Question

according to the speech, president kennedy stated that the missiles in cuba were capable of reaching which american city?

los angeles

washington, d.c.

chicago

Explanation:

🆕 New Concept Discovered: Analyzing Historical Speeches
Connecting primary source details to their historical context.

Step 1: Identify the historical context

The question refers to President John F. Kennedy's televised address to the nation on October 22, 1962, regarding the Cuban Missile Crisis. In this speech, he revealed the presence of Soviet offensive missile sites in Cuba.

Step 2: Analyze the speech details

In his address, President Kennedy specifically described the capabilities of the medium-range ballistic missiles discovered in Cuba:

"Several of them, yet unfinished, appear to be in process of being directed toward the United States. The first of these, when completed, will be capable of carrying nuclear warheads as far as Washington, D.C., the Panama Canal, Cape Canaveral, Mexico City, or any other city in the southeastern part of the United States, in Central America, or in the Caribbean area."

Step 3: Match with the given options

Comparing the cities mentioned in the speech to the multiple-choice options:

• Los Angeles: Not mentioned as a target for the medium-range missiles.
• Washington, D.C.: Explicitly named by Kennedy as a city within range of the first completed missiles.
• Chicago: Not mentioned in this specific range category.

Answer:

Washington, D.C.