Irish Catholics from a wealthy, well-connected Boston family raised John F Kennedy. He and his eight siblings had a privileged upbringing. They attended exclusive private schools and had access to yachts, maids, and vacation houses. “Jack” Kennedy experienced several major diseases during his infancy and adolescence.
Nevertheless, Kennedy worked hard to carve his path. He penned a best-selling book while still a student at Harvard. Moreover, John volunteered for dangerous military duty in the Pacific during World War II.
After a brief stint as a journalist, he entered politics, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1947 to 1953 and later in the U.S. Senate from 1953 to 1961.
The Upbringing and Family Legacy of John F Kennedy
In a household with nine children, Kennedy engaged in intense physical and mental competition with his siblings. The family’s touch football matches at their Hyannis Port retreat later gained notoriety. Kennedy also received instruction in the political and religious beliefs of the Democratic Party.
His father, Joseph Patrick Kennedy, accumulated a multimillion-dollar fortune through banking, shipbuilding, and the movie industry. He also excelled at astute stock market trading.
Kennedy’s mother, Rose, was the daughter of former Boston mayor “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald. They created trust funds for their children, ensuring their long-term financial independence.
John F Kennedy as Secretary and Scholar
John served as Joseph Kennedy’s secretary for six months in 1938. This occurred after Joseph Kennedy left his position as the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Afterwards, he became the American ambassador to Great Britain. John also used this time to write his senior thesis at Harvard University on Great Britain’s lack of military readiness. The book Why England Slept (1940), which elaborated on his original premise, became a bestseller.
Jack enjoyed a fortunate life despite dealing with ongoing health issues throughout his infancy and adolescence (he would eventually receive a diagnosis of Addison’s disease, a rare endocrine ailment). He spent his summers at Hyannis Port on Cape Cod and attended prestigious institutions like Canterbury and Choate.
In 1934, they appointed Joe Kennedy, a highly successful businessman and early FDR supporter, as the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission. In 1937, he was designated the United States ambassador to Great Britain.
As his father’s secretary, Jack went around Europe as a student at Harvard University. Why England Slept (1940) was released, a book that garnered critical praise based on his senior thesis on Britain’s lack of war readiness.
Kennedy’s Political Evolution and Resilient Leadership
By the end of 1944, Jack had given up his aspirations to become a journalist and left the Navy. He returned to Boston less than a year later to prepare to run for Congress in 1946. Jack easily won his party’s nomination as a fairly conservative Democrat, supported by his father’s wealth. He also secured victory in the general election, winning the predominantly working-class Eleventh District. And this is by nearly three to one against his Republican opponent.
His youthful appearance and relaxed demeanor quickly caught the attention of more senior members of the Washington elite. This happened when he was elected to the 80th Congress in January 1947 at the age of 29.
In 1948 and 1950, Kennedy was re-elected to the House of Representatives. He then campaigned successfully for the Senate in 1952, unseating the favored Republican incumbent Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. Kennedy wed the stunning journalist and socialite Jacqueline (Jackie) Lee Bouvier on September 12, 1953. He had to have a grueling back procedure two years later. Jack authored another bestselling book while still recuperating from his operation, Profiles in Courage, which was awarded the 1957 Pulitzer Prize for biography.
The Road to the Oval Office: Kennedy’s Campaign and Vision
Kennedy declared his presidential campaign on January 2, 1960, having come close to receiving his party’s selection for vice president (under Adlai Stevenson) in 1956. He beat Hubert Humphrey, a more liberal candidate, in the primary election and selected Texas Senator Lyndon Johnson as his running partner. Kennedy fought in the general election against Richard Nixon, the popular two-term vice president of Dwight D. Eisenhower’s party.
Furthermore, John F Kennedy capitalized on his strong performance and telegenic appearance in the first-ever televised presidential debates, attracting millions of viewers. This provided a fresh and energizing alternative to Nixon and the old status quo. When elected president of the United States in November, he achieved two historic milestones. He became the youngest man and the first Roman Catholic to hold the office, winning by a slim margin—fewer than 120,000 votes out of over 70 million cast.
Also, John F Kennedy gave the White House an unmistakable air of freshness and elegance with the help of his stunning young wife and their two young children, Caroline, born in 1957, and John Jr., born only a few weeks after the election. On January 20, 1961, the newly elected president delivered his inaugural speech, urging all Americans to band together not just in the fight against poverty and for development but also in the ongoing Cold War against communism in other parts of the world.
The Assassination of President Kennedy and the Ripple Effects
The president and his wife arrived in Dallas on November 22, 1963, after giving speeches the day before in San Antonio, Austin, and Fort Worth. Thereafter, the group then rode in a motorcade from the airport to the Dallas Trade Mart.
Gunshots rang out just after 12:30 p.m. as the convoy traveled through downtown Dallas. Kennedy sustained two gunshot wounds, one to the skull and one to the neck, and medical authorities pronounced him dead upon arrival at a local hospital.
Authorities apprehended 24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald, suspecting him of committing the murder and having Communist sympathies. However, two days later, as he was escorted to jail, local nightclub owner Jack Ruby shot and killed him.
Oswald had carried out the assassination alone, according to a presidential commission headed by Chief Justice Earl Warren, yet rumors and discussions about it have continued.
Furthermore, they were planning to transfer Oswald from police headquarters to the county prison on Sunday morning, November 24, 1963.
America-wide viewers of the live television coverage abruptly saw a guy aim a pistol and shoot at close range. A local nightclub owner named Jack Ruby was the assailant. At Parkland Hospital, Oswald passed away two hours later.
