The Kennedy Presidency occurred in a period of American history shortly after what was known as the "Red Scare." As a result, America was primed to see any communist expansion as an act of war. The Bay of Pigs was a failed attempt to overthrow the communist leader 90 miles off of Miami and was a major failure for the Kennedy Administration in its fight against communist. Conversely, the Cuban Missile Crisis was a second attempt by the Kennedy Administration to take a strong stand against the expansion of communism.