SpeechesPresident Kennedy's speeches were something to behold. His address to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association was by far one of his most memorable. He addressed the prejudice that Catholics faced in politics. Everyone 'assumed' that as President, any Catholic in office may take orders from the Pope, therefore undermining the country. He addressed the people's fear and revealed to them what it really was. His City Upon the Hill speech was just another one of his great speeches. Kennedy was able to use his great ability of speaking to connect with every person who listened to him. He made them seem as if they were all personal friends, and that they were all cherished deeply.
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Assassination On November 22nd, 1963, America was sent into shock. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while campaigning for his second term in presidency in Texas. Touring Texas had been a risk, for there was a small group of extremists were causing tension between political leaders. Kennedy ignored the risk and went to Texas anyway, knowing he needed Texas's vote to stay in office. He was assassinated while on his way to Dallas. Mrs. Kennedy, Governor Connally, and the governor's wife were all present during his death. Kennedy was rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital, but there was little they could have done. President Kennedy was pronounced dead at 1:00 pm. Governor Connally was also shot in the chest, but he was able to recover.
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the first roman Catholic president
Catholicism was essentially taboo when it came to politics. Before Kennedy ran for presidency in 1960, there had only been one other catholic nominee, Governor Alfred E. Smith. Kennedy was given the hard task of overcoming the masses. He joined the West Virginia Primary, which Catholics only constituted 4% of electoral votes. After seeing he was 20 points behind, Kennedy addressed the issue. His speech helped him win, along with his family's money, by 93,000 to 61,000. That wasn't the end of the issue, unfortunately. Kennedy was attacked by 150 Protestant ministers in Washington, and three American born bishops in Puerto Rico. Instead of directly focusing on them, Kennedy went on with the rest of his campaign, barely managing to win the election.