Virginia Phelps

May 24, 2010

Ms. Marston
 2010 AP UNITED STATES HISTORY DOCUMENT BASED
QUESTION

UNITED STATES HISTORY

SECTION II
Part A
(Suggested writing time—45 minutes)
Percent of Section II score—45

1. Discuss the following statement, “The public handling of John. F. Kennedy’s

assassination was responsible for creating the atmosphere of suspicion that lingers
today.”

Document A

Source: “Remarks of the President on Nationwide Radio and Television: June 11, 1963.”
(Delivered by John F. Kennedy five months before his assassination.)
Good evening my fellow citizens,
This afternoon, following a series of threats and defiant statements, the presence of
Alabama National Guardsmen was required on the University of Alabama to carry out
the final and unequivocal order of the United States District Court of the Northern
District of Alabama. That order called for the admission of two clearly qualified young
Alabama residents who happened to have been born Negro…
I hope that every American, regardless of where he lives, will stop and examine his
conscience about this and other related incidents. This Nation was founded by men of
many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created
equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are
threatened.”
 Document B

Source: “Motion Picture Film Sequence Relates in Detail the

Assassination of Kennedy.” New York Times. 30 Nov 1963.
 Document C

Source: “Brown Sobs at News Conference in Capitol” Los Angeles Times Nov 23, 1963.

SACRAMENTO (UPI)–
Gov. Brown, his eyes filled withtears, [sic] Friday that President Kennedy’s death was a
further sacrifice that this man has made to peace and understanding in te [sic] world.”
“One of the great American Presidents has died,” he said…
Brown sobbed as he prefaced a short statement, and said he hoped President Kennedy’s
“sacrifice may bring abut [sic] a lessoning [sic] of some of the hatred, not only in our
own country but in the world.”…
Offeringhis [sic] personal condolences, the governor said he hoped everyone in
California would offer a prayer. He asked everyone to go home and canceled his own
appointments for the rest of the day.
“/I don’t think it would be fitting for any work to be done today,” Brown said…
Jack Burby, his news secretary… said the governor then returned to his office, where he
remained in seclusion under “deep shock”. Brown’s first words were: “Oh, my God.”
Later, Burby went into the governor’s office at the request of newsmen and brought out
this message: “Just tell them I’m praying.”
 Document D

Source: Phelan, James R. “The Assassination.” New York Times. 23 Nov

1975.
 Document E

Source: “Report of the President’s Commission on the Assassination of

President Kennedy.” President’s Commission on the Assassination of
President Kennedy. 24 Sep 1964.

The assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy on November 22, 1963, was a cruel and
shocking act of violence directed against a man, a family, a nation, and against all
mankind. A young and vigorous leader whose years of public and private life stretched
before him was the victim of the fourth Presidential assassination in the history of a
country dedicated to the concepts of reasoned argument and peaceful political change.
This Commission was created on November 29, 1963, in recognition of the right of
people everywhere to full and truthful knowledge concerning these events. This report
endeavors to fulfill that right and to appraise this tragedy by the light of reason and the
standard of fairness. It has been prepared with a deep awareness of the Commission's
responsibility to present to the American people an objective report of the facts relating to
the assassination.
 Document F

Source: “Garrison Calls Warren Report ‘Fairy Tale’ in TV Appearance.” New York
Times. 16 July 1967.

District Attorney Jim Garrison said in a nationwide television program tonight that the
Warren Commission’s conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald was the sole assassin of
President Kennedy was a “fairy tale.” President Kennedy was assassinated by men who
sought to obtain a radical change in our foreign policy, particularly in regard to Cuba,”
Mr. Garrison said. The New Orleans prosecutor said that he intended to pursue his
investigation until the “truth” has become known…

The National Broadcasting Company issued the following statement last night:…
Mr. Garrison’s contention that N.B.C. News has conspired with government agencies and
other news media to discredit his activities also is untrue. N.B.C. News presented ‘The
J.F.K. Conspiracy: The Case of Jim Garrison’ on its own initiative in a spirit of
journalistic enterprise.
 Document G

Lardner, George, Jr. “New Tests Said to Match Fragments in Kennedy, Connally.” The
Washington Post. 9 Sep 1978.
A ballistics expert, Larry Sturdivan, uses giant models of bullets for presentation before committee.
 Document H

Source: “Senate Panel Seeking to Cut Public Access to CIA Data” The Washington Post
Jan 24, 1980.

