The Significance of the Kennedys' Camelot

There have been several comparisons between Jackie Kennedy and Michelle Obama in the recent months. Being that I'm a millenial, I am not too familiar with the Kennedy administration, other than the reinforced images around JFK's assassination. I kept reading about "Camelot" and decided to Google for some answers. I've gathered what I've found below, so I hope you keep it all in mind as I will be retuning to this idea in the future.

Becoming a Kennedy: A photo of Jackie O on her wedding day.

Camelot is:

"The term "Camelot" was applied to the presidency of John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) by his wife, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (1929–1994). Camelot refers to the seat of the court of the legendary King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table; it has come to mean a place or time of idyllic happiness. (Arthur was a British king; the Round Table was the name for his knights.) Shortly after John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, the former first lady was talking with a journalist. She described the years of her husband's presidency (1960–63) as an American Camelot, a period of hope and optimism in U. S. history, and asked that his memory be preserved. She had shown fortitude (ability to deal with adversity or pain) and grace as she guided her family and the country through the president's funeral and was one of America's most beloved first ladies."

Due to the charismatic and stylish couple inhabiting 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the Kennedy White House became known as Camelot. Alan Jay Lerner, Kennedy’s Harvard classmate, had penned the hit song "Camelot" for the Broadway musical, a personal favorite of President Kennedy. The tune quickly became the unofficial theme of the Kennedy administration. (Source)

Cached on wikipedia:

Camelot is a term used to describe the administration of United States President John F. Kennedy, based on the musical Camelot. The Burton/Andrews production opened in December 1960, a few weeks after Kennedy's election, and was a favorite of both the President and his wife, Jackie. Jackie gave an interview to Life journalist Theodore White shortly after the President's November 22, 1963, assassination in which she used some favorite lines from the musical, and that theme was often repeated in the press. "The lines he loved to hear were: Don't let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment that was known as Camelot." And to Jackie, it would never be that way again.