The Presidents Collection: The Democrats: The Kennedys

The Great Depression and the Great Society. World War II, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Vietnam War.Civil rights and civil defense.Here is America at war, at peace, and at the crossroads that determined the course of history.For leadership we turned to the sons of eastern aristocracy and the product of central Texas poverty.Recognized by the most famous initials in American history - FDR, JFK, and LBJ - they are the subjects of probing biographies that add new detail and dimension to their lives and times.Using rare archival footage and photographs, interviews with family members, friends, adversaries, and eyewitnesses, and excerpts from correspondence and diaries, these films explore how a nation and its leaders answered their eras unique challenges.

The Kennedys
Born: May 29, 1917; Brookline, Massachusetts... John Kennedy was the nation's first Roman Catholic president. Forever enshrined in myth by an assassin's bullet, Kennedy's presidency long defied objective appraisal. An inspirational leader who made an enormous impact on the American psyche, Kennedy's ideological influence can not be underestimated. However, some recent assessments have suggested an administration long on promise and vigor, and somewhat lacking in tangible accomplishment. His proposals for a tax cut and civil rights legislation, however, promised significant gains in the months before his assassination. While maturation, as evidenced in the handling of the Cuban missile crisis, was apparent, the potential legacy of the New Frontier will forever be left to speculation... Died: November 22, 1963 (Kennedy was the first president to have died before his parents).