Summary of Jfk’s Profiles in Courage
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John F. Kennedys Profiles in Courage discusses the presence of moral fiber, or courage, in the careers of 8 different Senators. Throughout the book, Kennedy tells accounts of how a select few Senators showed courage and displayed moral fiber by standing their ground on certain issues when their party and constituents were in great opposition to them. In Profiles of Courage, Kennedy dedicates one chapter to each Senator and his tale of courage. The following Senators were used: John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, Thomas Hart Benton, Sam Houston, Edmund G. Ross, Lucius Lamar, George Norris, and Robert A. Taft.
John Quincy Adams became a Senator as a Massachusetts Federalist in 1803, but soon broke away from his party. When the time came to vote on the buying of the Louisiana Purchase, Adams was the only member of the Federalist Party to vote in favor of the purchase. Even under the pressure of his fellow party members to conform to their views, Adams persisted in voting in favor of the purchase and in favor of other issues he thought to be right even when the rest of his party voted otherwise. In 1807, when Adams officially split away from the Federalists, Thomas Jefferson proposed an embargo against Great Britain in response to Britains aggression towards American merchant ships. Although this would severely harm the Massachusetts economy and was in direct opposition to the Federalist desires, Adams helped Jefferson pass the law because it was the right thing to do in his mind. He stood by his beliefs even in times of adversity and even when the decisions he made ultimately ended up in his resignation to appease protesters.
Daniel Webster, a Massachusetts Senator affiliated with the Whig Party showed perseverance and courage in standing up to criticism and opposition when he agreed to help Henry Clay push a compromise bill though Congress. In his famous speech, known as his Seventh of March Address, he contended that it was pointless to argue about the continuation of slavery where it already existed or to worry about extending slavery into the arid lands of the southwest, where plantation agriculture stood no chance of flourishing. Asserting that slaveholders were entitled to the protection of their property, Webster urged strengthening of laws to capture runaway slaves. He exhorted senators to set aside the slavery issue for more pressing matters, such as tariff reform. In the end, Webster resigned from the Senate and because the Secretary of State under Fillmore.
Thomas Hart Benton was a Senator from Missouri who was deeply opposed to the introduction of slavery into new territories. Although Benton himself was a slave owner, and Missouri was a slave-owning state, Benton strongly opposed slavery introduction because he believe it would inhibit Westward expansion. John C. Calhoun resolved to keep Congress from interfering with the introduction of slavery into new territories. Calhoun was successful in getting legislators from slave-owning states, including the rest of the Missouri delegation, to back his resolutions. Bentons refusal to vote for Calhouns resolutions cost him the popularity he previously had in his state, and he was stripped of all of his committee memberships except Foreign Relations. In 1850, Benton was still opposed to the series of measures known as the “Great Compromise” and did not hesitate to make his feelings known in the strongest possible terms. Because he was so fervent about defending his beliefs and expressing them, he was voted out of office in 1851 for his radical behavior. Benton displayed a strong sense of courage in standing up for what he believe was the right thing to do and not backing down when faced with opposition.
Sam Houston, a Senator from Texas, first displayed courage when he refused to support the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. Houston believes the passing of this act would further divide the Union by fueling the controversy over slavery. He was the only Southern Democrat to vote against the Kansas-Nebraska Act. His opposition to this Act was considered very “Anti-Southern” and made him very unpopular. His opposition of this Act was the downfall in his run for Texas governor and his dismissal from Texas legislature in 1857. Two years later, he was asked to run for governor again and here is when Houstons second act of courage is displayed. When he was elected, Houstons term was a great setback to “pro-slavery” extremists. In response to this, the Texas legislature voted to secede from the Union. Houston refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Confederacy and was ousted from his governing position. His moral fiber and determination, in the end, led to his downfall in politics. His standing up for what he believed in caused the end of his political career.
Edmond Ross, a Kansas Republican, displayed courage when he cast the deciding vote in the Johnson