Much of the information CIA has had to make public in recent years—from its files on
the Kennedy assassination and the agency’s drug-experimentation programs to its
domestic spying operations—could be denied automatically under this new rule…
[Huddleston] maintained that the Intelligence committees could be trusted to serve as
“proxies not only for Congress but for the people.” “You just can’t make it all public,” he
declared. “You’ve got to have confidence in somebody.”
The national hysteria that followed John. F. Kennedy’s death was a
result of national divisions, media sensationalism, grief, and
government mismanagement.

Document A
Kennedy’s clear support of civil rights challenged many
Americans’ racist perceptions. His speech supporting the
desegregation of the University of Alabama is an example of his
reforming trajectory. The student might make a note of the careful
wording in Kennedy’s speech: his reference to the Bill of Rights, the
national pride, and the American immigrant heritage. Kennedy was
representing the greater movement more racial equality, and his
status as a moral and spiritual leader gained him many fervent
supporters. His ability to use precise language as well as the new
technology available to him, the radio and television, made Kennedy a
great personal success with people all over the world.
This document demonstrates Kennedy’s optimistic policy goals,
showing the mounting tension that surrounded his short presidency.
His divisive politics made Kennedy a target for more than one radical
group, making the investigation of his assassination all the more
difficult. The student might reference the recent wave of McCarthyism,
and the Red Scare, with examples such as the Rosenberg Case, the
Federal Loyalty Program, and the McCarran Internal Security Act.
Kennedy’s stance on civil rights is also demonstrated in this speech, so
the student could choose to make references to Brown v. Board of
Education and the new Immigration Act.

Document B

The film sequence capturing the assassination attests to the

intense national interest in the hard facts of the assassination. These
frames were reprinted in newspapers across the country, and
thousands of people studied them in an effort to discover the truth
about Kennedy’s death. The motion picture also demonstrates the
nation’s unpreparedness for the assassination. Kennedy moved
through crowds of Americans, not even wearing a bullet-proof vest,
trailed by a few secret service men. The surprise and confusion that
ensued clearly stemmed from the innocent hope of Kennedy’s
supporters.
The student might reference the new technology of television
and radio, which allowed Kennedy’s assassination to be broadcast
across the world. She might also draw a parallel between the
sensational “yellow journalism” and this treatment of Kennedy’s
assassination. The “loss of American innocence” was a crucial turning
point for American politics. The divisions between left and right
approached the magnitude of controversy leading to the Civil War.

Document C

The national response to Kennedy’s death was one of hysteria.

The hurriedly dashed off newspaper report covering California
Governor Brown’s news conference expressed nothing but confusion
and sorrow. The multiplicity of typos in the newspaper reports
reflected the hurried coverage of the news. When citizens needed
government stability and comfort the most, the leaders were
themselves breaking down. The document also references the
international audience that was touched by the news of President
Kennedy’s assassination.
The student may contrast the mass hysteria to the calm,
innocent society before Kennedy’s death. President Kennedy presided
over the post-war economic boom, with a rise of the welfare state,
credit, and Keynesian Economics, which believed in ending poverty
through economic growth. Suburbia, characterized by “Levittowns,”
was also a key piece of the innocent society. The “Postwar Contract”
was also evidence of the artificial calm papering over the building
unrest in American society.
Kennedy’s death affected not just leadership, but all people. The
grief transcended normal societal boundaries such as religion and
national identity, demonstrating the extent to which normal people
were emotionally invested in their president. Not only Americans, but
people all over the world were touched by the tragedy, illustrating the
personal dynamism that made Kennedy’s assassination so painful.
Outside information could include the increased US involvement
in international affairs. A student could reference Sputnik and the
formation of NASA, as well as the Suez Crisis and the Cuban Missile
Crisis. Kennedy’s support for the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was another
issue that brought him into the international spotlight. Hundreds of
conspiracy theories blossomed, initially from Europe, but they soon
spread across American society. Both left and right charged each
other with plots against the president. The student could reference
theories involving the Mafia, Vice President Johnson, the Soviet Union,
American Communists, and the Civil Rights movement.

Document D

Lee Harvey Oswald’s rifle provided a focal point for national

anxiety. The cheap, mail-order firearm was unsettlingly easy to come
by, and very simply built. The Warren Commission dedicated much
time and effort to ascertaining the facts about the murder, including
ballistics reports and analyses of video footage. The surprising and
improbable facts of the case combined with the drawn out and
incomplete Warren Report fostered doubt in the people’s minds.
The student could connect this public anxiety to McCarthyism
with the burning desire for answers in national issues. She could also
reference the rise of consumer culture, “consumer crazes,” and the
increased availability of credit. With retail companies such as Sears
Roebuck, mail order houses were established and the easy access to a
variety of goods characterized the twentieth century. The $20 rifle Lee
Harvey Oswald ordered from American Rifleman magazine epitomized
the success of Ford’s assembly line in making consumer goods
available to a wide market, but also captures the darker side of
modern society’s ever increasing capabilities.

