What was lee harvey oswald

Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Students return to their original teams and discuss.

In the T-chart, tell students to identify influences on Oswald in one section of the chart and influences on Kennedy in the other section of the chart. After listing influences, distribute a Venn diagram to all students and ask them to compare and contrast the influences on Oswald and Kennedy in the Venn diagram. Then, discuss the similarities and differences in the political and cultural forces.

History World History. Learning Objectives Students will: analyze the cultural and political forces that influenced Lee Harvey Oswald by reading a GeoStory and examining primary source documents.

Teaching Approach Learning-for-use. Teaching Methods Discovery learning Discussions Reading. Resources Provided The resources are also available at the top of the page. Background Information Lee Harvey Oswald remains a controversial historical figure. Recommended Prior Activities None. Vocabulary assassinate. Modification Assess student learning in a written format by asking students to respond to the assessment question in an essay.

Tip Assign students to groups in advance to ensure smooth transitions during the activity. Modification If you do not have access to computers or a computer lab, ask students to read the GeoStory and complete the Oswald and Kennedy Questions handout at home. Media Credits The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. Media If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer.

Text Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Harvey Milk became one of the first openly gay officials in the United States in when he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Tragically, he was killed the following year. John F. Kennedy, the 35th U. He was assassinated in Henry Lee Lucas was a murderer best known for allegedly killing hundreds of people in the s and '70s, though only three including his mother were confirmed.

Robert E. Lee was the leading Confederate general during the U. Civil War and has been venerated as a heroic figure in the American South. Modernist abstract painter and collage artist Lee Krasner, wife of Jackson Pollock, created the 'Little Image' painting series and the multimedia collage 'Milkweed.

Lee Harvey Oswald was a former U. Marine who was accused of killing President John F. While in police custody, Oswald was murdered by Jack Ruby. Olivia Rodrigo —. Megan Thee Stallion —. Robert drove the Oswalds to his home at Davenport Street. Pauline Virginia Bates, a public stenographer whose name he had found in the telephone directory, and asked her to type a manuscript from the "scraps of paper," on which he had recorded his impressions of the Soviet Union.

Bates spent 8 hours typing for Oswald while he remained in her office helping her with the notes and translating portions of them which were in Russian. Oswald told Mrs. Bates that there was an engineer in Fort Worth who wanted to help him publish his notes. Gregory suggested that Oswald come to his office, where Gregory opened a Russian book at random and asked Oswald to read from it.

Oswald read well, and Gregory gave him the letter he wanted. Marina's Soviet passport required her to notify the Soviet Embassy in Washington of her address in this country, and Oswald told the agents that he planned to contact the Embassy for this purpose within a few days. Oswald and his family remained with Robert for about a month. Oswald testified that she had visited them at Robert's house in June and moved to Fort Worth because she thought that the house was too crowded and wanted to help them.

Oswald described the period when her son and his family lived with her as "a very happy month"; according to her testimony, she and her son and daughter-in-law got along well. She mentioned that she not only helped Marina keep house and care for the baby but also aided her son in his efforts to find employment. Oswald visited her son and his family at their apartment and tried to help them get settled; she testified that she bought some clothes for Marina and a highchair for the baby but that Oswald told her that he did not want her to buy "things for his wife that he himself could not buy.

This interview took place in the back seat of a car in front of his home and covered substantially the same material as the previous interview. Oswald again denied having made any deal with representatives of the Soviet Union.

He protested his undesirable discharge from the Marines, and stated that his wife was registered at the Soviet Embassy. He still refused to discuss why he had gone to the Soviet Union, but he was less hostile than he had been during the previous interview. The Oswalds became acquainted with a growing number of people of the Russian-speaking community in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, who were tied together socially by a common origin, language, and religion.

The group was not restricted to people from Russia but was composed primarily of people from Eastern European countries. Most of the lessons took place at the Mercedes Street apartment and Oswald was generally present.

Sometime around August 25, Peter Gregory invited the Oswalds and several members of the Russian community to his house for dinner. One of the guests was George Bouhe, a Dallas accountant and a leader of the Russian community. He was very interested in meeting and conversing with Marina, because she had spent much of her life in Leningrad, which was his birthplace. Anna Meller, the Russian- born wife of a Dallas department store employee. Meller's home.

