From Shannon to Dallas: the Final Twenty-one Weeks of JFK’s Presidency : Narrative and Reflection

This article traces the final weeks and days of John F. Kennedy’s presidency from his departure from Shannon Airport on 29 June 1963 to his assassination in Dallas, Texas on 22 November. It argues that this period was among the most action-packed and significant of Kennedy’s presidency as he doggedly pursued a peace strategy. Kennedy had entered office as a convinced Cold Warrior, but the Cuban Missile Crisis had altered his views and persuaded him of the need for peaceful co-existence with the Communist world. In this short twenty-one week period, Kennedy concluded a significant nuclear test ban treaty and extended peace overtures to America’s Cold War opponents. On the domestic front, civil rights and his re-election campaign were central to the President’s busy agenda