John F Kennedy Inaugural Address Essay

Following the oath of office at the Presidential Inauguration, the newly elected president is given the opportunity to address the American people. On January 20th of 1961, John F. Kennedy delivered his first public address as President of the United States. In this speech, Kennedy used this opportunity to encourage unity among Americans in order to facilitate change in the world. During this time period, fears of nuclear war plagued the United States. Although Kennedy recognized the urgency of that issue, he also realized the importance of overall societal issues; he discusses the struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself.
Historically speaking, this speech marked the beginning of what would be John F. Kennedy’s nearly three years at President of the United States. This was JFK’s first opportunity to speak to the American people as a whole; promote unity between both parties in order to promote a common goal. Additionally, this speech took place during a period of conflict
Although he specifically addressed prominent members in the audience, he geared his speech to the average American. This was the first opportunity that Kennedy had to speak to the American people from a position of power. This reason that the audience of the American people is important to any president is obvious; however, they were exceptionally significant to JFK due to his belief in the power of individuals. Kennedy stated, “And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you: ask what you can do for your country,” (Eidenmuller, n.d.). In his presidential campaign, the main goal was to convince the citizens that he was the right candidate for the presidency: to encourage the people to go out and vote. In this speech, however, JFK’s primary goal was to encourage action and support from the public in an effort to combat societal issues facing the