January 20, 1961 will forever be a day that marks a special moment in which President John Fitzgerald Kennedy delivered one of the most memorable speeches of the American history. His inaugural speech is one in which many famous quotes come from and is imitated in current speeches. To understand the significance of this inoculation, one must understand the atmosphere of our nation at that time and what President Kennedy was trying to convey to his voters. In this essay I will give you some background information on the state of our union in 1961; discuss the tone of the speech; and finally, let's examine the impact that President Kennedy's tenure had on our nation. The year 1961 was marked by many peaks for Americans, such as the launch of their first man into space. But when President Kennedy took over from President Dwight Eisenhower, our nation was on the brink of nuclear catastrophe. The United States and the Soviet Union were two superpowers fighting across the globe for geopolitical advantage and the notion of nuclear war was a sobering reality (Updegrove 186). Many Americans began preparing for the worst by building fallout shelters in their backyards and stocking up on nonperishable foods. And if that wasn't important enough, we were also facing issues on our own soil regarding equality among American citizens. Brown v. Board of Education sparked many concerns about segregation and the freedom of rights promised to African Americans by their ancestors. President Kennedy quickly began to uncover even more information after his election that could affect his presidency; like communism in South Vietnam, Cambodia and Burma. With so much opposition to his term in office, President Kennedy saw the need...... middle of paper ...... help you understand the tone of President Kennedy's inaugural address, and ended with the impact that President Kennedy played on our nation. I hope you found the information beneficial and I challenge you “my fellow American; don't ask what your country will do for you, ask what you can do for your country. » (Kennedy 611). Works Cited Kennedy, John Fitzgerald. “Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961” Reading literature and writing arguments. 4th ed. Boston: Longman, 2011. 609-611. Print. Matheson, Hughena. The 10 Most Memorable Speeches in American History. New York: Franklin Watts/Scholastic, 2007. 10-13. Print.Rubel, David. Academic encyclopedia of presidents and their times. New York, New York: Scholastic, 2009. 173-76. Print.Updegrove, Mark K. Baptism by Fire Eight Presidents Who Took Office in a Time of Crisis. New York: Thomas Dunne, 2009. 185-214. Print.