NIXON Mini Biography n http www biography compeoplerichard
NIXON
Mini Biography n http: //www. biography. com/people/richard- nixon-9424076/videos/richard-nixon-minibiography-14077507727
Road to the Whitehouse n Background n Won election in ’ 68 over Hubert Humphrey & George Wallace – – – Republican Lawyer House & Senate Lost ’ 62 race for Gov. of CA V. P. under Eisenhower – Silent Majority- Term Nixon coined for traditional middle-class voters who were tired of the unrest of the ‘ 60’s – Southern Strategy- Nixon appealed to conservative Democrats in the South by not asking for any new civil rights legislation. The South began voting Republican in many elections to come n Won again in ’ 72 over George Mc. Govern
Vietnam Nixon began the Vietnamization process as we gradually withdrew our combat forces n S. Vietnam fell to the communists in 1975; Saigon was re-named Ho Chi Minh City n In the wake of the Vietnam War, The War Powers Act was passed, limiting presidential military power n
The Energy Crisis n n n n The U. S. became increasingly dependent on foreign oil in the years following WWII, wanting to conserve our own supply here at home. We found ourselves at the mercy of OPEC (The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries). OPEC is an organization of Middle-Eastern & African countries that had a great deal of control over oil supplies (and still does today) OPEC countries cut off shipments to the U. S. and hiked up prices when we supported Israel during the Yom Kippur War of ’ 73 During this war, Egypt & Syria (with Soviet backing) attacked Israel, trying to win back territory they had lost in the Six-Day War of ’ 67. When Israel pushed back hard, the U. S. and USSR convinced both sides to accept a cease-fire. OPEC countries, however, resented our support of Israel and decided to punish us with an embargo
This triggered an energy crisis in the U. S. , with the cost of gasoline quadrupling in the course of a few months. The costs of electricity and heating also went up considerably. n The oil embargo ended in 1974, but prices continued to be high for some time thereafter n n n n Effects of the Energy Crisis Long lines at gas stations (some as long as several miles!) Highway speed limit reduced to 55 mph to conserve gas Americans concerned about their finances and our long-term energy policies New pipelines constructed in Alaska Increased use of nuclear power Smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles being produced
There are definitely some parallels to today- Can you think of any? Look at the chart below- How might this information impact our foreign policy decisions?
Environmentalism n n n The E. P. A. (Environmental Protection Agency) was founded in 1970 to handle environmental concerns The Clean Air Act set high standards for auto makers The Water Quality Improvement Act required oil companies to help pay for spills (there had been a big one off the coast of California in 1969) The Endangered Species Act gave the government power to determine which animals are threatened and how to protect them from extinction The first Earth Day was held in 1970
Other Domestic Issues n 26 th Amendment (1971)- Reduced the voting age to 18 (had previously been 21) – Seemed like the right thing to do in the wake of Vietnam, when 18 year-olds had been old enough to be drafted, but not old enough to vote
Equal Rights Amendment (1972) “Equality under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex” n Supporters saw it as a way to end gender discrimination n Opponents saw it as a threat to time-honored traditions and respect for obvious differences between the sexes (such as separate restrooms for men & women, or women not being required to serve in combat) n It passed Congress, but failed to be ratified by enough states to go into effect n
Roe Vs. Wade (1973) n n n Supreme Court decision that stated that women have the right to have an abortion within the first 3 months of pregnancy Supporters said that a woman should have the choice and that states should not make it illegal, forcing women in tough circumstances to use unsafe methods outside the law to terminate an unwanted pregnancy Opponents maintained that life begins at conception, thus abortion was morally wrong and violated the lives of unborn children Since the decision, the U. S. has seen an average of 1. 5 million abortions each year This case is still hotly debated
Foreign Affairs under Nixon n Nixon believed that foreign policy should not be based on ideals like democracy and human rights, but rather on the practical realities and national interests of the day (this is known as realpolitik) n In other words we didn’t have to like everything about another country’s policies in order to play nice with them
Nixon visited the People’s Republic of China in 1972 By doing so, he showed a willingness to improve relations between our countries n It also meant giving their govt. official recognition and admitting it to the U. N. (over Taiwan) n The Chinese gave us two pandas for the National Zoo. Nixon gave them a Musk Ox. Bad trade. n
Nixon in the USSR Nixon also visited the Soviet Union a few months later, meeting with their leader Leonid Brezhnev (who had succeeded Khrushchev) n They signed the S. A. L. T. treaty (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks), which limited the number of ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) each country could have. They also made trade agreements. n This meeting led to a period of détente (relaxation of tensions) between the Superpowers n
Nixon’s Downfall Nixon won a landslide reelection in 1972 n It was discovered soon thereafter, however, that several government employees had broken into Democratic National Campaign Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel. They had planted listening devices to try to dig up dirt on Nixon’s enemies. n There wasn’t much evidence that Nixon had authorized the break-in, but he tried to cover it up when he found out about it. This became known as the Watergate Scandal n Two Washington Post reporters, Woodward and Bernstein, dug up details about how White House officials had hired 50 agents to sabotage the Democrats in the 1972 election. n
Prosecutors put together a solid case against the president and his cohorts. n They demanded that Nixon turn over tape-recordings of his conversations in the oval office. n Even though there were parts of the tapes that had been “accidentally” erased, the tapes (and their transcripts) made it clear that Nixon had been directly involved in covering up the story. n Several high-ranking Nixon aides were convicted and went to prison n
Resignation! As a result of the turmoil caused by the scandal, Nixon decided it would be best for the nation if he resigned (the only U. S. president to ever do so) n He also knew that there was enough support in the Senate to impeach and remove him. n
Aftermath The Watergate scandal proved that no one, not even the president, was above the law, but it also caused many Americans to become increasingly distrustful of their political leaders. n It also helped create the scandal-obsessed media we see today, with reporters obsessed with being the next Woodward & Bernstein. n
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