Learning Target I can discuss the impact of Watergate on American politics.
A-China (Mainland) 1-Feb. 1972: Visits mainland China and meets with Mao Tse-tung 2-First president to visit China since it became Communist 3-Established diplomatic relations with China A) said how do you ignore one billion people B) Ping Pong Diplomacy
A-China (Mainland)
B-U.S.S.R. 1-May 1972: Visits Soviet Union 2-Began an era of Detante 3-First Nuclear Ban Treaty negotiated between the two countries A) SALT Treaty 4-Agreed to scientific cooperation A) Culminated in Apollo-Soyuz joint space mission
B-U.S.S.R.
C-Energy Crisis of 1974 1-Caused by Arab resentment of U.S. being friends with their enemy-israel 2-Caused lowering of speed limit on highways to 55 MPH 3-Caused dramatic increase in gas prices 4-Caused more American exploration and the building of the Alaskan Pipeline
C-Energy Crisis of 1974
A-Death Penalty 1-Furman v. Georgia A) Claim that the death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment according to 8 th Amendment B) Supreme Court ruled death penalty itself is not cruel/unusual C) HOWEVER, Court ruled the current system (in 1972) was unconstitutional because it was not fairly applied
A-Abortion 1-Roe v. Wade (1973) A) Supreme Court ruled first trimester abortions were Constitutional B) All state laws banning abortion were made unconstitutional C) Decision based on woman s right to privacy D) led to formation of right-to-life groups E) later ruled all abortions legal F) states still trying to stop abortions and cases keep coming to Supreme Court
A-Began with the Election of 1972 1-CREEP: Committee to re-elect the President 2-Nixon & Agnew win nominations from Republicans easily 3-Sen. George McGovern (SD) is Democratic nominee A) Thomas Eagleton is VP selection 1) Withdrew when it was revealed he one suffered from mental/emotional illness B) Eagleton was replaced as VP nominee with Sargent Shriver 1) Shriver was JFK s brother-inlaw
A-Began with the Election of 1972 4-Nixon/Agnew get 61% of popular vote and 521 of 538 electoral votes A) Oct. 10, 1973: Agnew resigns as Vice President 1) Accused of accepting bribes while Governor of Maryland 2) pled nolo contender (no contest) pled guilty to one charge of evasion 3) Found guilty, fined $10,000 and 3 years probation B) Nixon appointed Gerald Ford the new Vice President in accordance with the 25 th Amendment
1-June 17, 1972: 2:30 a.m., police arrest 5 men who had broken into the Democratic National Headquarters in the Watergate Building in D.C. A) When the story was released, few paid attention to it B) Burglars included: 1) James McCord: Former CIA agent and security consultant to CREEP 2) Virgillo Gonzalez 3) Bernard Barker 4) Eugenio Martinez 5) Frank Sturgis A)-One of the burglars has the name of a White House employee, E. Howard Hunt, in an address book
C) August 1972: White House issues statement that John Dean (White House Counsel) investigated and found no one in the White House had any part of the burglary. D) Nixon denies having anything to do with break in
2-Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward, reporters for the Washington Post newspaper began investigating because of connections to the government A) found one burglar received $89,000 from CREEP B) They are given information about the break in from an informant known only as Deep Throat 1) Woodward & Bernstein refused to tell who their source was 2) May 31, 2005: The source was revealed himself-w. Mark Felt A)-Felt was Associate Director of the FBI B)-Died December 18, 2008
3-FBI investigates and seven are prosecuted A) those Prosecuted 1) James McCord 2) Virgillo Gonzalez 3) Bernard Barker 4) Eugenio Martinez 5) Frank Sturgis 6) E. Howard Hunt 7) G. Gordon Liddy (Lawyer for CREEP) B) All found guilty 1) Judge John Sirica sentences all to prison terms
C) Sirica releases letter from McCord at Sentencing 1) McCord claimed witnesses committed perjury 2) Claimed high government officials pressed burglars to plead guilty to get the trial over quickly
4-U.S. senate begins investigation A) Sen. Sam Ervin (TX) is chair B) Hearings televised C) Witnesses testified that Attorney General John Mitchell was present when G. Gordon Liddy gave plans for the burglary D) John Dean (White House counsel) testifies that Nixon and others continue to suppress information
4-U.S. Senate begins investigation E) Alexander Butterfield (aid to H.R. Haldeman, White House Chief of Staff) testifies that there is a secret White House tape recording system and tapes of conversations about Watergate with Nixon
4-U.S. Senate begins investigation F) Archibald Cox, independent investigator appointed to investigate Watergate, requests the tape 1) Nixon says NO 2) Cox ask for court order & get it ordering Nixon to give the tapes 3) Nixon appeals & it goes to U.S. Supreme Court A)-Nixon claims Executive Privilege and National Security 4) Supreme Court orders Nixon to give the tapes 9-0 vote 5) Tapes are damaging and show Nixon knew of Watergate and participated in it A) Tried erasing one tape, had 18 ½ minute gap
4-U.S. senate begins investigation F) Archibald Cox, independent investigator appointed to investigate Watergate, requests the tape 5) Nixon orders Attorney General Elliott Richardson to fire Cox 6) Richard refuses and quits 7) Nixon orders Deputy AG to fire Cox 8) Dep. William Ruckleshaus quits 9) Solicitor General Robert Bork, next in line, fires Cox
4-U.S. senate begins investigation G) House of Representatives begins drawing up Impeachment articles H) August 8, 1974: Nixon goes on TV resigning effective noon tomorrow 1) Impeachment proceedings ended 2) only president to resign 3) Gerald Ford becomes President
4-U.S. senate begins investigation I) Ford pardons Nixon on Sept 8, 1974, for crimes he may have committed while president of the United States 1) Ford said he did not want a prolonged trial to disrupt the healing of the country 2) Concern over effect it would have on new administration 3) many say the pardon cost Ford the 1976 election A) many believed the pardon should have happened after Nixon was tried and only if he was found guilty