About this course: 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.
Taught by: Professor Larry J. Sabato , Robert Kent Gooch Professor of Politics
Director, UVA Center for Politics
| Commitment | 9 hours of videos and quizzes |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
- Video: Introduction
- Video: JFK: Rise to Power
- Video: Kennedy's Legislative Career
- Video: JFK Takes to the National Stage
- Video: Campaign for the Presidency
- Video: Religion and Politics
- Video: The 1960 Debates
- Video: Heading to Election Day
- Video: The 1960 Election
- Video: Kennedy's Inauguration: The Torch is Passed
- Video: Civil Rights
- Video: The Space Program
- Reading: Resources
- Video: Containing Communism: The Bay of Pigs Disaster
- Video: The Berlin Crisis
- Video: The Cuban Missile Crisis Part 1
- Video: The Cuban Missile Crisis Part 2
- Video: The Assassination
- Video: The Assassination: Parkland Hospital, a New President, & a National Funeral
- Video: The 50th Anniversary Ceremony in Dallas
- Video: Oswald
- Video: The Assassination: Ballistic Evidence
- Video: The Assassination: Physical Evidence
- Video: The Warren Commission
- Video: The Mysterious Motorcycle
- Video: The Dictabelt
- Video: New Information Since the 50th
- Video: Conspiracy Theories I
- Video: Conspiracy Theories II
- Video: President Lyndon Johnson I
- Video: President Lyndon Johnson II
- Video: President Lyndon Johnson III
- Video: President Richard Nixon
- Video: President Gerald Ford
- Video: President Jimmy Carter, Part One
- Video: President Jimmy Carter, Part Two
- Video: President Ronald Reagan I
- Video: President Ronald Reagan II
- Video: President Ronald Reagan III
- Video: President George H.W. Bush
- Video: President Bill Clinton
- Video: President George W. Bush
- Video: President Barack Obama
- Video: Conclusion: A Flame Eternal?
- Video: Who Was the Real JFK
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Really interesting and enjoyable. I really liked the wide range of topics the course covered from JFK's entire political career to his legacy all the way up to Obama. The course has enough detail to remain interesting the entire time yet is brief enough that the course can be completed quickly.
Thanks! It was a great course.
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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It was interesting. Thank you.