President John F. Kennedy and His Inaugural Address Essay

January 20, 1961 will forever be a day that marks a special moment in time in which President John Fitzgerald Kennedy delivered one of the most memorable speeches in American History. His Inaugural address is one in which many famous quotes come from and one that is emulated in present speeches. In order to understand the importance of this inoculation one must understand the atmosphere of our nation at that time and what President Kennedy was trying to get across to his constituents. In this essay I will give you background information pertaining to the state our union in 1961; discuss the tone of the speech; and finally examine the impact that President Kennedy’s term played on our nation. The year of 1961 saw many highs for Americans†¦show more content†¦Kennedy’s speech was one of inspiration and hope. He wanted to win the confidence of his citizens by delivering a short speech filled with noble ideals (Matheson 11). President Kennedy starts his inaugural address by exclaiming his understanding that America was very different from that of the nation’s predecessors. The President also wanted to send out a warning to all other nations by letting them know that with him as commander-in-chief, America would â€Å"pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend or oppose any foe in order to assure the survival and success of liberty†(Kennedy 609). Basically he was stating that he would not think twice about using all possible forces in order to preserve peace and prosperity for the United States. He further goes on to offer his support to developing countries by pledging to help them help themselves but with a special st ipulation. He warned these nations to not lean on America’s success but to form their own freedom when he stated, â€Å"remember that, in the past, those who foolishly sought to find power by riding on the tiger’s back inevitably ended up inside† (Kennedy 609). Of all the very remarkable things that this president stated the thing that resonated with me was his backing of the United Nations which would have ultimately dissolved had we not given our support. As stated earlier, our nation was in an atomic war with the Soviet Union and the citizens of the United States wereShow MoreRelatedOn May 29, 1917, Brookline, Massachusetts, Mr. John Frederick806 Words   |  4 PagesBrookline, Massachusetts, Mr. John Frederick Kennedy was born. John F Kennedy was one of nine children born to Joseph and Rose Kennedy(a very wealthy family). His father Joseph Kennedy was a businessman and politician while his mother Rose Kennedy was a philanthropist and socialite. Due to his f amily’s wealth, John F Kennedy s education was more than respectable, attending many private schools since grade school. Once it was time for higher education John F Kennedy briefly attended Princeton UniversityRead MorePublic Service: John F. 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