Camelot Ended on Dike Bridge

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A week after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jackie Kennedy cemented her husband’s legacy by comparing his administration to the legends of Camelot. President Kennedy himself was likened to King Arthur with his pure heart, chivalry, and selflessness. The administration was Kennedy’s Knights of the Round Table, fostering a period of optimism with “utopian ideals and high hopes.” The Kennedy family was the closest thing to America’s version of Camelot royalty. Many may argue that this period of idolizing the Kennedy Family came to an end with the Chappaquiddick incident. 

On the night of July 18, 1969, Ted Kennedy, brother to John F. Kennedy, drove his car off Dike Bridge and killed Mary Jo Kopechne after a party on Chappaquiddick Island. After the car landed on its roof in Poucha Pond, Kennedy was able to free himself from the vehicle. He allegedly went back several times to try and save Kopechne. When Kennedy could not pull Kopechne from the car, he fled the scene. Law enforcement pulled Kopechne’s body from the car the following morning, citing her cause of death as drowning. Kennedy pled guilty to his charges, and the judge suspended his initial two-month prison sentence. Kennedy provided a televised statement that the public criticized for tarnishing his reputation, as well as the reputation of the entire Kennedy family.