Chapter 1: How did Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. build the Kennedy dynasty?
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Welcome back to Write Answers Mostly, a podcast on what you didn't learn in history class, but you really wanted to. I'm Claire Donald. And I'm Tess Palomo. And Rammies, welcome. You've been waiting for it. We are officially doing it. Welcome to Kennedy's Month.
We have heard your cries.
We have heard your pleas. And we are... Literally so excited for this month. We're so excited. Every episode in February, we will be covering all things Kennedy, from the building of the Kennedy dynasty, to some affairs, to the Kennedy curse. We are covering it all, Rammies.
We really are. And if you're watching on YouTube, we have a very exciting announcement. We are finally back in person recording at a studio. Shout out to The Lighthouse in Venice, Los Angeles. You're looking at their two newest members. I mean, guys, we needed this. We needed to be together because we're obviously...
codependent in every single way and thank god thank god no we are so excited to be at lighthouse from now on we will be in studio so make sure to check us out on youtube because we will be actually adding to the studio and again if you're a rammy artist send us some art Oh, we love when you guys send us stuff in the mail.
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Chapter 2: What challenges did the Kennedy family face during their rise to power?
No, Irish people have, you guys have gone through some shit. You Irish Rammies. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, you. So he has kind of a chip on his shoulder that will fuel his life. And while he's at Harvard, he starts dating a woman named Rose Fitzgerald. Like Fitzgerald? Like Ella Fitzgerald? No. No. Who's Ella Fitzgerald? Jazz singer? Yeah. Okay. Like John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Oh, okay.
You know, like that's how we get the name. So Rose Fitzgerald, let's talk about her. She was born on July 22nd, 1890 in Boston. Okay.
Cancer queen.
Right? Yeah. I think that's right before Leo. Yeah. I think cancer. Cuspy vibes. Her father was the mayor of Boston. So she grew up like hugely into politics. And her dad wasn't like, you're a woman, so you shouldn't be involved. He was like, you're going to go campaign with me. Like you are going to be in it with me.
Oh, I love that.
Yeah. So she has always been involved in politics her whole life. However, her dad refused to let her go when she gets older because to wellesley college um which she was accepted to and she had to enroll at the manhattanville college of the sacred heart in manhattan it was a religious school and it didn't even grant degrees at the time for women This Catholic school didn't. Wellesley did.
But Wellesley was a – what's it called? What's WASP? What did I just say that's opposite of Catholic but still like the same?
Protestant.
It was a Protestant school.
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Chapter 3: How did Joe Kennedy's background influence his business strategies?
Like, in my head, I was like, oh, it was like a year or two. But it was like almost a decade or something. Years. And there are rumors that Joe Kennedy might have been a bootlegger. Which, like, probably. Definitely. Yeah. And who wasn't? No, I could see that. Yeah. So, you know...
There is rumors that Joe Kennedy, and we'll talk about this, you know, maybe was doing some illegal stuff here and there. You know, find your girl who can do it all. Exactly. Movies. Illegal shit. Yeah. The mob. It was a different time. It was. It was. So he starts making a ton of money from that and Tess by 1935. His wealth had increased to, this is in 1935, $180 million. Ah.
Which today would be the equivalent to 4.5%. $13 billion. Whoa. Being a billionaire during that, or I, well, you know. A millionaire of that.
Yeah. Like, it's truly even crazy. Like, people, like, I feel like even a million dollars until, like, 2005 was, like, insane. You know what I mean? No. Like, now a million dollars, what?
What can it get you? Like, literally, I just saw, like, a one-bedroom apartment on TikTok for sale for, like, 1.5. It's disgusting. It's disgusting.
But, like, that is so much money. Like, even to, like, grasp that.
Exactly. It's like, yeah, millionaires were so... scarce back then, but he is so rich. He also acquired enough capital to establish million dollar trust funds for each of his nine children that guaranteed lifelong financial independence.
We love it. We love it. Oh, it's really making me laugh though. I'm thinking of Tom and Succession, or is it Tom that says it? The tallest dwarf in the world? Oh, about- About having 5 million. He's like, you can't work.
You can't do it.
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Chapter 4: What role did politics play in the Kennedy family's success?
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So the two oldest boys, Joe Jr. and Jack, are really the stars of the show for this family. Actually, It was Joe, Jack, and their sister, Kick. Not Kit. Kick? Kick. She was Kathleen, and the nickname was Kick. I really love the name Kathleen. Me too. I think it's very pretty. Stunning. As you guys know, actually, the oldest daughter is Rosemary.
We will be talking about Rosemary Kennedy in two weeks with the Kennedy Curse. Yeah, we will be. And you guys are going to be so upset. It's crazy. I think that's going to be truly our darkest moment. No, I think so, too. Yeah. Which is, like, going to be interesting to, like, keep it light. But it's also, like, just really fascinating. We do all – we always mix it together.
