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Why England Slept (1940) is the published version of a thesis written by John F. Kennedy in his senior year at Harvard College. Its title alludes to Winston Churchill 's 1938 book Arms and the Covenant, published in the United States as While England Slept, which also examined the buildup of German power. [1]
- John F. Kennedy
- 1940
Mar 5, 2020 · In Why England Slept, the author discusses democracy versus dictatorship, the psychology of a nation's people, defense expenditures, disarmament and rearmament, appeasement, pacifism, the role of capitalism in England's unpreparedness, and the penalty of Munich--among other things.
- Defining Political Courage
- Popular Quotations and Excerpts
- Chapter Summaries
In the preface to Profiles in Courage, Senator Kennedy discusses the “problems of political courage in the face of constituent pressures, and the light shed on those problems by the lives of past statesmen.’’ He describes the three types of pressure faced by senators as: 1. pressure to be liked 2. pressure to be re-elected, and 3. pressure of the c...
Other often quoted excerpts from President Kennedy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book include: “The true democracy, living and growing and inspiring, puts its faith in the people – faith that the people will not simply elect men who will represent their views ably and faithfully, but also elect men who will exercise their conscientious judgment – faith ...
Chapter II. John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams came to the Senate as a Massachusetts Federalist in 1803. He quickly broke with his party, however, when he was the sole Federalist to vote in favor of the Louisiana Purchase. Adams continued voting against his party, but it was not until 1807 that the final split between Adams and the Federalists occurred. That year, Thomas Jefferson called upon Congress to enact an embargo against Great Britain to shut off international trade to retaliate against British aggression towards...
Chapter III. Daniel Webster
Daniel Webster was a Massachusetts Senator (Whig) and one of the most distinguished members in Senate history. His trial by fire began in 1850 when he agreed to help Henry Clay of Kentucky push through a compromise bill that would keep the Union together. Webster’s famous “Seventh of March” speech in favor of Clay’s compromise bill asserted that slaveholders were entitled to property rights, that fugitive slave laws should be strengthened, and that the issue of slavery should be put aside in...
Chapter IV. Thomas Hart Benton
Thomas Hart Benton, Senator from Missouri, was included in the book primarily for his actions in 1847-1849 against John C. Calhoun's resolutions to keep Congress from interfering with the introduction of slavery in new territories. Although Missouri was a slave-owning state, and Benton himself owned slaves, he was deeply opposed to the introduction of slavery into new territories. Benton was concerned that the issue was being exploited by Southern and Northern partisans and would be a barrier...
It asks why England did not prevent German aggression, and why they pursued a policy of appeasement (they did not have the power to back up any threats). On a larger level it is about the relative merits and weaknesses of democracy compared to totalitarian government.
- (271)
- Hardcover
Apr 4, 2016 · In 1940, while acting as secretary to his ambassador father in London, he wrote Why England Slept, an interpretation of England's failure to recognize the danger of the Nazi...
- John F. Kennedy
- reprint
- Stephen C. Schlesinger
- Why England Slept
This folder consists of materials maintained by President John F. Kennedy’s personal secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, prior to and during his presidency. Materials include reviews and correspondence for the book," Why England Slept," by John F. Kennedy.
In 1940, while acting as secretary to his ambassador father in London, he wrote Why England Slept, an interpretation of England's failure to recognize the danger of the Nazi...
