Summary of Jfk's Profiles in Courage

In the book “Presidential Courage” by Michael Beschloss, the author makes a few interesting depth details of the hardships and tasks faced by the sixteenth president of the United States of America Abraham Lincoln in chapter fifteen. The chapter starts out by giving a premise on one of Lincoln’s appointed commanders George McClellan.

The book explores a life story of Sam Houston from this beginning in Tennessee to joining school, then the military, up to when he became a political leader. The book also focuses on expressing ideas that present his impact on Texas, since he had become an influential person. The book explains that he managed to establish a War against Mexico. The book focuses on characterizing Sam’s influence on Texas, through a focus on the political environment in the region during the early days as a Republic.

Sam Houston was a man of many faces. Whether it was a friend to the Indians, governor of two States, or president of the Republic of Texas, he always stayed true to his practicality and fought for what was right. Because of this Sam Houston’s name will synonymously remain with Texas Independence, and forever be immortalized in textbooks and novels alike.

A. Support for #3: January 20, 1961 John Fitzgerald Kennedy was inaugurated into office and became President Kennedy our nation’s 35th President. It was in his inaugural address where he spoke of the needs of the citizens of America to be active and famously stated, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country” (Dallek).

Sam Houston was one of the founding fathers of Texas known as a soldier, statesman and man of integrity. Spending most of his youth in Tennessee, he was impatient and reckless with a sense of adventure which lead him to the Cherokee country. His time spent with family and the Cherokee Indians is where he developed his practical, level-headed and grounded character. Houston’s passion for peace and support for the Cherokee’s came from having seen the effects of war and strife on the Indians. The values instilled from these early experiences are prevalent in Houston’s political and personal viewpoints throughout his life and career.

Sam Houston was a revolutionary leader and a hero. He was fortunate to possess the skills that made him a leader. He was an inspiring leader, and he once said to cheer up his soldiers: “You will remember this battle! Each minute! Each second! Until the day that you die! But that is for tomorrow, gentlemen. For today, remember the Alamo!” Samuel Houston was loyal, respected, and determined.

The Kansas-Nebraska Bill was a union bill for the Democratic Party, it repealed the Missouri compromise of 1820 and reopened the slavery extension issue (Kennedy 93-94). Sam Houston chose to vote against the bill because he believed it would “plunge the nation into new agitations over the slavery issue” (Kennedy 94). This shows determination because bill disagreed with everything the Texan people stood for. People said he “betrayed his state in the Senate,” “joined the Abolitionists,” and “Deserted the South” (Kennedy 96). He most likely got this trait working in the Senate, because in the Senate, people have to back up their decisions and give reason why they chose that

Sam Houston has made many decisions when he was in Texas. They included becoming friends with the indians, voting against slavery, and voting against seceding from the Union.

In August 1859, the citizens of Texas elected Sam Houston as their governor. The result of this election placed the Unionists in control of the state, but in just eighteen months’ individual events or circumstances allowed the secessionists to regain power. Following the 1859 Gubernatorial election, the secessionists sought to restore political and social power in Texas over the Unionists. Texas’ one party system continued to support the other Southern states ideologically in dealing with slavery despite cultural and economic differences between the Upper and Lower South. Sam Houston’s continued popularity among Texas citizens temporarily outweighed his support for Unionist views, but the Southern Democratic propaganda machine eventually led to his defeat. Texas became the only state to bring a vote of secession to the people of the state and historians continue to debate the voting returns from the referendum on the Ordinance of Secession, 1861. The secession movement in Texas became a hotly debated topic as past, and present historians determined how the secessionists obtained enough power to overcome the Unionist-controlled government.

Henry Clay – Speaker of the house accused of making the “corrupt bargain” therefore becoming an enemy of Jackson and Jacksonian democrats. Clay and Jackson opposed each other on many things including the National Bank

Houston, a Democrat, Southerner, veteran of the Mexican-American War, and hero of San Jacinto reigned unmatched and indefatigable in the Senate at his time, able to stimulate his colleagues even after it appeared as if they lost all faith. Before holding his position as the first Senator from Texas, Houston held the role of Commander in Chief during times of hardship during the Mexican-American War, undermining his disadvantageous amount of Texan recruits by achieving a victory against the entirety of the Mexican Army and claiming its independence. Afterwards, he held plenty of roles in the growing republic, elected as the first president of the Independent Republic of Texas, a member of its Congress, and for another term of presidency before the territory amalgamated with the United States. There, he rose to position as a Congressman from Tennessee, who, in 1820, supported the ratification of the Missouri Compromise, and later on in the Senate as a representative of Texas, eventually stated that he did not support the abandoning of the Compromise of 1850 regardless of his political party’s views. The democrats were outraged, accusing him of traitorous

Contrary to the typical stereotypes of Texans, Sam Houston was much more than a drunkard and an excellent gunslinger. Although, he possessed these traits as well, Houston displayed a certain level of maturity, honor, and critical thinking that most men, or even women, at the time did not own. To assume Sam Houston was a one trick pony, or only skilled in one aspect merely because of his heritage and place of birth would be an understatement, as his father was a major . The tall, handsome troublemaker did not fit in with the standard expected of boys or men during his time, however, he is one of the most revered political figures not only in Texas’s history, but also the history of the nation as a whole. Houston held numerous political

As human beings, we live by our morals, outlining our ethical principles in distinguishing what is right from what is wrong. Our morals define who we are as a person, how we behave, how we communicate, and how we manage challenging situations. As stated by President John F. Kennedy, “a man does what he must – in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures – and that is the basis of all human morality” (225). In order to achieve and portray one’s morals and ethical principles regardless of the circumstances, a person must portray courage. As Ernest Hemingway defined it, “Grace under pressure (Kennedy 1).” According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, courage is the “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty.” In the Pulitzer Prize winning book Profiles in Courage, written on 1957 by John F. Kennedy, some of the greatest deeds of political courage in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are discussed through the accounts of the historical events that inspired such acts and the consequences of those brave enough to carry them out. The author of the award winning memoir The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls, could not be considered a candidate for John F. Kennedy’s Profile in Courage Award because of the failure to fulfill of the requirements of the award, the type of courage portrayed, and the limited sphere of influence.

     John Quincy Adams, the son of former president John Adams, had a very rich political background prior to the election of 1824. In 1803, he was elected to the senate. He spent a few years in the senate, and then in 1809, James Madison appointed Adams his minister to St. Petersburg. He helped to bring about the end of The War of 1812 by help negotiate the Treaty of Ghent in 1814. After the war was over he became the minister to London in 1815. Then in 1817, James Monroe appointed Adams his secretary of state.5 Adams supported protective tariffs and federal programs that were intended for internal improvements. He was also had a much more formal manner than the other candidates.6

The 35th President of the United States of America, John F. Kennedy, was an amazing man. John was a President that served in our countries military, funded the program of N.A.S.A, and put bills into congress to desegregate schools and public places. From the second oldest child born in Boston, Massachusetts, to the president that succeeded in giving all Americans the rights they deserved, he truly was amazing. His legacy still impacts people today.