Explore John F. Kennedy Documents in the Gilder Lehrman Collection

Explore documents and resources related to John F. Kennedy from the Gilder Lehrman Collection:

The Path to the White House

Primary Source: Kennedy on the Containment of Communism, 1952

Primary Source: Kennedy Compares US and Soviet Military Power, 1953

Essay: The Great Debate: Kennedy, Nixon, and Television in the 1960s Race for the Presidency

The Presidency

Primary Source: Kennedy's Inaugural Address - read an essay on this source here.

Lesson Plan: Teaching Kennedy's Inaugural Address

Primary Source: Kennedy on the European Common Market, 1961

Primary Source: Robert F. Kennedy's Report on the Civil Rights Movement, 1963 

Essay: Civil Rights Leaders and the Civil Rights Act of 1964

The Assassination

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas. This Dow Jones News Service ticker tape tells the story of that day as it happened:

You can view a full transcript of the ticker tape here. 

Primary Source: Lyndon B. Johnson Proclaims a National Day of Mourning for JFK, 1963


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