When John F. Kennedy entered the presidential limousine at Love Field in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963, he began his ride into history. That journey continues even today and we call it the Kennedy legacy.
This course will explore the Presidency, assassination, and lasting legacy of President John F. Kennedy. Students will learn how JFK’s life, administration, and tragic death have influenced the general public, the media, and each of the nine U.S. presidents who followed.
Understanding the Kennedy legacy and being able to identify elements of his legacy within the context of modern politics helps understand many of the vexing problems that developed over the last half century as well as many of the challenges that confront us today.
November 22, 1963 was so powerful a moment that in the fifty years since the assassination, every U.S. President that followed JFK has used Kennedy’s words and actions in an effort to craft their own political image. Why does Kennedy’s influence persist, and will it continue? What are the effects?
We’ll address these questions and more as we explore The Kennedy Half Century.
Follow on Twitter: @JFKclass.
What's included
9 videos
Show info about module content
9 videos•Total 106 minutes
Introduction•19 minutes
JFK: Rise to Power•11 minutes
Kennedy's Legislative Career•9 minutes
JFK Takes to the National Stage•10 minutes
Campaign for the Presidency•9 minutes
Religion and Politics•18 minutes
The 1960 Debates•10 minutes
Heading to Election Day•7 minutes
The 1960 Election•14 minutes
The Kennedy Presidency and Assassination
Module 2•2 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
11 videos1 reading
Show info about module content
11 videos•Total 133 minutes
Kennedy's Inauguration: The Torch is Passed•10 minutes
Civil Rights•18 minutes
The Space Program•6 minutes
Containing Communism: The Bay of Pigs Disaster•10 minutes
The Berlin Crisis•12 minutes
The Cuban Missile Crisis Part 1•10 minutes
The Cuban Missile Crisis Part 2•8 minutes
The Assassination •10 minutes
The Assassination: Parkland Hospital, a New President, & a National Funeral•18 minutes
The 50th Anniversary Ceremony in Dallas•11 minutes
Oswald•20 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
Resources•10 minutes
The Kennedy Legacy Begins
Module 3•3 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
13 videos
Show info about module content
13 videos•Total 161 minutes
The Assassination: Ballistic Evidence•10 minutes
The Assassination: Physical Evidence•5 minutes
The Warren Commission•14 minutes
The Mysterious Motorcycle•20 minutes
The Dictabelt•13 minutes
New Information Since the 50th•16 minutes
Conspiracy Theories I•17 minutes
Conspiracy Theories II•13 minutes
President Lyndon Johnson I•7 minutes
President Lyndon Johnson II•13 minutes
President Lyndon Johnson III•11 minutes
President Richard Nixon•7 minutes
President Gerald Ford•15 minutes
The Kennedy Effect Over Fifty Years
Module 4•2 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
11 videos1 assignment
Show info about module content
11 videos•Total 113 minutes
President Jimmy Carter, Part One•8 minutes
President Jimmy Carter, Part Two•11 minutes
President Ronald Reagan I•8 minutes
President Ronald Reagan II•7 minutes
President Ronald Reagan III•6 minutes
President George H.W. Bush•6 minutes
President Bill Clinton•14 minutes
President George W. Bush•10 minutes
President Barack Obama•17 minutes
Conclusion: A Flame Eternal?•17 minutes
Who Was the Real JFK•9 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Final•30 minutes
Instructor
Instructor ratings
Instructor ratings
We asked all learners to give feedback on our instructors based on the quality of their teaching style.
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Learner reviews
4.7
505 reviews
5 stars
75.29%
4 stars
17.58%
3 stars
4.94%
2 stars
1.97%
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0.19%
Showing 3 of 505
E
EO
5·
Reviewed on Dec 5, 2020
I did not know that President JFK's legacy would extend until the 45th President of the United States, Barack Obama. An interesting course to take.
C
CO
5·
Reviewed on May 12, 2020
Very well put together and presented. New information is provided even for us Boomers who grew up absorbing anything about the life, death and work of Kennedy. Thank you very much.
J
JN
5·
Reviewed on Jul 4, 2017
Larry Sabato is a true genius in political thought. Great realizing that he is fascinated by John Kennedy as I am. There was technical difficulty in Coursera realizing that I had finished the course.
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