Document E
 The Warren Commission was highly aware of its duty “in
recognition of the right of people everywhere to full and truthful
knowledge concerning these events.” In that light, the report cannot
be viewed objectively. The immense pressure to put the nation’s mind
at rest pushed the investigators to find supporting evidence for a pre-
arranged conclusion. The student might mention the accusations
against the CIA and other organizations over a conspiracy or cover-up
plot. The recent CIA interventions in multiple Latin American countries
including Nicaragua, Colombia, and the Bay of Pigs fiasco represent the
rising international tension and government secrecy. These factors
could increase public skepticism and add to the air of mystery
surrounding the case. The Cold War and the Cuban Missile crisis were
also symptoms of ineffective negotiation and closed off
communication, adding to the air of secrecy surrounding the Kennedy
assassination.

Document F

Garrison’s national broadcast was largely responsible for the

national hype over Kennedy’s assassination. The district attorney’s
televised statements blatantly attacked the Warren Commission’s
findings, lending credibility to the conspiracy theories. His claim that
“N.B.C. News has conspired with government agencies and other news
media” increased the public suspicion and nervousness surrounding
the assassination. The student might reference the coming Cold War,
and cite the fears of Communist attacks and the censorship
accusations as remnants McCarthyism.
The student might also mention the Showtime “Trial of Lee Harvey
Oswald” in 1986 as evidence of continuing media attention to the
event and its effect on the American psyche.
This interpretation of rising turbulence behind consumerism and
media leads the student to a wider field of outside information. The
rebellious youth movement of Rock ‘n Roll and the iconic Elvis Presley
combine with the development of poor inner-city communities made
up of black migrant workers and immigrants from Mexico and Puerto
Rico. Kennedy’s overturning of the Immigration and Nationality Act of
1965 eliminated the favoritism of Northern Europeans that had
characterized American immigration law since the 1920s. The student
might also reference the Brown v. Board of Education ruling that
overturned the “separate but equal doctrine.”

Document G

Testing and analysis of the Kennedy assassination persists

through 1978. Larry Sturdivan demonstrates not only the scientific
precision with which the Kennedy Assassination continues to be
studied, but the long-term interest in the truth surrounding the
president’s mysterious death. Sturdivan’s presentation shows that the
media hype and government confusion left a lasting impression on the
grieving population, making Kennedy’s assassination an unsolved
mystery.
 The student could reference “yellow journalism” as well as the
Army-McCarthy Hearings that uncovered the true proceedings
surrounding McCarthy’s reign of terror. A student might also use this
opportunity to highlight the lingering disappointment after Kennedy’s
assassination. The president’s incredible dynamism and hope
captured the international desire for change, and his untimely demise
cut short the aspirations of a disillusioned post-World War II society.

Document H

The CIA’s secrecy surrounding the Kennedy assassination only

added to public suspicion. The continued push for classification of CIA
data makes clear the American ideal of transparent government.
When the government failed to make clear the truth about the
Kennedy assassination, Americans became suspicious, and conspiracy
theories will remain as long as the facts remain unclear and
government continues to keep certain information about the
assassination secret.
Outside connections include the continuing issue of government
secrecy today, including the controversy over Guantanamo Bay human
rights violations and the founding of the highly secretive National
Security Administration. The rise of wiretapping, Homeland Security
precautions, and airport screening following the Patriot Act of 2001 has
heightened the secretive nature of the United States government.
Outside Information

Anticommunist Hysteria
The Rosenberg Case
The Federal Loyalty Program
The McCarran Internal Security Act
McCarthyism

Innocent Society and the Calm Before the Storm

Baby Boom
Government Spending
Rise of Suburbia
- “Levittown”
- I Love Lucy
- Showtime “Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald”
Consumer Crazes
Welfare State
Rise in Credit
Keynesian Economics
- ending poverty through economic growth
Corporate Consolidation
The “Postwar Contract”

Technology
Penicillin
DDT
Television and Radio
The Automobile
- interstate highways
Social Consequences
- homogenizing message
- international connectivity

Rising Tension
Domestic
Rock ‘n Roll
- Elvis Presley
Marginalization: Black Urban Migration
“White flight”
Immigration from Mexico, Puerto Rico
- inner-city communities
“urban renewal”
Brown v. Board of Education
“Separate but Equal” doctrine overturned
overturned Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
- facilitate Latin America/Asia immigration

International
The Hydrogen Bomb
Sputnik, NASA, Suez Crisis, Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, Cuban Missile
Crisis
Suez Crisis, Israel Recognition, America in Vietnam

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