Nixon, Watergate, and the Scandal that Shook America

1. Unit11: 1970’sNixon and Watergate

2. Nixon elected in 1968 promised to get U.S. out of Vietnam but escalated the war. (Credibility Gap) • “Plumbers” were men who would burglarize and search for Nixon. • Nixon used the FBI, IRS, and CIA to find information on people. • CREEP- Committee to Reelect the President Nixon in 1972

3. New Federalism- President Richard Nixon promoted the idea of new federalism which was a policy plan to turn over the control of some U.S. federal programs to state and local governments and institute block grants and revenue sharing. • Realpolitik- Realpolitik is a political system that's not based on beliefs, doctrines, ethics, or morals, but rather on realistic, practical ideas. Richard Nixon's diplomacy with China in the 1970's was an example of realpolitik.

4. Henry Kissinger • Key advisor to Nixon • 1973- Kissinger won the Nobel Peace Prize for talks with North Vietnam • Kissinger and Nixon start a new relationship with China. • Ping-Pong Diplomacy-The first groups to travel to China were the US ping-pong team. (US lost) • Détente-“Being friendly”, a relaxation of tensions with China and Soviet Union.

5. During the 1970’s • July 20, 1969- 1st man on the moon • The economy suffered problems. • Inflation, energy crisis, industry suffered, unemployment, and a stagnant economy were all part of the early 70’s. • School bussing

6. Watergate • Watergate Office Building- June 17, 1972: five men broke in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee. • They each had ties to the president (Nixon). Nixon denied knowing any of this. McGovern, the Democrat running against Nixon, tried to convince the people and press Nixon was to blame.

7. The press was “indifferent” towards the break-in. They reported it as a “caper”. The voters didn’t even know or said to care of the Watergate break-in. • Nixon won the election of 1972 with the popular vote of 60.7%. • During the Watergate affair with Nixon, foreign affairs were left to Kissinger. • Watergate will later cause Nixon’s downfall.

8. The Watergate Scandal Timeline: • Burglars broke into Watergate office building. • Nixon ordered cover-up of crime. • The Press investigated. • The Senate investigated. • Special prosecutor subpoenaed the tapes of Nixon’s phone conversations.

9. Continued… 6. Nixon refused to hand over the tapes. 7. Supreme Court ordered Nixon to release tapes. (There was an 18 ½ min space deleted on the tapes dated June 23rd, 1972) 8. House drew up a bill of Impeachment. 9. Nixon resigned. 10. Ford took office. • Watergate burglary had been planned, authorized, and financed by high officials in the Nixon campaign. • “I am not a crook!”, Nixon

10. Washington Post • Only the Washington Post covered the Watergate scandal. • Bob Woodward(29 yrs old) • Carl Bernstein(28 yrs old) • Deep Throat- source that helped the reporters uncover the scandal (W. Mark Felt the #2 FBI guy, did not reveal himself until May 31, 2005!).

11. All the President’s Men • John Mitchell-Nixon’s campaign manager; Attorney General • G. Gordon Liddy-Member of White House staff. Burglars had been in direct contact with him. • H. R. Halderman-Chief of Staff • John Ehrlichman-Chief of Domestic Affairs

12. How was Watergate Discovered? • Link between Watergate burglars and the White House: one of the burglars had the phone # of E. Howard Hunt at the White House in his pocket. • Frank Willis-young security guard noticed a piece of tape covering the lock on a parking garage door leading to the Watergate building. He called the police. • Cover-up- President Nixon’s order to keep the truth of Watergate from coming out. • Hush-Money- bribes to suspects

13. 1973- Spiro Agnew (Vice President) resigns. “On October 10, 1973, Spiro Agnew became the second Vice President to resign the office… Agnew resigned and then pleaded nolocontendere (no contest) to criminal charges of tax evasion and money laundering, part of a negotiated resolution to a scheme wherein he accepted $29,500 in bribes during his tenure as governor of Maryland… When Agnew moved from Annapolis to Washington, D.C., he continued to demand payments. Angered, the construction men turned government's witnesses. Agnew was fined $10,000 and put on three years' probation. The $10,000 fine only covered the taxes and interest due on what was "unreported income" from 1967.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiro_Agnew

14. Nixon appoints House Minority leader, Gerald Ford, as vice president. “…the thirty-eighth President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the fortieth Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974. He was the first person appointed to the vice presidency under the terms of the 25th Amendment, and became President upon Richard Nixon's resignation on August 9, 1974. Ford was the fifth U.S. President never to have been elected to that position, and the only one never to have won a national election at all. He is the longest lived president in U.S. History. “ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Ford

15. Nixon’s Resignation • August 9, 1974-Nixon will resign at noon. • Wrote a letter to Kissinger. • Ford becomes president, pardons Nixon in 1974. (Why?)

16. Causes and Effects of Nixon Administration: • C: Nixon campaign funds obtained illegally E: Congress established federal financing of election campaigns. 2.C: “Imperial Presidency”, too much presidential power E: Congress passed law limiting presidential control over budget 3.C: Nixon used CIA to discredit opponents E: Congress passed laws restricting autonomy of CIA

17. 1974 Presidential Election Campaign Fund- established federal financing of presidential campaigns. Designed to limit the role of contributions, and rules restricting power of CIA.

18. Barbara Jordan- Texas, Democrat, 1st African American woman elected to Congress from a southern state. • Significant role in impeachment trial.

19. Gerald Ford (1974-1977) • Stagflation – high unemployment and inflation • OPEC – use of oil as a weapon • Helsinki Accords – recognized post WWII borders and promised to respect human rights

21. Jimmy Carter • Peanut Farmer from Georgia • Soft-spoken and down to earth that made him not play the “insider” games of DC. • “Fire-side” chats like FDR • Human Rights

22. Energy crisis- National Energy Act- tax on gas-guzzling cars, removed price controls on oil and natural gas produced in the US, and extended tax credits for the development of alternative energy. • Texas Oil Boom- late 1970’s OPEC raised the price of oil, this boomed Texas economy and demand for domestic oil

23. Carter was big on Human Rights • April 22, 1970 1st Earth Day; started with Nixon and continued • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-pollution control • Panama Canal- December 31, 1999 • Soviet-Afghanistan War- 1979-1989 US intelligence armed Afghan rebels and trained them in terrorist tactics. These rebels would later turn on the US.

24. Camp David Accords- 1978- Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat and Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin • 12 days of negotiations • Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula • Egypt recognized Israel as a country

25. Iran Hostage Crisis- November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981 • 444 days • 52 Americans hostage in the US embassy in Tehran

26. Election of 1980 • Jimmy Carter Democrat • Ronald Reagan Republican

28. 1970’s Fads

29. Pop Culture of the 1970’s

30. Chapter 24 Study Guide:10 Matching12 Multiple Choice Matching: Multiple Choice: Phyllis Schlafly Jimmy Carter Nixon Communist China OPEC Iran Hostage Crisis EPA Camp David Accords Stagflation Inflation Détente Watergate