John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)

* photo courtesy of http://capcake.fc2web.com/dc/dc4.htm

Interview with Mary Ellen Gray (relation:mother)

1. Q: How old were you when President Kennedy was shot and do you remember where you were?
A: Yes, I was sixteen and I was in my english class.
2. Q: How were you told ?
A: The principal knocked on the door of the classroom and was talking to the teacher and then the teacher told the class that the president had been shot and was in critical condition.
3. Q: What were the reactions of everyone?
A: All my classmates and teachers were in shock and began getting upset and the school was dismissed early.
4. Q: What did you do once you were released from school?
A: I went home and turned on the TV right away. All the channels were news and they were replaying the shooting and were interviewing witnesses. I was glued to the TV for the rest of the day and was watching when they announced the president was in fact dead.
5: Q: What were the reactions of everyone when they found out he was dead?
A: It was very, very sad. People began going to church and had many memorial services. People were very sad because he was such a popular president.
6: Q:What was it like the days following his death?
A: Everyone pretty much stayed glued their TV. So much happened in the days that followed. I remember Johnson was immediately sworn in and then a couple days later I remember seeing Jack Ruby kill Lee harvey Oswald. Everyone was so shocked, no one could believe this was happening.
7. Q: Do you remember watching the funeral for the President?
A: Yes, I remember seeing a rider-less horse with the riding boots and stir-ups backwards, which stood for a fallen hero. I also, remember seeing Jackie with her widows veil walking with her two little children in the funeral procession. It was such a long ordeal and I felt so bad for Jackie, but she stood there so strong and brave.
8: Q: Can you compare the nation's morale from before and then after the assassination?
A: President Kennedy was one of the most energetic and youngest presidents and he always gave the country a sense of security and that we were on top of things. After he died there was so much confusion. People were saying the assassination was a Russian conspiracy and everyone felt nervous. I would say that the assassination started a period of uncertainty.

Where were you when ....?

I have always heard the question asked, "Where were you when when Kennedy was shot?" At first I really did not understand why people were always asked this, but then tragedy striked on September 11th. I can remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I found out and now I can understand the question. It seems that every generation faces at least one tragedy. My grandmother's generation faced the attacks on Pearl Harbor, my mother's generation lived through the Kennedy Assassination, and now I have lived through September 11th. Such horrific events just stay imbedded into your mind for the rest of your life and will never be forgotten.

Annotated Bibliography - Thesis Statement

At the beginning of the Kennedy Presidency, Americans had hopes for a bright future. After November 22, 1963, the assassination of the President, a nation went into a state of shock and confusion.

Annotated Bibliography - Newspaper Article

Pollock, Ellen. Film of JFK's Assassination Gets Price Tag of $16 Million." Wall Street Journal [New York]04 Aug. 1999: B1(E).

This newspaper is a great way to fully understand the legacy of President Kennedy. Even though he has been dead for decades now, his still remains in the heart of the nation. The article tells of how much a film of his death is worth millions of dollars to people even though he has been dead for so long. The article shows that JFK will always remain a part of our history and that he will never be forgotten by the American people. It does not matter whether or not someone was alive to witness his assassination, the John F. Kennedy will always be remembered.

Annotated Bibliography - The History Channel

The History Channel - Video & Speeches. 15 Apr. 2006 <http://www.historychannel.com/broadband/searchbrowse/index.jsp>.

This webpage contains various video and audio clips of President Kennedy. Anywhere from him announcing his candidacy for president to the day of his assassination can be found on this webpage. This site will allow you to take a journey through his brief time as president and allows people to see what everyone was watching on their televisions back in the early 1960s. This page is a great first hand account of President Kennedy and helps to better understand how people saw him as a beloved president and mourned his loss.

Annotated Bibliography - Dallas Police Tapes

The JFK Assassination Dallas Police Tapes. 29 Mar. 2006 <http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/dpdtapes/>.

This webpage contains recordings of the actual radio channels that the Dallas, Texas police used the day of the assassination. It includes radio conversation from a few minutes before the president was shot until they have found Lee Harvey Oswald, the shooter. Although some of the audio is hard to decipher, the page also contains dialog of exactly what they are saying. The webpage gives a real life account of how people were reacting to the assassination. It is a great way to understand the frenzy that ensued after the shots were fired and helps to better understand what went down on that day.

