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University of Virginia

The Kennedy Half Century

When John F. Kennedy entered the presidential limousine at Love Field in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963, he began his ride into history. That journey continues even today and we call it the Kennedy legacy. This course will explore the Presidency, assassination, and lasting legacy of President John F. Kennedy. Students will learn how JFK’s life, administration, and tragic death have influenced the general public, the media, and each of the nine U.S. presidents who followed. Understanding the Kennedy legacy and being able to identify elements of his legacy within the context of modern politics helps understand many of the vexing problems that developed over the last half century as well as many of the challenges that confront us today. November 22, 1963 was so powerful a moment that in the fifty years since the assassination, every U.S. President that followed JFK has used Kennedy’s words and actions in an effort to craft their own political image. Why does Kennedy’s influence persist, and will it continue? What are the effects? We’ll address these questions and more as we explore The Kennedy Half Century. Follow on Twitter: @JFKclass.

Status: Investigation
Status: Social Impact
BeginnerCourse9 hours

Featured reviews

OH

5.0Reviewed Jun 5, 2019

Thanks Larry Sabato you're a legend! This course helped me so much and I chose to do my A level history coursework on Kennedy and got a good mark, in part due to this. Loved it :)

BM

5.0Reviewed Apr 11, 2016

Super informative. I love how the lectures are broken down and organized. Highly recommend this course to any JFk, history or political enthusiast!

CO

5.0Reviewed May 13, 2020

Very well put together and presented. New information is provided even for us Boomers who grew up absorbing anything about the life, death and work of Kennedy. Thank you very much.

LS

5.0Reviewed Dec 17, 2016

Extremely interesting and detailed look at a topic which has captured the imagination of my generation. Many thanks to Professor Sabato and his team

CP

4.0Reviewed Jul 1, 2020

I loved the course and learnt so much! It would get a 5-star review, if not for the completely over-the-top marketing of the book in the obvious search for additional sales.

RM

5.0Reviewed Aug 23, 2020

an absolutely amazing course. finished it over summer while in quarantine as an extra bit of learning and thoroughly enjoyed it.

MW

5.0Reviewed May 11, 2017

I absolutely loved this course. It was so interesting, I found myself racing through the lectures, because I wanted to find out more.

AH

4.0Reviewed Jan 22, 2017

The course is really really great, the reason that i gave it 4 stars not 5 is only because the professor has been frequently promoting for his personal book!

JG

5.0Reviewed Oct 28, 2021

Top Notch! A1 course..very super interesanting and informative. Learned new things, remembered old things too. ALso enjoy coursera.org very user friendly and easy to use. Kudos!

EF

5.0Reviewed Jan 10, 2023

A phenomenal, non-biased review of JFK's life, politics, legacy, and influence. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to expand their knowledge of the Kennedy Half Century.

EO

5.0Reviewed Dec 6, 2020

I did not know that President JFK's legacy would extend until the 45th President of the United States, Barack Obama. An interesting course to take.

BL

5.0Reviewed Feb 26, 2017

A fantastic course on a subject that I have been interested in since experiencing JFK's assaination as a child. Thank you Dr. Sabato!

All reviews

Showing: 20 of 149

Michelle Mattei
5.0
Reviewed Jan 1, 2019
David Hearst
5.0
Reviewed Oct 8, 2019
John Clouthier
5.0
Reviewed Feb 26, 2019
Bérangère
5.0
Reviewed Feb 23, 2021
Jose Maria Robles Miaja
5.0
Reviewed Aug 29, 2017
Amelia Rivera Barreto
4.0
Reviewed Feb 1, 2016
jean jessen
4.0
Reviewed Oct 15, 2015
Manuela Pinto
3.0
Reviewed Sep 30, 2015
michael morris
3.0
Reviewed Dec 15, 2016
Marco Buttafarro
2.0
Reviewed Oct 7, 2016
Keith Rathbone
2.0
Reviewed May 27, 2016
Leah Goodman
5.0
Reviewed Apr 7, 2017
Ann Dahlen
5.0
Reviewed Jul 7, 2022
Jackson Dian Bobbry
5.0
Reviewed Apr 11, 2022
James P. Welch
5.0
Reviewed Aug 18, 2015
Scott Mathews
5.0
Reviewed Jun 7, 2020
Eliana Drew
5.0
Reviewed Dec 21, 2024
Anujay Shrivastava
5.0
Reviewed Sep 9, 2020
Darlene Marchina
5.0
Reviewed Mar 14, 2016
Mauricio Echeverri
5.0
Reviewed Jul 31, 2020