Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Keywords
Kennedy, John F--(John Fitzgerald), --1917-1963--Assassination; Kennedy, John F--(John Fitzgerald), --1917-1963; United States--Warren Commission--Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F Kennedy; Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F Kennedy (United States Warren Commission); Assassination;
Abstract
Problem studied: The controversy surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy was examined in an effort to determine the roots of this debate and identify the factors which led to the growth of the controversy. The study was primarily limited to the years 1963-1967. This time span adequately covered the birth of the assassination debate and its flowering into a widespread controversy. Research plan: The earliest critics of the official government explanation for the assassination were studied in an effort to discover the origins of the controversy. In particular, the viewpoints of those critics which most shaped the debate and reflected the root causes of the controversy were examined. Procedures and methods employed: The published writings of the earliest critics were chronicled and studied. Press stories that shaped public understanding of the event were studied, as was the Warren Commission Report, the official government explanation of the assassination. Left-wing publications were particularly scrutinized, to determine the existence or non-existence of ideological factors in sparking the controversy. Interviews with two important critics were conducted, as well as an interview with one of the few professional historians to have worked in the assassination field. Summary of results and conclusions: Three factors emerged above all others at the root of the assassination controversy. Ideological leanings of various groups on t h e Left and Right, both in and out of the United States, politically charged the assassination and gave motivation to bend and shape perception of the events to fit particular political agendas. Contradictory or insufficient evidence was released to the public by investigatory agencies, fueling confusion and distrust of the events in Dallas and leaving many inadequately answered questions about the shootings. Finally, the Warren Commission itself served as a lightning rod for debate by undertaking as part of its task the responsibility for silencing skeptics. In an effort to quiet debate over the assassination, the Commission sacrificed objectivity and undermined its own Report. The Commission chose to limit and censor its investigation. This failure to bring closure to the event opened the door for many independent investigations in the years to come.
Year of Submission
1995
Degree Name
Master of Arts
First Advisor
Don Shepardson
Second Advisor
Carol Weisenberger
Third Advisor
John Johnson
Date Original
1995
Object Description
1 PDF file (105 leaves)
Copyright
©1995 Scott Kauzlarich
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Kauzlarich, Scott, "Origins of the Kennedy Assassination Controversy" (1995). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 3130.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/3130
Comments
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