What was it like to be the youngest of nine children in a large Irish Catholic family? The beginning of this biography delves into the background of the Kennedy clan and offers some insights into the actions and behaviour of this "royal" American family. Springing from political roots, Ted's grandfather, John Francis "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald, was once mayor of Boston and his father Joseph P. Kennedy was an ambassador to Great Britain in the years before World War II. Joe expected much of his children and even at age 72, was the driving force behind John F. Kennedy's campaign for the presidency.
It was interesting to learn that Ted was a bit of a troublemaker in school. His father was always admonishing him about the quality of his handwriting and spelling. During his college years at Harvard, he was expelled for cheating when he hired someone to write his Spanish final for him. Ted had to take time away before being accepted back, joining the army as a private first class in the military police in Europe. In later life, it was noted that Ted found it difficult to put a sentence together. Was this due to his excessive drinking? The death of 3 of his siblings certainly had a profound effect on the family and on Ted in particular. As the youngest, it was Ted who watched his parents deal with the tragic deaths of Joe Jr. and Kathleen, both in plane accidents. His sister Rosemary left the family when she was institutionalized after a failed lobotomy.
All of these events contributed to shaping Ted's character. Although much different from his other brothers, Ted was "a tribune of the powerless, the persecuted, and the downtrodden" throughout his long career in politics.
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