Kennedy family facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kennedy
Political family
Coat of arms granted to President John F. Kennedy in 1961 by the Chief Herald of Ireland Gerard Slevin
The Kennedy family at the Kennedy Compound in 1931
Parent family	O'Kennedy
Place of origin	Dunganstown, New Ross, Co Wexford, Ireland
Founded	Arrival in the United States 1849, Boston 175 years ago
Founder	Patrick Kennedy (1823–1858)
Titles	President of the United States First Lady of the United States United States Ambassador (to Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Australia, and Austria) United States Senator United States Congressman United States Attorney General Lieutenant Governor of Maryland State senator State representative Mayor Papal Countess of the Holy Roman Church Marchioness of Hartington
Estate(s)	83 Beals Street (Brookline, Massachusetts) Kennedy Compound (Hyannis Port, Massachusetts) Hickory Hill (McLean, Virginia) La Querida (Palm Beach, Florida) Wexford (Marshall, Virginia)

The Kennedy family is a well-known American family. They have been very important in American politics, public service, entertainment, and business for a long time.

The first Kennedy to hold a public office was Patrick Joseph "P. J." Kennedy. He was elected to the Massachusetts state legislature in 1884. This was 35 years after his family arrived from Ireland. Since 1947, at least one Kennedy family member served in the U.S. government. This continued until 2011.

P. J.'s son, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., and his wife Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy had nine children. Three of their sons became very famous in politics. John F. Kennedy became the President of the United States. Robert F. Kennedy served as the U.S. Attorney General and a U.S. Senator. Edward M. Kennedy was a U.S. Senator for over 46 years.

Other members of the family have also served in government. They have been U.S. Representatives, U.S. Senators, and ambassadors. Some have been lieutenant governors, state legislators, and mayors.

The Kennedy family has also made a big impact outside of politics. For example, Eunice, a daughter of Joseph and Rose, started the Special Olympics. This organization helps people with intellectual disabilities. Eunice's daughter, Maria Shriver, was the First Lady of California. Many other Kennedys have worked as lawyers, writers, and activists.

Family History and Public Service

The Kennedy Family's Start in America

The Kennedy family came from Ireland. Their ancestors were part of the Ó Cinnéide clans. These clans once ruled a kingdom in Ireland called Ormond. By 1740, the family lived in Dunganstown, New Ross, County Wexford. Patrick Kennedy was born there in 1823.

The first Kennedys to live in the United States were Patrick Kennedy (1823–1858) and Bridget Murphy (1824–1888). They sailed from Ireland to East Boston in 1849. Patrick worked as a barrel maker. He and Bridget had five children.

Their youngest son, Patrick Joseph "P. J." Kennedy, became a successful businessman. He also served in the Massachusetts state legislature from 1884 to 1895.

Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and His Children

P. J. Kennedy and Mary Augusta Hickey had four children. Their oldest son was Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kennedy Sr.. He became very wealthy through banking and investing.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Joseph Sr. to lead important government groups. He was the first chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He also served as the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom before World War II. His wife, Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald, was given a special honor by Pope Pius XII.

Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald had nine children: Joseph Jr., John, Rosemary, Kathleen, Eunice, Patricia, Robert, Jean, and Edward (Ted).

A Family in Government

Joseph Sr. hoped his oldest son, Joseph Jr., would become president. Joseph Jr. joined the Navy during World War II. Sadly, he died in 1944 when his bomber plane exploded.

After this, Joseph Sr. focused his hopes on John. John F. Kennedy had thought about becoming a journalist. But after serving in the Navy, he entered politics. He was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts from 1947 to 1953. Then he became a U.S. Senator until he was elected President of the United States in 1960.

During John's time as president, his brother Robert was the United States Attorney General. Their brother-in-law, Sargent Shriver, led the new Peace Corps. Their youngest brother, Ted, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1962. He held this seat until he passed away in 2009.

The Kennedy administration achieved many things. These included the Alliance for Progress, the Peace Corps, and peacefully ending the Cuban Missile Crisis. They also worked on the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The family was very popular and received a lot of media attention.

