the extreme. The extreme would be to feed the hungry, help those in poverty fight their way out of it, and make peace in the world more often than war.
With famed verses like, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country,” Kennedy makes the spectators feel inclined to make an impact in the world they live in. Apart from infusing a sense of obligation in the crowd, Kennedy’s greatest element in his speech was the aptitude to arouse a feeling of esteem in the audience. Kennedy constantly uses phrases about freedom and sovereignty to remind the people they still are. “The heirs of that first revolution.” This dialect portrays America as a powerful and patriarchal republic that possesses greater philanthropy than all the other nations around the world.
The late president John Fitzgerald Kennedy once said, “Sure it's a big job; but I don't know anyone who can do it better than I can” (“John F. Kennedy” BrainyQuote.com). Kennedy was a young and fresh political figure at the time of his election in 1960. The thirty-fifth president of the United States was born May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was the youngest president ever, as well as the first and only Roman Catholic president (Bass, et al.). His presidency was shortened by an assassin on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. Kennedy preceded his presidency with a term in the U.S. House of Representatives (1947-1953) and a term in the U.S. Senate (1953-1961) (“John F. Kennedy” History.com). Kennedy, a charismatic and energetic leader, was loved by the American people. He had many plans for his time in office, some of which he was able to personally achieve, while others were left to his vice-president, Lyndon B. Johnson. Although his life was tragically cut short, John F. Kennedy left an indelible mark on the United States of America in and out of the oval office.
I found that the amount of success JFK has is more abundant than anyone else I can think of. It is because of this mass success within such a short period of time that I have decided to constrict my list of JFK’s accomplishments to five specific successes. The first accomplishment I found to be most important to JFK’s career, as a leader, was his success at becoming the first and only Catholic President of the U.S. During the time, anti-Catholic prejudices were not unusual and were actually a significant issue during Kennedy’s campaign for president.... ... middle of paper ...
John F. Kennedy’s speech was revered then and it is revered now. He talks on peace and freedom will never be forgotten. JFK arrived when America was going through a rough patch and delivered a speech for the ages. His line “…My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country” still applies even today. Even though John F. Kennedy’s live was tragically cut short in 1963, his speech on freedom and peace will always be remembered and it carries on with JFK’s legacy.
Kennedy always saw the belief the people had in him. Everyone looked up at the family to see what they were doing and tried to do whatever they were doing. He acknowledged all the things he had to do and made it pretty clear that he received good respect from his voters. He gave power to the people. When people looked up at him, they saw how much he cared.
In his prominent 1961 Inaugural Address, John F. Kennedy extensively employs pathos, parallelism, antithesis, and varied syntax to captivate millions of people, particularly to persuade them to stand together and attempt to further human rights for the “betterment” of the world. Kennedy’s effective use of various rhetorical styles succeeds in persuading his audience –the world and the U.S citizens—that his newly-seized position as the U.S. President will be worthwhile for all.
The day was November 22, 1963 in the city of Dallas,Texas with thousands of John F. Kennedy supporters crowding the sidewalks waiting to see the beloved man. John F. Kennedy was scheduled to ride through downtown Dallas in a topless car. As thousands of fans of JFK watched him stroll through the streets, in just a split second a great day would be flipped upside down as one of the most devastating date in history. It all began when John entered his car and started the parade at approximately 11;45 am. He went through the streets of Dallas into he turned the corner and started heading down Elm Street. At about 12:05pm there was a shot from a building window that went straight through Kennedy’s neck and into his back. At this exact moment November 22, 1963 will be known as an historic event. Overall JFK was a beloved president with millions of followers, he was assassinated by a man of the name Lee Harvey