The Assassination of John F. Kennedy The past is what defines us, binds us, and even curses us. We can easily see this as we look back on all of the horrific events we have tried to overcome as a nation. Most Americans viewed the 1960’s as a time when anything seemed possible. Moreover, many Americans saw Kennedy as a symbol of hope, and of everything that the U.S. could accomplish during his presidency (O’Neill 2). Little did we know that his visit to Dallas, Texas, would come be cut short and left the world in shock. John F. Kennedy’s tragic death left many questions unanswered, caused many conspiracy theories to arise, and shaped the future. At the age of 43, John F. Kennedy was the youngest and the first Catholic man elected for president (O’Neill 2). He is described as having youthful energy, was seen by many as admirable, and his self-confidence gave others hope (“John Fitzgerald Kennedy” 2). His concern with Civil Rights and the improvement of our equipment to expand our exploration into space was the start of new opportunities for our country after the end of WWII, amongst the struggles with handling the Cold War (Cawley 4). Supporting this movement was one of his goals for his second term in office (O’Neill 2). In Dallas, Texas, he planned to deliver a speech at the Trade Mart, to help him gain support for the 1964 election (Cawley 5). …show more content…
His death left Americans wondering if it hadn’t been for his death, would there have been hope to end our country’s involvement in Vietnam (Schlesinger Jr. 10). In addition to those concerns, there have been conspiracy theories ranging from the murder was planned by the mob, or Cuba was at fault, to the murder must have involved more than one person. These ideas were proved false in September 1964 when President Johnson ordered an investigation of the assassination, called the Warren Commission (Cawley