JFK Was One of Only Four Presidents to Write His Own One of These

President John F. Kennedy is one of the rare cases of a president who completely wrote his own inaugural address. On January 20, 1961, JFK delivered his inaugural address to the American people, outlining his vision for the country and his plans for his presidency. Kennedy’s speech is considered one of the most iconic and memorable in American history, and continues to be studied and celebrated today.

Kennedy’s inaugural speech was completely edited and almost fully written by the president with only a few suggestions and topics being added by his colleagues; each suggested topic was also edited and revised by the president. He wrote the entire speech in what is described as, “almost indecipherable longhand” on a sheet of yellow legal paper and later had to be convinced to have the speech printed so it was more readable. When he presented the speech it immediately won over many Americans, leading up to his arguably more famous moon landing speech.

In his speech, Kennedy addressed a wide range of issues, from domestic policy to international relations. He called on Americans to work together to address the challenges facing the country, and to embrace the spirit of progress and change.

A key theme of Kennedy’s speech was national unity and its vital nature to the republic. He emphasized the need for Americans to come together and work towards common goals, saying: “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” This call for unity was particularly poignant given the divisions and tensions of the time, and resonated with many Americans.

Kennedy also spoke about the role of the United States in the world, and its responsibility to promote peace and freedom. He famously declared: “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” This statement laid out a bold and ambitious foreign policy agenda, and helped to solidify Kennedy’s reputation as a strong and decisive leader.

Overall, Kennedy’s inaugural speech was a powerful and inspiring call to action. It set the tone for his presidency, and laid the groundwork for many of the initiatives and policies he would pursue over the next three years. Even today, this speech is hailed as one of the masterpieces of political rhetoric in American history.