The "Camelot legend" surrounding the Kennedy family over three generations has glossed over the criminal and immoral behaviours of several Kennedy men. An inflated sense of entitlement dominates most of the episodes. In 1969 the 37 year old married Senator for Massachusetts, Ted Kennedy, was not arrested for the manslaughter of Mary Jo Kopechne aged 28. Too many details about the death have not been released. The Kennedy spin doctors made sure of it. The personal and political ramifications of the coverup were still being felt decades after the event.
- Callahan, Maureen, Ask Not, The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed, Mudlark, 2024, ASIN: BOCTYVHRK 4
- David, Lester, Good Ted, Bad Ted, Two Faces of Edward Kennedy, Birch Lane, 1993, ISBN 1559721677
- Damore, Leo, Chappaquiddick, Power Privilege and the Ted Kennedy Coverup, Blackstone, 2018, ISBN 1538557894
- Overview of the events leading up to the Chappaquiddick death of Mary Jo Kopechne, who had been a campaign worker for Bobby Kennedy
- Speculation and conflicting stories about the car accident in 1969 which Ted Kennedy escaped but Mary Jo did not
- The classic political coverup by a vast array of Kennedy spin doctors
- Short term and longer term impact of the tragedy itself and of the widespread political coverup
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Gain an understanding of why the Chappaquiddick case is often used as a "classic political cover up"
- Understand the factors which allow an American Senator in 1969 to escape legal redress for serious crimes
- Discuss the relationship between power and privilege as a recurring theme in most topics in History
