No Kennedy Family

In October 1848, a poor Irishman by the name of Patrick Kennedy emmigrated to Boston, USA. His descendants would become the famous Kennedy and rise to the level of Senators, Cabinet members and one even president!

The POD is simple. Patrick Kennedy dies on the trans-Atlantic voyage to the USA. Apparently the conditions on such ships were incredibly squalid, they were even sometimes referred to as 'coffin ships, it would be quite easy for Patrick to contract something fatal and die from it.

How does the history of the USA and the world change without any of the Kennedys around?
 
It's hard. Joe Kennedy was a major figure in pre-WWII America (and to a less extent, after); JFK, RFK, and EMK were all commanding figures in American politics for a long time.

That doesn't even count older Kennedy family members of which I know nothing about.
 
That doesn't even count older Kennedy family members of which I know nothing about.

Off the top of my head, I cannot think of any. Joseph Kennedy's father in law was the first Irish mayor of Boston.

Wait. Joseph kennedy's father was Patrick Kennedy. So it is with him that the major changes occur.
 
Off the top of my head, I cannot think of any. Joseph Kennedy's father in law was the first Irish mayor of Boston.

Wait. Joseph kennedy's father was Patrick Kennedy. So it is with him that the major changes occur.

What did Patrick Kennedy do that was of any note?
 
What did Patrick Kennedy do that was of any note?

Sorry, got my Patrick Kennedy's mixed up. It turns out there were two, one who immigrated to the US and his son, who was Joseph kennedy's father. The first did almost nothing; but the second was a reasonably successful Massachusetts politician.
 
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