History 474B
Devine
Spring 2004
Study Questions on the Kennedy Presidency
Weisberger, “Closer to the Edge”
- How
did Kennedy’s inaugural address and cabinet appointments mark a break with
the past? With regard to fighting
the cold war, was this break one more of style or substance?
- Why
had Cuba become a cause for concern among U.S. policy makers during the
late 1950s and early 1960s?
- Why
did the Bay of Pigs invasion have to “look Cuban?” Why did the invasion fail to achieve
its purpose?
- If
Cuba was a thorn in Kennedy’s side, why was Berlin a bone in Khrushchev’s
throat?
- How
did the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion and Kennedy’s meeting with
Khrushchev in Vienna influence the President’s approach to foreign policy?
- What
caused the Cuban Missile Crisis?
How might the Soviets’ answer to this question differ from the
Americans’ answer?
- What
were some of the key decisions made by both the Americans and the Soviets
during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
- What
role did Robert Kennedy play during the Cuban Missile Crisis? Why was he a key player?
- How
did the Cuban Missile Crisis affect subsequent U.S.-Soviet relations?
Matusow, “Politics and Principle: The Issue of Civil
Rights”
- How did
Democratic party politics affect Kennedy’s civil rights policies?
- Why
did Kennedy retain the support of black voters even though his efforts on
their behalf were fairly minimal over the first year of his presidency?
- How
did Robert Kennedy’s attitude toward the issue of civil rights change over
time? What factors brought about
this change?
- Why
did the Kennedy administration prefer a voter-registration campaign over
direct confrontation?
- Why
didn’t the Kennedy administration intervene more actively to protect black
civil rights in the South?
- What
was the FBI’s attitude toward the civil rights movement?
- How
did the “battle of Oxford” (involving James Meredith’s admission to the
University of Mississippi) and the Birmingham riots change the Kennedy
administration’s civil rights strategy?
How was this change reflected in Kennedy’s speech to the nation in
April 1963?
- What
was the significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1964? Who played key roles in the evolution
and passage of this law?
- Was
the Kennedy Administration more concerned with politics or principle when
it came to the issue of civil rights?
Giglio, “Image and Reality”
- How
would you characterize Kennedy’s relationship with the press? Friendly?
Exploitative? Dishonest?
- How
did the image of a vigorous, healthy President Kennedy compare to the
reality?
- Did
Kennedy’s extra-martial affairs have any effect on his presidency? Was his behavior reckless?
- How
flattering is the portrait the author paints of Jackie Kennedy? What were her strengths and shortcomings?
- Why
have images of the Kennedy administration tended to predominate over the
reality?
- Why
were the FBI and CIA uninterested in a thorough investigation of the
circumstances surrounding President Kennedy’s death? Why did a so-called “conspiracy of
silence” emerge?
- How
did Kennedy’s assassination shape the ways that Americans remember him and
his presidency?
- What
were some of President Kennedy’s successes and concrete achievements while
in office? In what areas did he fall short of expectations?