The Oswalds were also introduced to Mrs. Elena Hall, who was born in Tehran, Iran, of Russian parentage. She worked in a dental laboratory and at this time was divorced from her former husband John Hall, whom she subsequently remarried. In order to obtain dental aid for Marina, George Bouhe had brought her to Mrs. Hall's house. Max Clark met the Oswalds at a later time. Most of the members of the Russian community were interested in the Oswalds not only because they needed help, but also because they could provide the latest information about what was happening in Russia.

It was evident that Oswald did not appreciate the help of the Russian community. Oswald became increasingly unpopular with his Russian-speaking acquaintances, partly because of his resentment of their assistance.

On a weekend afternoon early in October, the Oswalds were visited by his mother and a number of people from the Russian community, including George Bouhe, Anna Meller, the Halls, the De Mohrenschildts, and the Taylors. She accepted the proposal, and Mrs.

Hall moved Marina. Oswalds' few household goods in a pickup truck belonging to the dental laboratory where she was employed. Oswald worked at the Leslie Welding Co. He was already in Dallas. While they were in Fort Worth, the Oswalds were having marital problems. Marina has written that this was a difficult period for them and that her husband was "very irritable" and sometimes some completely trivial thing would "drive him into a rage. Marina spent the first few weeks after Oswald's departure at Elena Hall's house in Fort Worth, except for a brief stay at Gary Taylor's house in Dallas after one of her appointments at the Baylor Dental Clinic.

De Mohrenschildt the money to cover the expense of Marina's dental care. Even before Oswald went to Dallas, some of his acquaintances were helping him in his effort to find a job there. Ballen, a Dallas financial consultant, but no employment resulted. Helen Cunningham, a counselor in the clerical and sales division of the Dallas office of the employment commission, to help Oswald find a job.

He was reluctant to accept industrial employment, and was placed in the clerical category and turned over to Mrs. Cunningham for counseling. The results of general aptitude tests which he had taken at the Fort Worth employment office had been transmitted to the Dallas office, and indicated that he had some aptitude in this direction and for clerical work.

It was noted on his application form that he had "outstanding verbal-clerical potential. Cunningham gave him three special tests: for general clerical work, work as an insurance claims examiner, and drafting work.

He scored high on all three. His application form indicated that he did not have a driver's license, and noted: "well-groomed and spoken, business suit, alert replies--expresses self extremely well. Cunningham that he hoped to develop qualifications for responsible junior executive employment by a work-study program at a local college but that this must be delayed because of his immediate financial needs and responsibilities.

Cunningham concluded that although Oswald would be classified for clerical work, she should try to get him any available job, since he badly needed money. He was referred to an architect for an opening as a messenger but was not hired. Oswald was enthusiastic about his prospects and apparently made a good impression; Graef picked him over several other applicants.

Marina apparently did this surreptitiously, because her husband opposed baptism; they did not contact him in Dallas, but left birthday gifts for him at the Taylors. Oswald did not appear very disturbed when he found out about the baptism. Two days later, Mrs.

Hall had an automobile accident and went to the hospital, where she remained until October 26; Marina remained in the Hall house. Max Clark and Alexander Kleinlerer, a friend of Mrs. Hall, checked up to make sure that she was getting. Four days after Mrs. Hall returned from the hospital, she left for New York to visit friends.

By the time she returned, Marina had moved to a three-room apartment at Elsbeth Street in Dallas, which Oswald had rented on Saturday, November 3; the landlady stated that he had looked at the apartment about a week before. On Sunday the Taylors helped the Oswalds move their belongings to the Elsbeth Street apartment with a rented trailer. Soon after the Oswalds were reunited, their marital difficulties started again. While they were moving to Elsbeth Street, Kleinlerer noticed that Oswald slapped his wife for not having the zipper on her dress completely closed.

Although several people tried to help Marina improve her scanty knowledge of English, Oswald discouraged this, perhaps because he wanted to keep up his Russian. Because of this quarreling, a few of their acquaintances felt that Marina would be better off alone. George Bouhe offered to help her if she promised to leave Oswald permanently. He was apparently quite upset and did not want Marina to leave him.

