Kennedy spoke his famous words, “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” This use of antimetabole can be seen even as a thesis statement of his speech—a call to action for the public to do what is right for the greater good.

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Assuming office in the midst of the Cold War, JFK understood that his inaugural address would have to instill confidence at home and respect abroad. He believed that democracy thrives only when citizens contribute their talents to the common good, and that it is up to leaders to inspire citizens to acts of sacrifice.

Many of us would have heard the most famous quote of US president John F Kennedy: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”. He said it against a backdrop of a divided country – when partisanism was at its peak.

He also signed the first nuclear weapons treaty in October 1963. Kennedy presided over the establishment of the Peace Corps, Alliance for Progress with Latin America, and the continuation of the Apollo space program with the goal of landing a man on the Moon.

His decision led to a major escalation of the nuclear arms race. In June 1963, President Kennedy spoke at the American University commencement in Washington, DC. He urged Americans to critically reexamine Cold War stereotypes and myths and called for a strategy of peace that would make the world safe for diversity.

After many long and difficult meetings, Kennedy decided to place a naval blockade, or a ring of ships, around Cuba. The aim of this “quarantine,” as he called it, was to prevent the Soviets from bringing in more military supplies. He demanded the removal of the missiles already there and the destruction of the sites.

The Cold War was the most important political issue of the early postwar period. It grew out of longstanding disagreements between the Soviet Union and the United States. Reduced trade barriers, it was believed, would promote economic growth at home and abroad, and bolster stability with U.S. friends and allies.

The Cold War shaped American foreign policy and political ideology, impacted the domestic economy and the presidency, and affected the personal lives of Americans creating a climate of expected conformity and normalcy. By the end of the 1950’s, dissent slowly increased reaching a climax by the late 1960’s.

The Sputnik crisis was the American reaction to the success of the Sputnik program. It was a key Cold War event that began on October 4, 1957 when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite. The launch of Sputnik I rattled the American public.

The Cold War established the presence of an American eternal enemy, and politicians capitalized on this as a way to consolidate their own sense of power and control. Themes such as nuclear war, dystopia, and espionage permeated film and literature, among other mediums. …

The Cold war has also affected us today by helping the West evade Communist rule; without intervention from The U.S. forces China and The Soviet Union might have conquered Europe and The U.S.. Finally, The Cold War helped form modern day friendships, alliances and hostilities between countries.