This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 76.67.110.88 (talk) at 15:29, 30 April 2016. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 15:29, 30 April 2016 by 76.67.110.88 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) "Kennedys" redirects here. For other people named "Kennedy", see Kennedy (surname). | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (September 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Kennedy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Current region | Hyannis Port, Massachusetts |
| Place of origin | United States and Ireland |
| Members | Patrick Kennedy P. J. Kennedy Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. John F. Kennedy Robert F. Kennedy Ted Kennedy Caroline Kennedy Maria Shriver |
| Distinctions | Prominence in politics Family tragedies |
| Estate(s) | Kennedy Compound |
The Kennedy family is an American family of Irish descent that is prominent in American politics, government, public service, and business during the mid-to-late 20th century. The first Kennedys to reside in America were Patrick Kennedy and Bridget Murphy, who sailed from Ireland to America in 1849. Their son, P. J., went into politics and business. P. J. and his wife Mary Hickey were the parents of businessman and politician Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. The nine children of Joseph Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald were Joseph Jr., John, Rosemary, Kathleen, Eunice, Patricia, Robert, Jean, and Ted. John served as president, while Robert and Ted both became prominent senators. The Kennedys' political involvement has revolved around the Democratic Party. Harvard University educations have been common among them, and they have contributed heavily to that university's John F. Kennedy School of Government. The wealth and glamour of the family members, as well as their extensive and continuing involvement in public service, have elevated them to iconic status over the past half-century, with the Kennedys sometimes referred to as "America's Royal Family".
Joseph Sr. originally pinned his hopes on eldest son, Joseph Jr., to enter politics and be elected president. After Joseph Jr. was killed during World War II, however, those hopes later fell on his second son, John, to become president. Soon after John was elected in 1960, he, Robert, and Ted all held prominent positions in the federal government. They received intense publicity, often emphasizing their relative youth, allure, education, and future in politics. Between 1947 and 2011, there were 64 years with a Kennedy in elective office in Washington. This spans more than a quarter of the nation's existence.
The family has been at the center of many tragedies, which contributed to the idea of the "Kennedy curse". Rosemary was forced to undergo a lobotomy which crippled her entire life; John and Robert were both assassinated during the 1960s; Ted was involved in the Chappaquiddick incident in 1969, which caused the death of his young colleague, Mary Jo Kopechne; and Joseph Jr., Kathleen, and John Jr. all died in plane crashes.
Family tree
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Coat of Arms
|
References
- Maier, Thomas (2003). The Kennedys: America's Emerald Kings. Basic Books. p. . ISBN 978-0-465-04317-0.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - The Kennedy Family The JFK Library, accessed Feb 10, 2016
- Levenson, Michael (February 13, 2010). "Pondering a Congress without Kennedys". The Boston Globe.
External links
- The Kennedys: A Family Tree, St. Petersburg Times Online
- Interactive Kennedy Family Tree, Family Tree Online, a project from GiGaSoft Software GmbH
- Kennedy Family Tree, The American Experience, PBS
- Kennedy Family Tree, The New York Times
- Kennedy Family, The Political Graveyard
| Kennedy family | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I. |
| | |||||||||||
| II. |
| ||||||||||||
| III. |
| ||||||||||||
| IV. | |||||||||||||
| Related | |||||||||||||
| Category | Kennedy family | ||||||||||||
| m. = married; div. = divorced; sep. = separated. | |||||||||||||
| Robert F. Kennedy | ||
|---|---|---|
| November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968 | ||
| Life |  | |
| Electoral | ||
| Speeches |
| |
| Books |
| |
| Assassination | ||
| Legacy and memorials |
| |
| Popular culture |
| |
| Family, family tree |
| |
 Category | ||
| Ted Kennedy | ||
|---|---|---|
| February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009 | ||
| Electoral history |
|  |
| Books | ||
| Speeches | ||
| Family, family tree |
| |
| Related | ||
| United States presidential families | |
|---|---|
| First families | |
| Political families | |
| Related | |
- American families of Irish ancestry
- American genealogy
- Business families of the United States
- First Families of the United States
- Roman Catholic families
- County Wexford
- Family history
- Kennedy family
- Irish-American culture
- Irish-American history
- People from Barnstable, Massachusetts
- People from Boston, Massachusetts
- People from Brookline, Massachusetts
- Political families of the United States