John F. Kennedy and the Desire to Land an American on the Moon

Abstract

This paper examine John F. Kennedy and how the conditions of the Cold War influenced his decision to launch the Apollo Program in 1961 and eventually land an American on the Moon. This paper argues that Kennedy adopted this program due to the pressure evoked on him from the previous Eisenhower administration and the political embarrassments of his early administration, being the Bay of Pigs invasion and the successful spaceflight of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. Kennedy's space efforts reflected a response to Cold War conflicts and allowed him to cement in legacy is Cold War lure. An examination and analyzation of many of Kennedy's speeches and actions provide the foundation of evidence for these claims.