Who Shot JKF?

Who is JFK?
JFK is John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States. Originally a senator from Massachusetts, Kennedy who provided a more youthful and charismatic view of the Federal Government. As he was the second youngest and the first Roman Catholic president, many doubted his abilities. But JFK was able to trumph these doubts with his charming and convincing appearances during the televised debates in the election of 1960, where he outshone competitor Richard Nixon. In addition, his support for the Civil Rights Movement captured the attention- and votes- of many in the African-American community.

Tensions Arise
Despite his well-accepted popularity in the United States, there were still those, particularily in the South, who aggresively opposed his stance on Civil Rights. The passionate opposition radically increased after JFK had his Attorney General, Robert (Bobby) Kennedy and the justice department investigate lynchings there. He also prestented Congress with a major Civil Rights Bill, instigating further opposition to his policies.

Kennedy had (albeit more reluctantly than Republican Eisenhower) also adopted the same anti-communist stance that the US government was expected to keep in the Cold War against the USSR. He approved the Bay of Pigs attack by Cuban counter-revolutionaries and CIA operatives. Later, he took the blame for its failure and negotiated with Fidel Castro for the release of the captured agents. He stood firm during the Soviet missile crisis, forcing Soviet ships providing nuclear weapons to Cuba, and denied Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev from blockading West Berlin during the building of the Berlin wall. Although this culled some favor among Americans, it clearly angered one man...

The Assassination
In response to the downward trend of popularity among Southern voters, the first family visited Dallas, Texas on November, 22nd, 1963. As JFK, his wife, Jacqueline and Governor,John Connally, traveled through the streets of Dallas, they recieved a surprisingly warm welcome from the citizens. Near the Texas School Book Depository, Nelly, the governor's wife said to JFK, "Dallas [is] friendly to you today."
At that moment, a rifle was fired, and a bullet penatrated the back of President Kennedy's skull. Despite an efficent rush to the hospital and frantic attempts by doctors, John F. Kennedy was dead.

The Assassin
Soon Americans crowded around their TV sets; everyone had the same question-- who dun it?

mericans watched Dallas police charge Lee Harvey Oswald- whose fingerprints were found on the rifle used in the assassination- with the murder. Oswald, who had deserted the Marines after a dishonorable discharge, had lived in the USSR and had been a supporter of Fidel Castro. There was even some evidence that his family had been white supremacists. Unfortunately for investigators, two days after the assassination, Oswald himself was killed by nightclub owner Jack Ruby while he was being transfered between jails.

The Aftermath
Many different government organizations and individuals have held multiple theories about the murder. The original 1963 Warren Commission stated that these were the actions of a single madman, but a1979 re-investigation hinted at conspiracy and discovered that Oswald was not the only shooter that day. Other explanations have included Cuban counter-revolutionaries, USSR connections, and a CIA cover-up.

While we did lose a great leader, the US showed its resilience in the smooth transition to the Johnson Presidency. The night Kennedy was killed, Vice President Lyndon Johnson took the oath of office aboard Air Force One, and with his own style of leadership, continued the same reforms begun by JFK, which would be seen in the late 60s.

-Gayan and Cat