Oswald did not visit his wife at Anna Meller's house, and for a short time did not even know where she was. He asked her to return home. She insisted that he stop quarreling and that he change his ways. He said that he could not change. Marina would not agree to return home with him and he left. Marina was uncomfortable at the Meller house, where there was very little room. She moved to Katherine Ford's house where she apparently stayed from November 11 to She indicated that she had decided never to return to her husband; it was Mrs.

Ford's impression that Marina was going to stay at other people's houses until a permanent place could be found for her. Ford returned from a business trip on November 17, Marina and June moved to the home of Mrs. Frank Ray, where they spent the day. Ray, the wife of a Dallas advertising man, was also of Russian origin. Since Mrs. Ray had no baby bed, Marina returned to the Fords that evening. On the next day, however, Marina moved her belongings to the Rays' house.

That same day, Oswald called and asked to visit his wife, whom he had called and written. Ray picked him up and took him to Marina. Marina testified that at this meeting Oswald professed his love for her. She stated: "I saw him cry He said he didn't care to live if I did not return?

Ray packed her belongings and took her back to the Elsbeth Street apartment. Members of the Russian community who had taken care of Marina so that she would not have to live with Oswald felt that their efforts had been in vain.

George Bouhe was so irritated that he never again tried to help either of the Oswalds. She drove Marina and June, who had a high fever, to the hospital; Oswald told the hospital that he was unemployed in order to avoid paying for June's treatment and later left Mrs. Dymitruk without thanking her. Ford testified that Marina had told her that she contemplated suicide during this period because Oswald was treating her badly and she had no friends; she felt that she had "no way out.

In an effort to renew family ties, Robert Oswald wrote to Lee and John Pic on November 17, inviting them and their families to Thanksgiving dinner. Lee accepted the invitation. He observed, as many others have also attested, that Lee seemed to be a good father and to take an active interest in June.

Despite his disillusionment with Soviet life, Oswald kept up his interest in Russia. He wrote to the Soviet Embassy in Washington for information on how to subscribe to Russian periodicals and for "any periodicals or bulletins which you may put out for the benefit of your citizens living, for a time, in the U. Soon after his return to this country, Oswald had started to correspond with the Communist Party, U.

He subscribed to the Worker in August He continued to read a great deal on a variety of subjects. Despite the Oswalds' break with the Russian community, De Mohrenschildt, knowing that they would be alone during the Christmas season, asked the Fords whether he could bring the Oswalds to a party celebrating the Russian Christmas at the Fords' home; the Fords assented. The party was attended by many members of the Russian community. Marina visited the De Mohrenschildts several times after Christmas.

Paine, who was studying Russian, obtained Marina's address and. Marina responded by inviting Mrs. Paine to visit her. The Oswalds moved out of their Elsbeth Street apartment on March 3, , to an upstairs apartment several blocks away at West Neely Street. Aware of Oswald's difficulties in obtaining employment, George Bouhe had advised him as early as October to attend a night school in Dallas.

The class ran from to p. Although Oswald reviewed a typing textbook at home, he attended the course irregularly and stopped going altogether on about March Ruth Paine and Marina started to exchange visits in March. Paine invited the Oswalds for dinner, and on April 20 she took them on a picnic. When Oswald was not present, the two women frequently discussed their respective marital problems, and Marina disclosed to Mrs.

Paine that she was pregnant. Using the name of A. One of his fellow employees taught him various photographic techniques, which he could have used to prepare not only these cards, but also the samples of his work which he sent to various organizations. Both weapons were shipped on March He spent long periods of time in the storeroom, which he told Marina she was not to enter.

She saw him leave with it once, and clean it several times. He gave one of the pictures to his wife and asked her to keep it for June. Over the weekend of March , Oswald photographed the alley which runs behind the home of Gen.

Edwin Walker, and probably at about the same time he photographed the rear of Walker's home and a nearby railroad track and right-of-way. However, he changed his plans, hid his rifle nearby, and determined to act on the following Wednesday, April 10, when a nearby church was planning a meeting which, Oswald reasoned, would create a diversion that would help him escape.

