the "frontier of 1960"
John. F. Kennedy's "New Frontier"
Summary
John F. Kennedy was the Democratic 35th president of the United States. When Kennedy accepted the Democratic nomination for the President of the United States at the Democratic National Convention, he delivered his monumental speech, "The New Frontier," where he explained how the United States was now faced with a New frontier, unlike any frontier America has seen before. During the mid-20th century, some Americans came to believe that there was no longer an American frontier-- every thing has been learnt, everything had been explored, and there was no room for improvement. In his speech, JFK claims how this is incorrect. Yes, the old frontier, the frontier of the 1800s is indeed over, however, this meant that there was a new frontier, the frontier of the 1960s. Kennedy argues that Americans in the 1960s were at the edge of a new frontier that carried new opportunities, uncharted territories (with a particular emphasis on outer space), and wars and battles that had not yet been won. JFK contrasts his "New Frontier" program to Wilson's New Freedom and Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal by claiming that unlike New Freedom and the New Deal, the "New Frontier" is not a set of promises. He claims that they are a set of challenges-- he want's to appeal to American pride and wants to encourage the return of pioneers. He wants Americans to use their perseverance, courage, and imagination to be "pioneers of the new frontier."
Connection to the Thesis
John F. Kennedy's New Frontier speech supports the thesis statement by explaining the status of the frontier during the 1960s. This artifact explains the effects of the frontier on American society, as not only was the "New frontier" an ambitious program to energize and excite Americans but it was also something to assist those in peril. When analyzing the aftermath of Kennedy's "New frontier" program, one can note the gaining momentum behind civil rights. He focused on equal employment for all American citizens and ensured that equal voting rights, regardless of race, were being obeyed by all states. This portrays the advancement of the civil rights frontier, a distinguishing characteristic of the 1960s as a whole. Had JFK not been assassinated in 1963, one can only contemplate the things his administration could have achieved. Kennedy "New Frontier" programs had a major impact on the American economy, as his policies stimulated economic growth which kept interest rates down. In terms of space exploration (and the expansion of the physical frontier), Kennedy appointed his vice president, Lyndon B. Johnson, as the chairman of the U.S. Space Council. He also was eager to enter the Space Race as a leading candidate. He was also an advocate for sending a manned mission to the moon, which was a major "leap" for the physical frontier and American society as a whole. Holistically, when analyzing JFK, one can see that he symbolizes the American frontier-- a figure striving for improvement, adventure, and progress.
John F. Kennedy was the Democratic 35th president of the United States. When Kennedy accepted the Democratic nomination for the President of the United States at the Democratic National Convention, he delivered his monumental speech, "The New Frontier," where he explained how the United States was now faced with a New frontier, unlike any frontier America has seen before. During the mid-20th century, some Americans came to believe that there was no longer an American frontier-- every thing has been learnt, everything had been explored, and there was no room for improvement. In his speech, JFK claims how this is incorrect. Yes, the old frontier, the frontier of the 1800s is indeed over, however, this meant that there was a new frontier, the frontier of the 1960s. Kennedy argues that Americans in the 1960s were at the edge of a new frontier that carried new opportunities, uncharted territories (with a particular emphasis on outer space), and wars and battles that had not yet been won. JFK contrasts his "New Frontier" program to Wilson's New Freedom and Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal by claiming that unlike New Freedom and the New Deal, the "New Frontier" is not a set of promises. He claims that they are a set of challenges-- he want's to appeal to American pride and wants to encourage the return of pioneers. He wants Americans to use their perseverance, courage, and imagination to be "pioneers of the new frontier."
Connection to the Thesis
John F. Kennedy's New Frontier speech supports the thesis statement by explaining the status of the frontier during the 1960s. This artifact explains the effects of the frontier on American society, as not only was the "New frontier" an ambitious program to energize and excite Americans but it was also something to assist those in peril. When analyzing the aftermath of Kennedy's "New frontier" program, one can note the gaining momentum behind civil rights. He focused on equal employment for all American citizens and ensured that equal voting rights, regardless of race, were being obeyed by all states. This portrays the advancement of the civil rights frontier, a distinguishing characteristic of the 1960s as a whole. Had JFK not been assassinated in 1963, one can only contemplate the things his administration could have achieved. Kennedy "New Frontier" programs had a major impact on the American economy, as his policies stimulated economic growth which kept interest rates down. In terms of space exploration (and the expansion of the physical frontier), Kennedy appointed his vice president, Lyndon B. Johnson, as the chairman of the U.S. Space Council. He also was eager to enter the Space Race as a leading candidate. He was also an advocate for sending a manned mission to the moon, which was a major "leap" for the physical frontier and American society as a whole. Holistically, when analyzing JFK, one can see that he symbolizes the American frontier-- a figure striving for improvement, adventure, and progress.
"[W]e stand today on the edge of a New Frontier— the frontier of the 1960s, the frontier of unknown opportunities and perils, the frontier of unfilled hopes and unfilled threats… beyond that frontier are uncharted areas of science and space, unsolved problems of peace and war, unconquered problems of ignorance and prejudice, unanswered questions of poverty and surplus."
~John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 1960