Watch video of groundbreaking speeches made by President Kennedy.
January 20, 1961
Inaugural Address
From the East Portico of the U.S. Capitol, Kennedy told America that, as heirs to the ideals upon which the country was founded, it was every citizen's duty to endeavor to improve the quality of life for all world citizens; to ensure U.S. national security through the preponderance of military strength as a method of deterrence; and to seek the expansion of liberty by way of global democratization, citing a special commitment to the Americas. He also renewed U.S. support of its allies and the United Nations, which he termed the world's "last, best hope" in the era of weapons of mass destruction, and he called for negotiations to develop a comprehensive arms control and inspection regime. While reminding America that it would take lifetimes to achieve, Kennedy called upon the nation to lead the world in the quest to defeat "the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease and war itself."
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March 1, 1961
Statement Upon Signing the Order Establishing the Peace Corps
Kennedy established the Peace Corps by way of Executive Order No. 10924 on March 1, 1961. The corps' purpose was to deploy skilled Americans overseas to assist developing nations in the quest for modernity, a bulwark of world peace in Kennedy's view. The Peace Corps would be composed of volunteers, drawn from all levels of society. In cooperation with host governments, these volunteers would develop modernization programs needed in the countries. Kennedy saw the Peace Corps as an American commitment to freedom and peace by way of bringing fellow world citizens to a "decent way of life."
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June, 11, 1963
Report to the American People on Civil Rights
On June 11, 1963, Kennedy addressed the nation to discuss what had transpired at the University of Alabama that afternoon and to address what he termed a "moral crisis" in the country as a whole. Citing the hard-won liberties that America's commitment to democracy had afforded its citizenry, Kennedy challenged all Americans to recognize that none would be genuinely free until the chains of racial injustice were broken. In addition to asking every American to engage in some much needed soul-searching, he called for legislative action to ensure all citizens were afforded equal rights and opportunities, regardless of color.
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