Name: ______Date:______Social Studies 8 Election of 1960 SUMMARY OF PARAGRAPH Since 1953, Dwight Eisenhower – a Republican – had served as president. Eisenhower had been popular as the leading Allied general in World War II, and the older generation of Americans who had fought in the war greatly admired and supported him as president. Eisenhower’s vice president, Richard Nixon, was running to continue the Republican policies of Eisenhower. John F. Kennedy, a Democrat, ran against Nixon. Kennedy was young and less experienced than Nixon, but very popular among younger Americans and those who wanted to see a change from the Republican leadership of the past eight years.

SUMMARY OF PARAGRAPH The election of 1960 was the first major election that Americans followed on television. Kennedy and Nixon faced off in the first-ever televised debate. Kennedy seemed very comfortable and self-assured in front of the cameras while Nixon did not. On Election Day, Kennedy won by a very close margin, and some believe that his televised debate performance may have made the difference. Kennedy entered the Oval Office in 1961 as the youngest U.S. president ever. Many worried that his youth and inexperience would hurt the United States in the Cold War. In April 1961, just three months into

his term, Kennedy faced his first major Cold War crisis… The United States and Cuba during the Cold War: BAY OF PIGS INVASION

VS.

Nikita Khrushchev Fidel Castro John F. Kennedy Soviet Union leader Communist dictator of Cuba U.S. President After the Spanish American War in 1898, the United States had a close relationship with Cuba. The U.S. had gotten Cuba free from Spanish rule, but then treated it as a protectorate – a country that is partially independent but partially controlled by another nation. The United States had invested millions of dollars in Cuban mines and plantations. However, everything changed in 1959 when Fidel Castro led a revolution that set up a communist nation in Cuba. Castro’s government took over private companies, including many owned by American businesses. 2. Which country do you think supported Castro and Cuba? Why? ______

3. Why would American officials fear an alliance between Cuba and the Soviet Union? ______

THE U.S. PLANS TO REMOVE CASTRO…

The CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) had been working on a plan to overthrow Castro and prevent other Latin American nations close to Cuba from falling to communism. The plan called for an invasion of Cuba by a force of 1,200 Cuban exiles (people forced to leave Cuba when Castro came to power). These exiles had been trained by American forces for some time, and were sure that once they invaded Cuba, thousands of other Cuban citizens and even people in the Cuban military would join them and help to overthrow Castro. All that was left was the approval of the new president, John F. Kennedy. Kennedy had actually complained, during his presidential campaign, that Republicans were not doing enough to stop Castro.

4. If you were President Kennedy, would you approve this plan? Explain. ______

THE “BAY OF PIGS” MISSION…

Kennedy approved the plan, which would be known as the “Bay of Pigs” invasion. On April 17, 1961 about 1,300 exiles, armed with U.S. weapons, landed at the Bay of Pigs, on the southern coast of Cuba. It was obvious, however, from the first hours of fighting, that the exiles were likely to lose. President Kennedy had the option of using the U.S. Air Force against the Cubans but decided against it. The invasion was stopped by Castro's army. By the time the fighting ended on April 19, 90 exiles had been killed and the rest had been taken as prisoners. Castro ransomed the exiles for $60 million in food and medicine. Worst of all, Khrushchev saw the U.S. involvement in Cuba as an “attack” on the Soviet Union, and warned the U.S. not to become involved in Cuba.

5. If you were President Kennedy, which action would you take after learning of this mission’s failure? Check one… ___ Attempt another invasion using Cuban exiles. ___ Attempt another invasion, this time using American forces directly against Cuba. ___ Leave Cuba alone for now and see what Castro does next. ___ Make a treaty with Castro, recognizing him as the legitimate ruler. ___ Another option (explain) ______EXPLAIN your reasoning for the option you chose. (If you chose “another option” you don’t need to explain again.) ______