Annotated Bibliography - John F. Kennedy Library

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. 03 Apr. 2006 <http://www.jfklibrary.org/>.

This website contains a vast amount of information on John F. Kennedy. The website holds many historical resources and gives many unique facts about President Kennedy. It contains an exclusive diary of President Kennedy’s days in office. The White House Diary takes you through day by day and tells exactly what President Kennedy did on that specific day. The site also contains a timeline of American history throughout Kennedy’s term as President. There is also a section that gives detailed descriptions of all the events that took place while Kennedy was in office. This website is full of factual information dealing with President Kennedy and is a great place to access information on the former president.

*photo courtesy of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.

Annotated Bibliography - Video Clip of Funeral Procession

"JFK Funeral Video Clips." 01 May 2006 <http://www.searchforvideo.com/
search.jsp?k=JFK%27s+Funeral>.

This webpage contains an actual video clip of President Kennedy’s funeral procession. This short, four minute clip shows exactly what it was like to be alive during this event. It is a first hand look at how people from were reacting to this dreadful situation. The clip states that a quarter of a million people waited outside for nearly twelve hours in a line that stretched for ten miles just to pass by the dead president coffin. The clip shows how somber of day it was as this nation mourned the loss of a beloved president. This is a very moving clip and it is great way to fully understand the depth of this tragedy on the nation.

Video clip can be seen here

* photo courtesy of http://www.glynn.k12.ga.us/BHS/academics/junior/durham/curtisl07183/home.html.

Annotated Bibliography - The John F. Kennedy Assassination Homepage

Schuster, Ralph. The John F. Kennedy Assassination Homepage. 25 Apr.2006 <http://www.jfk-assassination.de/index.php>.

This website contains an excellent media library that contains various sources from around the time that President Kennedy was shot. The website has various media clips of radio broadcasts from the day of the assassination. People can listen to the speech that President Kennedy gave that morning before he was shot or a clip of the announcement that the president was in fact dead. The site also contains photos and drawings that were used to help determine exactly how the president was killed. The site is a great way to understand the reactions of people at the time it was happening and also a great way to see how the events unfolded on that horrific day.

* photo courtesy of http://www.jfk-assassination.de/index.php

Annotated Bibliography - High Treason

Groden, Robert, and Harrison Edward Livingstone. High Treason. Baltimore, MA: The Conservatory Press, 1989.

In this book many questions are brought up about the assassination of President Kennedy. The book challenges the Warren Commission Report and brings up many unanswered questions surrounding the assassination. This book acknowledges the fact that there are many theories of what and who killed President Kennedy. The authors of this book did extensive research and bring up valid information dealing with the assassination.

The mystery of the assassination may never truly be solved, but this book gives people the information they need to come up with their own conclusion of what really happened.

*photo courtesy of amazon.com

Annotated Bibliography - The Warren Commission Report

United States. Report of the President’s Commission on the Assassination of President John F.Kennedy. The Warren Commission Report. 1964. New York, NY: St.Martin’s Press.

This book contains the official and complete report of the Warren Commission Report. This book gives the entire investigation conducted under President Johnson’s order on President Kennedy’s assassination. It gives all the information and research that was conducted after the assassination and gives the evidence that the Commission used to come up with their conclusions on the killing of the president. This is the document that, although is considered highly controversial, concludes that Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President Kennedy.

This book may not exactly be a fun read since it contains the official report by the Commission, but is extremely factual. It gives a lot of insight into what the happenings were on the day of the assassination and unfolds one of the theories of how President Kennedy was killed.

*photo courtesy of http://www.total411.info/2004/10/warren-commission-turns-40.html

The Kennedy Name

Everyone has heard something about the Kennedy's. Whether it is the picture perfect story of Camelot or the horrifying notion of the Kennedy Curse, the name Kennedy is recognized by the nation. The name Kennedy has always been a subject of interest or scandal. We have all seen the photos of the handsome president and his fashionable wife. We have all seen the horrifying images of the day the president was shot. We have all seen the somber photo of JFK Jr. saluting his father at his funeral. Forty-three years after the assassination of JFK, I find myself being drawn to the story of the Kennedy’s even though I was no where near being born. The story of so much hope and potential as the Kennedy’s entered the White House and the suddenness with which it ended, the story of the Kennedy’s will always be a significant part of our history.

* photo courtesy of http://www.jfkin61.com/biographies/jackie_biography.html