We Choose to Go to the Moon
John F. Kennedy
In September 1962, with the Space Race against the Soviet Union in full swing, President Kennedy travelled to Rice University in Houston to rally public support for the Apollo program. The Soviets had put the first human in space (Yuri Gagarin, 1961) and America was trailing. The Apollo program was extraordinarily expensive — consuming over 4% of the federal budget — and public support was not guaranteed. Kennedy needed to transform a Cold War competition into a shared national aspiration. The result was one of the most inspiring speeches in American history.
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Speech Structure
Opening — Compressing human history
Kennedy condenses 50,000 years of human progress into a single paragraph, placing the moon mission at the end of a long arc of exploration and discovery. This technique makes the ambition feel inevitable rather than reckless.
Houston and space
Kennedy connects the speech to the local audience by linking Houston's growth to the space program, making the abstract personal and the national local.
The challenge
The famous 'We choose to go to the Moon' passage. Kennedy reframes the difficulty as the reason for going, not a deterrent.
The commitment
Specific details about spending, timelines, and technological milestones. Kennedy grounds inspiration in concrete plans.
Closing — The call to climb
Returns to the theme of challenge as purpose, ending with imagery of climbing mountains and crossing oceans because humanity must.
Rhetorical Techniques
Time compression
"Kennedy condenses 50,000 years of human history into a single breathless paragraph, ending with the present moment. This makes the moon landing feel like the logical next step, not a leap."
Reframes an unprecedented ambition as the natural continuation of human progress.
Antimetabole
"'We choose to go to the Moon... not because they are easy, but because they are hard.' The reversal of expectation turns difficulty into motivation."
One of the most quoted lines in American oratory. It redefines the relationship between challenge and purpose.
Local connection
"Kennedy ties the space program to Houston specifically — jobs, investment, infrastructure — making the national mission personal to his audience."
Converts abstract ambition into concrete local benefit. The audience is not just hearing about the moon; they are part of the mission.
Accumulation of scale
"Kennedy lists the specific investments, the rocket specifications, the timeline — building the argument through sheer weight of commitment."
Demonstrates that this is not rhetoric but a real, funded, planned endeavour.
Key Quotes
"We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard."
"But why, some say, the Moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic?"
"No nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in this race for space."
"We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people."
Delivery Analysis
Pace
Varies brilliantly — slow and measured during the historical preamble, then accelerating through the vision, and slowing again for the emotional climax.
Tone
Optimistic and energetic. Kennedy's voice conveys genuine excitement about the future — a marked contrast to his grave missile crisis address.
Pauses
Theatrical pauses before the key phrase 'We choose to go to the Moon,' giving the crowd time to anticipate what was coming.
Gestures
Open, expansive gestures matching the ambitious vision. Kennedy looks up and outward, physically embodying the act of reaching for the moon.
Why It Works
Reframing difficulty as purpose
By declaring 'not because they are easy, but because they are hard,' Kennedy transforms the primary objection to the program into its strongest argument.
Historical continuity
Placing the moon mission in the context of all human exploration makes it feel inevitable. The audience is invited to see themselves as part of an ancient story.
Concrete specificity
Kennedy does not just inspire — he cites costs, timelines, and technical specifications. The speech is both poetry and business plan.
Audience connection
By speaking at Rice University in Houston (home of Mission Control), Kennedy makes the audience feel personally responsible for the mission's success.
Lessons for Your Speech
Reframe objections as arguments
If your audience thinks your idea is too hard, too expensive, or too ambitious, don't deny the difficulty — embrace it. Make the challenge the point.
Put ambition in historical context
Connect your vision to a larger story. If your audience can see themselves as part of something bigger, they are more likely to support the journey.
Mix inspiration with specifics
Poetry without a plan is just talk. Kennedy inspired and then immediately provided budgets, timelines, and milestones. Do both.
Legacy & Impact
The speech galvanised public support for Apollo and is credited with sustaining the political will needed to fund the program through to the successful Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969. The phrase "not because they are easy, but because they are hard" has become a universal shorthand for ambitious goal-setting. The speech is quoted in business, education, and technology contexts whenever leaders need to justify bold investments. Rice University's football stadium, where the speech was delivered, now bears a commemorative plaque.
Quick facts
- Speaker
- John F. Kennedy
- Year
- 1962
- Category
- inspirational
- Words
- 2,500
- Duration
- 17 min
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