We contain multitudes. So the golden trio was Jack, Joe, and Kick. But really, it's, like, Jack and Joe.
Jack and Joe.
Jack and Joe. Jack Jr. – or, sorry, Joe Jr. and Jack, a.k.a. JFK. So – Oh. Yes. I was, like, waiting for him. Oh, he's the one, the oldest. I thought he was middle. He's the second oldest.
Yeah.
okay i see got it so joe jr was the oldest and he was smart athletic handsome like he was just perfect he had the razz he had i mean all of them have the razz yeah you have to at this point i think never mind i don't know but like i feel like ted kind of sometimes lacked the razz i could see that you know what i mean yeah but still had it because it's kennedy truly um
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Chapter 5: How did World War II impact the Kennedy family's dynamics?
Yeah. So he breaks them up. But daddy, I love him. Exactly. Exactly. Now JFK is 26 years old, and he is in charge of, which I guess now they're like, yeah, you're sick, but sure, you can fight, because he's in charge of this boat that's called PT-109. It's a small patrol torpedo in the Pacific.
They're like, we'll give you a cute little boat to occupy your time.
Well, at 26 years old, when he's commanding this boat, on a moonless night, a Japanese destroyer sliced the boat in half. It killed two crewmen and badly injured Kennedy's back. Because it like throws them off the boat.
Oh my God.
There's fire everywhere in the water. So everyone thinks that they're dead back at base. And they actually send a telegram to Joe Sr. saying your son is missing. And Joe Sr. keeps a secret from his whole family. He doesn't tell his wife. Nothing. So he has to live with the fact that his son might be like dead. Terrifying. Crazy. Jack instead... Does survive.
And he led his surviving crew on a grueling swim to the nearby islands. At one point, he was towing a wounded man for miles. Swimming for miles. Pulling someone with him? And he's kind of like a scrawnier guy at this point, too.
Adrenaline can do crazy things to you.
It is wild.
Like, it's wild.
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Chapter 6: What was the significance of JFK's presidential campaign?
Yeah, but they definitely didn't just like – you know, poof, it was there. Exactly. Exactly. So they put the whole family's energy behind them. Also, like when you're running for, like when a Kennedy is running, the whole family is running, like his sisters got involved and they would throw these tea parties for women and have like Jack come and have tea with all these women.
And it's like, suddenly women were very involved in politics. Like we actually are very excited to get out and vote. Exactly. Like, yeah, I'll go have tea with them. Wow. Bobby becomes his campaign manager, his brother. And then it was pretty unstoppable because in 1946, he is elected to the House of Representatives. So he is in the House for three terms.
And he eventually gets elected to the Senate in one of the biggest upsets in the state's history. And it gives everyone the sense that Jack could be president. He could do it. But there's something missing.
Marriage. There it is, Tess. Children. Children. Well, that comes later. Yeah. But, like, they got to find you. Got to find you a girl. And we can't have a single person?
Absolutely not. What kind of morals do single people have? Yeah. Like, what? I'm supposed to take someone who's single seriously? I don't think so.
Crazy.
Crazy. So, yeah. Joe was like, it's time that you settle down. And the perfect person for that was Jacqueline Bouvier. Now, I won't get too much into Jackie and into their marriage because Tess will take that later on, on one of our episodes. But on September 12th, 1953, 36-year-old Jack and 24-year-old Jackie... Oh, they had quite the age difference. 12 years. Got married in Rhode Island.
There was 1,200 people...
my god i'm like okay god i can't wait now to research that because i'm like how did they meet how did they were they in love at first was it like a strictly professional thing i'm so excited i'm so excited for that episode too but 1200 people at their wedding jackie then if she didn't know before realized now she's not marrying jack she's marrying the kennedys well that's what happens to all of them
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Chapter 7: How did the Kennedy family navigate public perception and media?
And he becomes the Democratic Party's candidate. So then they do have to choose the vice president. And Joe Kennedy Sr. was like, we need the Southern votes. So we need LBJ. Oh, right. Right after he like tried to completely sabotage him. Like Bobby and Jack were like, I do not want him to be our vice president.
And Joe was like, it's the smartest move if you want to win the presidency because we need the South.
I feel like VPs and presidents rarely like each other. You know what I mean? Like think of like, I don't know.
No, I agree because I feel like growing up I was like, oh, you choose the vice president because you're best friend.
Yeah. It's like just he went and came out during the day. It's like now.
No, usually the opposite.
Exactly. It's like all so strategic. I mean, think of Kamala and Biden. I mean, her book, she is like, I hated every second with that dude. I know. I mean, truly. You know, let her live her truth. She's gone through enough. She has gone through enough. Whether you like her or not, the woman is tired.
Yeah. And I don't blame her. God. So, yeah. So LBJ and Kennedy are now on the ticket for the Democratic nomination or for the Democratic Party.
Yeah.
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