He retrieved his rifle and fired at Walker, but the bullet narrowly missed Walker's head. Oswald secreted his rifle again and took the bus home.

When Oswald told Marina what he had done, she became angry and made him promise never to repeat such an act.

She testified that she kept his letter, intending to give it to the authorities if he repeated his attempt. He told Marina that he was sorry he had missed Walker and said that the shooting of Walker would have been analogous to an assassination of Hitler. During the visit, Jeanne De Mohrenschildt saw the rifle and told her husband about it. Without any knowledge of the truth, De Mohrenschildt jokingly intimated that Oswald was the one who had shot at Walker.

Oswald apparently concluded that Marina had told De Mohrenschildt of his role in the attempt and was visibly shaken. On April 6, Oswald was dropped by Jaggars-Chiles-Stovall because, in his supervisor's opinion, he could not do the work, although he was trying; in addition, he did not get along with his fellow employees. Oswald again resorted to the Texas Employment Commission. He stated that he had been laid off at Jaggars-Chiles-Stovall due to lack of work.

For a while after the Oswalds moved into the Neely Street apartment they got along well, but they soon began to quarrel. Oswald was apparently still preventing Marina from learning English, and there is some indication that he continued to beat her.

When Ruth Paine visited the Oswalds at their apartment on April 24, she was surprised to learn that Oswald was packed and ready to leave for New Orleans by bus. He explained that he had been unable to find employment in or around Dallas, and that Marina had suggested that he go to New Orleans since he had been born there.

Paine offered to drive Marina to New Orleans at a later date, and also to have Marina and June stay with her rather than at the apartment in the meantime.

Oswald helped the women pack Mrs. Paine's car, and the two women moved everything from the Neely Street apartment to the Paine house in Irving. When he arrived at the bus station in New Orleans, Oswald telephoned his aunt, Lillian Murret, to ask if he could stay at her home at French Street while he looked for employment. She had been unaware that he had returned from Russia or that he was married and had a child and was surprised to hear from him.

She said that she did not have room to accommodate three guests, but that since he was alone he was welcome. Oswald had been born in New Orleans, and on his return showed great interest in finding out what had happened to the other members of his father's family. He visited the cemetery where his father was buried and called all the Oswalds in the telephone book. By this method he located one relative, Mrs.

Hazel Oswald of Metairie, La. He visited her at her home; she gave him a picture of his father and told him that as far as she knew the rest of the family was dead. On April 26, Oswald began his search for employment. He went to the employment office of the Louisiana Department of Labor and stated that he was qualified as a commercial photographer, shipping clerk, or "darkroom man.

Will relocate. Murret testified that he would spend the day job hunting, return to her home for supper, watch television, and go to bed. On April 29, he filed a request for reconsideration of the employment commission's disapproval of his unemployment compensation claim. He filed interstate claims on May 7 and 15, and received. Oswald wrote to Marina: "All is well.

I am living with Aunt Lillian. She has very kindly taken us in. I am now looking for work. When I find it I will write you. They were mistaken in the Dallas office when they refused, but I straightened everything out. Great, eh?! On May 9, responding to a newspaper advertisement, Oswald completed an application for employment with William B.

Reily Co. On his application form, Oswald listed as references in addition to John Murret, "Sgt. Robert Hidell" and "Lieut. Evans," both apparently fictitious names. His task was the lubrication of the company's machinery.

Paine that he was working in commercial photography. Also on May 9, Oswald obtained an apartment at Magazine Street with the help of Myrtle Evans, who had known him when he was a child.

Oswald moved in on May 10, after telephoning Marina on the ninth and asking her to come to New Orleans. Ruth Paine testified that the invitation elated Marina: "Papa nas lubet"--"Daddy loves us," she repeated again and again.

Paine stayed with the Oswalds for 8 days; the three of them, with June and Mrs. Paine's children, toured the French Quarter. On May 14, Mrs. Paine left New Orleans to return to her home. The Murrets and the Oswalds exchanged visits from time to time; Marina testified that the Murrets were very good to them.

