The Nixon Years 1969 74 192022 1 1969

The Nixon Years: 1969 -74 1/9/2022 1

1969 had its moments… n n n 1/9/2022 July: Neil Armstrong landed on the moon Aug: Woodstock Festival Oct: “Miracle Mets” won the World Series 2

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Woodstock http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=St. Fhv. AIv 3 Js 1/9/2022 4

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Max Yasgur’s farm Upstate New York 1/9/2022 6

The main stage under construction 1/9/2022 7

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Janis Joplin 1/9/2022 9

The Grateful Dead 1/9/2022 10

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Jimi 1/9/2022 12

Crosby, Stills, & Nash 1/9/2022 13

Joe Cocker 1/9/2022 14

Watching from backstage 1/9/2022 15

1/9/2022 Carlos Santana 16

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After the rains 1/9/2022 18

The Who 1/9/2022 19

Richie Havens 1/9/2022 20

1/9/2022 The Jefferson Airplane 21

Alvin Lee of Ten Years After 1/9/2022 22

1/9/2022 Country Joe and the Fish 23

About 500, 000 people gathered in upstate NY for 3 days of peace and music in the summer of ‘ 69 1/9/2022 24

Nixon and Vietnam n n Nixon’s chief advisor on foreign affairs was U. S. Sec. of State Henry Kissinger “Vietnamization”: turning over control / responsibility to the South Vietnamese U. S. begins withdrawal… 25, 000 troops out in summer of ’ 69 (Over next 3 years: down from 500, 000 to 25, 000) 1/9/2022 25

But… n n n 1/9/2022 Even as troops were coming home, Nixon ordered bombing of Laos and Cambodia 1970: ordered invasion of Cambodia Immediate reaction on college campuses…students went on strike (more than 1, 200 campuses struck) 26

Kent State University n n Student protesters set fire to the ROTC building… The Ohio governor called in the Nat’l. Guard On May 4, 1970 the 2 sides confronted one another: students threw rocks and bottles Guardsmen answered by firing 65 shots into the crowd, killing 4 and wounding 13 others 1/9/2022 27

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“Peace with honor” n n 1/9/2022 It was important to Nixon for the U. S. to exit the war honorably…to avoid the humiliation of having lost the war The Paris Peace Talks had begun before Nixon took office but negotiations were difficult and often stalled 29

Main goals of the negotiations: U. S. Wanted: n n All communist troops out of So. Vietnam Return of American POWs 1/9/2022 N. Vietnamese wanted: n n Immediate withdrawal of US troops Coalition gov’t. in the South to include Vietcong 30

The Pentagon Papers n n n 1/9/2022 Classified gov’t. documents on U. S. in Vietnam leaked to NY Times Co-author Daniel Ellsberg at the eye of the storm Nixon tried to block publication (NY Times v. United States)…Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Times 31

End of the War n n n 1/9/2022 Paris Peace Accords: January, 1973 American troops coming home N Vietnam to keep troops in S. Vietnam NLF to become legit political party in S. Vietnam N. Vietnam to return American POWs (Sen. John Mc. Cain was one of them) 32

Peace finally…or not n n Spring of 1975, N. Vietnamese launched attacks against the South Without U. S. support, the ARVN was doomed American Embassy in Saigon overrun Vietnam unified under 1 flag…the flag of communist North Vietnam 1/9/2022 33

Evacuation of the US Embassy: Saigon 1975 1/9/2022 34

Re-election and Downfall n n 1/9/2022 Nixon re-elected in 1972 Would not see the end of his 2 nd term… 35

Watergate n n Watergate was a hotel & office complex in the D. C. area Democratic Nat’l. Committee HQ’s at WGate 5 “burglars” were caught bugging the Dems offices Who put them up to this and why? ? ? 1/9/2022 36

The trail leads to the White House n n n The burglars were tied to Nixon’s Committee to Re-Elect the President (“CREEP”) Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein dug deeper and deeper Their investigation linked knowledge of the illegal activities to high ranking members of Nixon’s staff…and to the Oval Office itself! 1/9/2022 37

Closing in on Nixon n n March, 1974: grand jury indicts 7 of Nixon’s aides on charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury…Nixon’s 2 top advisors were amongst the 7 indicted July, 1974: House Judiciary Comm. approved 3 articles of impeachment, charging Nixon with obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress 1/9/2022 38

Why was Nixon about to be impeached? n n n It was clear that he knew of the break-in at DNC He approved a cover-up of the break-in and other campaign “dirty tricks” He tried to block the FBI’s investigation 1/9/2022 39

Resignati on n Rather than face impeachment, Nixon resigned in disgrace His VP, Gerald R. Ford was sworn in as Pres. soon thereafter 1/9/2022 n 40

Nixon says goodbye 1/9/2022 41

Effects of the Watergate scandal n n 1/9/2022 25 members of RMN’s administration served jail terms Americans disillusioned with politics and the “imperial” Presidency… presidents acting above the law, like emperors 42