In order to put this speech in context one must understand that the previous decades may be characterized as politically tense as the associated conflicts between the two super powers intensified. Anti- communist sentiment and fear was high in the wake of congressional hearings, the Red Scare, the McCarthy era, and the nation's reaction to the 1957 launch of Sputnik, a Soviet satellite which signaled a significant development in the Cold War (Dunar, 2006)
The tone of the speech was one of hope as he noted the leadership of the nation has been handed to a new generation, born in the twentieth century, hardened by war, and unwilling to acquiesce to those who would undermine our nation's freedoms. In a clear message to the Soviet Union, the new president spoke of our resolve to "pay any price, bear any burdens, meet any hardship support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty" (Kennedy, 1961)