Murret's daughter, Marilyn, took the Oswalds on an outing. Kloepfer herself visited the Oswalds but made no attempt to direct any Russian-speaking people to them. On July 19, Oswald was dismissed by Reily because of inefficiency and inattention to his work. He had spent many of his working hours next door at the Crescent City Garage, where he read gun magazines and discussed guns with one of the owners, Adrian Alba.

Thereafter, he collected unemployment compensation weekly and, although apparently making some effort to obtain another job, again listed a number of fictitious job applications on his unemployment compensation claim forms. During this period, Oswald began to evidence thoughts of returning to the Soviet Union or going to Cuba.

On June 24 he applied for a new passport, which he received on the following day. She explained that she wanted to return because of family problems, including the impending birth of her second child. During the early days of the New Orleans period, the Oswalds' marriage was more harmonious than it had been previously.

Marina wrote:. Marina testified, however, that after they had been in New Orleans for a while, Oswald became depressed and that she once found him alone in the dark crying. Paine had left New Orleans. Paine testified, however, that she had noticed friction between the Oswalds before she left. Paine wrote Marina that if Oswald did not wish to live with her any more and preferred that she return to the Soviet Union, she could live at the Paines' house.

Although Mrs. Paine had long entertained this idea, this was the first time she explicitly made the invitation. She renewed the invitation on July 12, and again on July 14; she attempted to overcome any feeling which Marina might have that she would be a burden by stating that. Marina could help with the housework and help her learn Russian, and that she would also provide a tax advantage. Marina replied that she had previously raised the subject of a separation and that it had led to arguments.

She stated that she was happy and that for a considerable period of time Oswald had been good to her. She attributed this improved attitude to the fact that he was anticipating their second child. Marina turned down Mrs. Paine's invitation but said that she would take advantage of it if things became worse. Paine replied that she was taking a trip north to visit her parents and would visit Marina in New Orleans about September She also suggested that Marina come to her house for the birth of the baby.

Oswald spoke concerning his observations in Russia and conducted a question and answer period; he impressed his listeners as articulate. He indicated that he had become disillusioned during his stay in Russia, and that in his opinion the best political system would be one which combined the best points of capitalism and communism. The group returned to New Orleans on July Using the name "Lee Osborne" he ordered a number of printed circulars demanding "Hands off Cuba" in large letters, and application forms and membership cards for the proposed chapter.

Oswald indicated an interest in joining the struggle against Castro. He told Bringuier that he had been a marine and was trained in guerrilla warfare, and that he was willing not only to train Cubans to fight Castro but also to join the fight himself. The next day Oswald returned to the store and left his "Guidebook for Marines" for Bringuier.

Bringuier and his companions became angry and a dispute resulted. Oswald and the three Cuban exiles were arrested for disturbing the peace. At Oswald's request, an FBI agent also interviewed him. Oswald maintained that he was a member of the New Orleans branch of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee which, he claimed, had 35 members. He stated also that he had been in touch with the president of that organization, A.

The charges against the Cuban exiles were dismissed. On August 16, Oswald, assisted by at least one other person who was a hired helper, again passed out Fair Play for Cuba literature, this time in front of the International Trade Mart. That night, television newscasts ran pictures of Oswald's activities.

William Stuckey, a radio broadcaster with a program called "Latin Listening Post," had long been looking for a member of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee to appear on his program.

He learned about Oswald from Bringuier, and visited Oswald on August Later that day, Stuckey recorded an interview with Oswald which was cut to about 5 minutes and played back on the show that evening. Consequently, Stuckey arranged for a debate between Oswald and Bringuier on a minute daily public affairs program called "Conversation Carte Blanche," which took place on August He was put on the defensive when his defection to Russia was brought up, and Stuckey later testified that he thought that the program had finished the Fair Play for Cuba Committee in New Orleans.

Oswald wrote several times to V. The Dashun, a 9,ton vessel, was transporting The lab was initially operated out of a single room and had only one full-time employee, Agent Charles Appel. Agent Appel began with The House of Representatives votes to 17 to approve citations of contempt against 10 Hollywood writers, directors, and producers. These men had refused to cooperate at hearings dealing with communism in the movie industry held by the House Un-American Activities Committee On November 24, , Union troops capture Lookout Mountain southwest of Chattanooga, Tennessee, as they begin to break the Confederate siege of the city.

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