John F. Kennedy

Steve Knott: Coming to Terms with "Camelot"

by Tom Nichols

Tom Nichols interviews presidential historian Steve Knott, who discusses how the JFK legacy has shifted with political trends and how the JFK Library has sometimes put politics over history. 

Biden, National Archives Sued for Delayed Release of JFK Assassination Records

Although the decision to delay a Congressionally-mandated release should not be taken as proof of any assassination conspiracy theories, historians argue the documents are necessary to fully understand a tumultuous period in the nation's history. 

What the Cuban Missile Crisis Teaches Us about Ending the Ukraine War

by Walter G. Moss

Many people have invoked JFK's handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis as a reminder of the need for toughness in international confrontation. The equally vital but less popular lesson is that creative leadership is just as important. 

Rednecks for Kennedy: How an Urban Democrat Could Build Bridges to Rural America

by Jeff Bloodworth

The cultural divide between urban and rural America is real and politically significant. But the Kennedy administration's success in Oklahoma shows that a coalition can be built with a combination of transactional politics and committed outreach. 

Even With the Challenge of a Nuclear Crisis, 1962 Was a Year of Hope

by Walter G. Moss

For HNN Contributing Editor Walter Moss, 1962 was a year when it seemed the US was capable of overcoming the gravest challenges with positive results (it was a good year for him personally, too). 

A Purgatorial Message from JFK to Joe Biden

by Andrew Bacevich

"I urge you to think carefully before making the leap into such an unmourned past.  Whatever your political advisers may imagine, displays of presidential toughness aren’t what our nation needs right now."

Irwin Gellman Asks: Did JFK Steal Victory in the "Campaign of the Century"?

by Justin P. Coffey

Irwin Gellman's latest volume in his political history of Nixon argues the 1960 election returns in Illinois and Texas were rigged for Kennedy. A reviewer finds the case is intriguing but falls short of solid proof, though it does resonate with charges of stolen elections and media favoritism that are all too familiar today. 

Popular Histories Have Influenced World Leaders, Sometimes For the Better

by Robert Brent Toplin

Although the popular history genre is often maligned, historians should reflect on the role of Barbara Tuchman's 1962 "The Guns of August" in guiding JFK away from the brink of nuclear war and recognize the power of a story clearly told.

The Homophobic Background to Jim Garrison's Persecution of Clay Shaw

by Martin J. Kelly, Jr.

Alecia Long's book argues that Jim Garrison's prosecution of Clay Shaw as a conspirator in the Kennedy assassination was steeped in homophobia and leveraged the defendant's inability to properly defend himself because of the illegality of homosexuality to make up for lack of evidence. 

History Suggests Biden Should Ditch His Yes-Men

"Part of the problem with the Afghanistan decision-making process was that the president didn’t appear to be hearing dissent from his political aides."

Ending the Kennedy Romance (Frederick Logevall's JFK Bio Reviewed)

by Michael Kazin

Frederick Logevall's biography, written by a scholar who didn't experience the Camelot myth firsthand, should point toward a clearer-headed consideration of JFK's legacy, argues Michael Kazin. 

JFK Saw Irish Language Revival as ‘A Waste of National Efforts’

Though his election created great enthusiasm in Ireland, John F. Kennedy did not agree with the cultural nationalist project of reviving the Irish language that was dear to Irish leader Eamon De Valera. 

60 Years Later: The Enduring Legacy of the Bay of Pigs Fiasco

by Stephen F. Knott

The failed invasion of Cuba by CIA-trained operatives at the Bay of Pigs set the Kennedy administration on a path of increasingly abusive covert operations against the communist regime, with consequences for US-Cuban relations and American foreign policy that still reverberate. 

Can Biden Fulfill JFK's Incomplete Promise of a Peace Presidency?

by Martin Halpern

Today's global problems require leadership from a "peace presidency" that prioritizes global public health, international cooperation, and human rights over militarism and arms. 

Opportunities for a Catholic President, Then and Now

by Patrick Lacroix

Polling of religious voters might encourage Democrats to give up on reaching them. John F. Kennedy's experience shows that Joe Biden, as the second Catholic President, could succeed in narrowing the gap. 

Will Biden Shake Up a Century of US-Ireland Relations?

by Mark Holan

As the second Irish-American Catholic president, Joe Biden may be expected to sprinkle his speeches with lines from Seamus Heaney, but he's likely to tread a moderate path as issues like Brexit test the Irish-American relationship. 

Reflections on Fredrik Logevall's "JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956"

by Sheldon M. Stern

Fredrik Logevall's new JFK biography is one of the first by a historian who did not personally experience the Kennedy years. Longtime JFK Library historian says this is all to the good, as Logevall makes extensive use of available primary sources to place Kennedy's political and diplomatic views in the context of his formative experiences in wartime. 

Biden Could Redefine What It Means To Be ‘A Catholic In Good Standing.’

Joe Biden will not enjoy the solid support from Catholic Americans that JFK did. But his presidency may force the Church into necessary consideration of its public priorities. 

To Understand The Spectacle Of Presidential Debates, Look Back To 1960, Says Harvard Historian

Fred Logevall, author of a new JFK biography, discusses the 1960 presidential debates between Kennedy and Nixon. 

If only Richard Nixon had Listened to Jackie Robinson — The GOP Might be Doing Better than Trump Today

by Paul Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick

Despite Jackie Robinson's intercession, Richard Nixon's moment of indecision in 1960 allowed Jack Kennedy to connect his campaign with the cause of Martin Luther King and civil rights.