Many Kennedys have continued to serve in government. Every Kennedy elected to public office has been a Democrat. Many have studied at Harvard University. The family has also given a lot to Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Ted served in the Senate with his brother Robert from 1965 to 1968. Later, his nephew, Joseph P. II, and his son, Patrick J., served in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2012, Joseph P. Kennedy III, Robert F. Kennedy's grandson, was elected to the U.S. House.

Challenges Faced by the Family

The Kennedy family at their home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, September 1963

The Kennedy family has faced many difficult events. These events have led some people to talk about a "Kennedy curse."

In 1941, Rosemary Kennedy had a medical procedure. It was meant to help with her challenges, but it left her unable to care for herself. Joseph Jr. died in 1944 when his Navy bomber exploded. Kathleen died in a plane crash in France in 1948.

John and Robert were both assassinated, in 1963 and 1968. In 1964, Ted was in a plane crash that killed two others. He was seriously injured and spent months recovering.

Later, John's son, John Jr., died in a plane crash in 1999. His wife and sister-in-law also died in that accident. Ted's daughter Kara and Pat's son Christopher died of heart attacks.

In April 2020, Maeve Kennedy McKean and her eight-year-old son, Gideon, disappeared in Chesapeake Bay. They had gone out in a canoe. Their bodies were found a few days later.

Government Offices Held by Kennedys

The Kennedy family has a long history of public service. Here are some of the government roles they have held:

• Patrick Joseph Kennedy: Massachusetts state Representative (1884–1889); Massachusetts state Senator (1889–1895).
  • Joseph Patrick Kennedy Sr.: Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (1934–1935); Chairman of the United States Maritime Commission (1936–1938); United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom (1938–1940).
    • John Fitzgerald Kennedy: U.S. Representative from Massachusetts (1947–1953); U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (1953–1960); President of the United States (1961–1963).
      • Caroline Kennedy: United States Ambassador to Japan (2013–2017); United States Ambassador to Australia (2022-).
    • Eunice Kennedy Shriver
      • Bobby Shriver: Santa Monica, California City Council member (2004–2012); Mayor of Santa Monica (2010).
      • Mark Kennedy Shriver: Maryland state Delegate (1995–2003).
    • Robert Francis Kennedy: United States Attorney General (1961–1964); U.S. Senator from New York (1965–1968).
      • Kathleen Kennedy Townsend: Lieutenant governor of Maryland (1995–2003).
      • Joseph P. Kennedy II: U.S. Representative from Massachusetts (1987–1999).

*Joseph P. Kennedy III: U.S. Representative from Massachusetts (2013–2021).

• • • Jean Kennedy Smith: United States Ambassador to Ireland (1993–1998).
    • Edward Moore Kennedy: U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (1962–2009).
      • Edward M. Kennedy Jr.: Connecticut state Senator (2015–2019).
      • Patrick J. Kennedy: Rhode Island state Representative (1989–1993); U.S. Representative from Rhode Island (1995–2011).

A Kennedy family member was in public office almost continuously from 1946 until 2011. The only short break was between John F. Kennedy's resignation from the Senate and his start as President. In 2013, Joseph P. Kennedy III was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Timeline of Kennedy Family in Congress

Family Symbols: Heraldry

In 1961, John F. Kennedy received a special grant of arms from the Chief Herald of Ireland. This was for all the descendants of Patrick Kennedy (1823–1858).

The design of the arms has three gold helmets on a black background. This design connects to the symbols of the O'Kennedys of Ormonde and the FitzGeralds of Desmond, from whom the family is descended. The crest shows an armored hand holding four arrows between two olive branches. These symbols are from the U.S. coat of arms and represent Kennedy and his brothers.

Arms of the Kennedy family

Crest Between two olive branches a cubit sinister arm in armor erect, the hand holding a sheaf of four arrows, points upward, all proper Escutcheon Sable three helmets in profile Or within a bordure per saltire Gules and Ermine.

Family Tree

See also

In Spanish: Familia Kennedy para niños