Lee Harvey Oswald was born in 1939 in New Orleans. He grew up as a orphan, and as a kid he was always know as a trouble maker throughout school, and after trying to skip all of 8th grade, was sent to a detention hall. (Auto biography) Shortly after becoming 18, he joined the marines. He was classified as a marksman, but was shortly kicked out after being court marshaled twice for owning illegal weapons and displaying violent behavior (biography. com).
He then took a likening to socialist literature, and later defected to Russia. He was under constant watch from KGB while there. While in Russia, he met Maria Rusakoves, whom he later married. After they gave birth to their firstborn, the moved back to the US. He would later try and fail to defect to both Cuba and, Mexico. After this he ordered 2 weapons: a pistol, and rifle, through the mail. He would later use this rifle for two assassinations. The first was a failure. His target was US ex-general, Edwin A.
Walker. He missed his shot and had to abort the mission. His second assassination was a success. The target was US president John F. Kennedy. Through this assignation is where he got his fame and hatred from. John F. Kennedy is one of the most known presidents whose actions had major effects on our society. The people of the United States watched their beloved president’s head get hit by the bullet and his dead body flop back on live television. This struck fear that the civil rights movement could halt.
However, the movement actually just grew in strength after this incident. He is later captured, and arrested after the assassination. But, before he could do his life sentence, he was assassinated by Jack Ruby. Ruby is later sentenced to the death penalty. (history. com) Over all, this man, himself, contributed very little to society. Its who he stopped from contributing that makes him important. While the assassination of JFK is big, it affected more than just the president. It effected the whole civil rights movement.
This is the movement to get equal rights for minorities and females, as well as to enforce them. This was already a chaotic era and with the 4 major assignations against the movement’s leaders; many thought the cause was lost. However it only inspired them to not let the deaths be in vain. Whether Lee Harvey Oswald’s intentions were to stop the civil rights movement or to stop the resentment towards communism, America’s main enemy at the time, though out America, there are many theories about whether or not it was actually Lee Harvey Oswald who shot the president.
These theories are still around today, but it official is known that Lee Harvey Oswald was the one, as they found the empty bullet shell that matched the one that hit the president in Lee Harvey Oswald’s sniper nest. After shooting the president, he left his nest but was confronted by a police officer, which he then shot and killed. This assassination would inspire many Film makers and authors to write stories, biographies, and documentaries about him and the assignation attempt. There is a lot of information surrounding the attempt, as well as theories.
A year after the shooting, the US government stated that there were multiple shooters who were all after the president in that one motorcade. (history. com) It was set up so if one couldn’t get a good line up on him, it was up to the next person on the route. Lee Harvey Oswald was the one to get the “good” shot. He is still the only one arrested from the attempt. There was suspicion on whether or not he was persuaded to assonate from either Mexico or Cuba, but he died before they could figure out the answer.
During this time period, US and the “free world” was at war with communism. With both sides in possession of nuclear weapons, the fear of a war was very real. If one side could success fully obliterate the opposition, without being obliterated themselves, would win. However, as more and more nuclear weapons were being made, both sides realized, there would be no winner. Still, both tried to push their government style on other countries. The often would do this in a way to “one up” their size, and potential new ways they could use if a war broke out.
Many communists in America were discriminated and hated. Some were even killed. Lee Harvey Oswald was very communist. His defection to Russia was to escape not only democracy, but also the hate he received for being communist. (Auto-biography) his love for communism started at age 10, where he studied socialism and communistic ideas for 5 years before joining a communistic youth group. He then tried to persuade others to join, but most refused. After his return to the US, he tried to move to Cuba, due to their communistic dictatorships.
When the US denied him, he moved to Mexico in a attempt to get a visa for Cuba or the soviet union. He ended up failing at getting any visas. He returned to Dallas and then a few months later, shot the president. (maryferrel. org) After the assassination, many Americans believed Cuba had staged this, or helped cause it. However, after the news was released, Fidel Castro, Cuba’s leader took to the airwaves to deny any and all knowledge, of Lee Harvey Oswald and, the shooting. (Miami. edu). But, years later, several people claim and prove, that Castro knew Lee Harvey Oswald.
When Lee Harvey Oswald visited the Cuban embassies, they made a record of him, which would and did get sent to Cuba, where Fidel Castro viewed it. (Miami. edu) He also had records that Fidel Castro knew him through the Mexico embassies as well. Jack Ruby, the person who assassinated Lee Harvey Oswald, was tried for murder and found guilty. When asked about why he killed Lee Harvey Oswald, he replied “I did it out of outrage of him killing the president” (biography. com) they’re theories that maybe Jack Ruby’s Mob connections made him do it, but those are still unproven.
Jack Ruby got sentenced to the death penalty in 1967.
Sources:
- http://mcadams. posc. mu. edu/oswald. htm http://www. archives. gov/research/jfk/warren-commission-report/appendix-13.
- html http://www. biography. com/people/lee-harvey-oswald-9430309 Autobiography of Lee Harvey Oswald “my life in my words” (book) 2008
- http://www. history. com/this-day-in-history/jack-ruby-sentenced-to-death http://www. edwardjayepstein. com/archived/oswald. htm
- http://www. maryferrell. org/wiki/index. php/Oswald_in_Mexico_City
- http://ctp. iccas. miami. edu/Latell_Web/The%20Latell%20ReportJune2012. htm
