Transcript No Slide Title

Years of Doubt,
1969–1981
President Nixon
governs a divided
nation, the Watergate
scandal causes a
political crisis, and
Presidents Ford and
Carter attempt to
solve the nation’s
problems.
President Richard Nixon says farewell
to members of his cabinet and staff in
the White House East Room following
his resignation (August 9, 1974).
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Years of Doubt,
1969–1981
SECTION 1
Nixon Confronts Problems
SECTION 2
Watergate Brings Down Nixon
SECTION 3
Issues of the Seventies
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Section 1
Nixon Confronts
Problems
President Richard M. Nixon faces the
challenge of governing a deeply divided
America.
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SECTION
1
Nixon Confronts Problems
A Divided America
• President Richard M. Nixon wants to focus on
foreign policy
• Faces U.S. torn apart by inflation, racial
issues, Vietnam
• Wants to cut running of U.S. government,
states do more activities
• Vetoes Democratic bills, cuts education funds,
low-income housing
• Revenue sharing—U.S. returns tax money to
state, local governments
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SECTION
1
Law-and-Order Politics
• President Nixon promises to end social unrest,
restore law, order
• Appoints 4 conservative justices to Supreme
Court, wants them to:
- have strict interpretation of law to reduce
crime
• Wants U.S. government crackdown to reduce
crime, protests
• Directs CIA, FBI to investigate his political
enemies
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SECTION
1
A Troubled Economy
• Under President Johnson, government spends
a lot, does not raise taxes
• Causes recession, inflation, unemployment
increases
• Nixon cuts spending, stops wage, price
increases, inflation drops briefly
• Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC)—Arab-run group
• OPEC raises prices, cuts oil to U.S. to protest
U.S. support of Israel
• U.S. gas prices quadruple, inflation,
unemployment soar
Map
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SECTION
1
Nixon Eases the Cold War
• Nixon’s main foreign-policy goal is world
stability
• Nixon’s advisor Henry Kissinger arranges
Nixon visit to China (1972)
• Visit opens diplomacy, trade with Chinese
• Soviets invite Nixon to Moscow,
Soviet/American relations improve
• Détente— French word, easing of tension
between rivals
• U.S., Soviets sign Strategic Arms Limitation
Treaty (SALT):
- limits each country’s nuclear weapons
Image
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Section 2
Watergate Brings Down
Nixon
Nixon’s involvement in the Watergate scandal
causes a political crisis that forces him to
resign.
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SECTION
2
Watergate Brings Down
Nixon
The 1972 Presidential Election
• Diplomatic successes give Nixon Republican
nomination for reelection
• Nixon’s Democratic opponent is liberal senator
George McGovern
• Nixon easily defeats McGovern for president
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SECTION
2
The Watergate Scandal
• People working for Nixon engage in illegal
activities
• 5 men caught breaking into Democratic
headquarters, Watergate office:
- linked to Nixon’s Committee to Reelect
the President
• Nixon, aids break law to cover up Watergate,
want to avoid scandal
• Nixon, aids cover up of Watergate, other
crimes—Watergate scandal
• Senate begins investigating Watergate
(February 1973)
Image
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SECTION
2
Nixon Resigns
• Senate Watergate investigation closes in on
president’s advisors:
- H.R. Haldeman
- John Ehrlichman
- John Mitchell
- John Dean
• President Nixon pays illegal “hush money” to
keep burglars quiet
• Dean claims Nixon involved in cover-up, Nixon
denies
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Continued . . .
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SECTION
2
continued Nixon
Resigns
• White House aid claims Nixon taped
incriminating conversations
• Vice-president Agnew accepts bribes, Gerald
Ford named vice-president
• Watergate committee approves impeachment
charges of Nixon
• Nixon releases tapes, hard evidence, Nixon
resigns (Aug. 9, 1974)
• Vice-president Gerald Ford sworn in as
president
• Watergate causes many Americans to lose
faith in government, leaders
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Section 3
Issues of the Seventies
Presidents Ford and Carter have a difficult
time solving the nation’s problems after
Watergate.
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SECTION
3
Issues of the Seventies
Ford Takes Over
Chart
• President Ford wants to restore confidence in
the presidency
• Pardons Nixon, popularity drops, economic
plan fails
• Negotiates Helsinki Accords with European
nations, Canada which:
- spells out basic human rights for citizens
of signer nations
• Ford loses presidential election to Democrat
Jimmy Carter (1976)
• Carter promises honesty in government,
support for human rights
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SECTION
3
Carter as President
• President Carter shows he is one of the
people, political outsider
• National energy plan gets little support, fails to
help economy
• Carter sets up treaties that give Panama Canal
to Panama in 2000
• Negotiates Camp David Accords (1978):
- Egypt, Israel sign 1st peace treaty between
Israel, Arab nation
- ends 30 years of conflict
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SECTION
3
The Environmental Movement Begins
• Environmentalism—work to protect
environment, gets much notice, 1960s
• Biologist Rachel Carson writes about dangers
of pesticides (1962)
• In 1969, a huge oil spill increases cry for
tougher environmental laws
• Nixon, Ford, Carter all propose environmental
laws, help environment
• Accident at Three Mile Island nuclear power
plant, disaster averted
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SECTION
3
Reagan and the Conservatives Win
• Muslims overthrow Shah of Iran, Shah comes
to U.S. for medical reasons
• Angry about Shah, Iranians take 52 U.S.
hostages—Iran hostage crisis
• Carter’s negotiations with Iran’s leader for
release of hostages fails
• Poor economy, hostage crisis make Carter
unpopular
• Republican Ronald Reagan wins presidential
election (1980)
• Carter wins release of hostages who leave Iran
day Reagan inaugurated
Image
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