1. Today’s Standard SSUSH25
Describe President Richard M. Nixon’s opening of China, the Watergate scandal, and the Presidency of Gerald Ford.

2. The Presidency of Richard Nixon
The Watergate Scandal &
The Presidency of Gerald Ford

3. The Election of 1968 1) The 60s – dominated by Democrats
The Election of 1968 – an era of Conservatism
2) Republican Party
Richard Nixon is elected
37th President
Private man
Didn’t trust many
3) Relied more on a few advisors rather than his own cabinet

4. Nixon and Foreign Relations
4) Nixon wanted to focus on foreign relations
He would ease Cold War tensions
Nixon’s most trusted advisor was the Secretary of State
Head of foreign policy
Henry Kissinger

5. Detente
5) Nixon’s plans for relaxing the Cold War tension was called detente
A policy of improving relations with communist powers
China
Russia
Nixon at the Great Wall of China

6. Nixon & China
6) The United States had not given Communist China formal recognition as a nation since its establishment in 1949
Nixon, however, made a few very important moves to improve relations with China
A) He visited and toured China and met with Chairman Mao Zedong
B) Nixon agreed to pull U.S. troops out of the Chinese island of Taiwan

7. Nixon and Russia Nixon also wanted better relations with Russia
7) 1972 – Nixon visits Russia and meets with Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev
There, they both signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT)
Limited the number of missiles to be owned by the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.
A big step towards reducing the nuclear threat of the Cold War

8. The Watergate Scandal
Nixon was popular and successful during his first term
1) He was determined to win re-election in 1972; even if it meant illegal activity
2) Since members of his cabinet had to be approved by the Senate, he didn’t share his secrets with them
3) Instead, Nixon hired his own secret group to do his bidding – “the plumbers”

9. The Break-In
June 17, 1972
4) The Democratic National Committee Headquarters at the Watergate office
Washington, D.C.
A break in was attempted by the “Plumbers” to wiretap phones of Nixon’s opponents
They were caught and arrested
Money they had was traced back to President Nixon
5) The Watergate Scandal

10. Nixon Resigns Nixon denied involvement
Reporters continued uncovering evidence
6) July 1974 – The Supreme Court demands Nixon’s private phone recordings
7) Rather than face certain impeachment, Nixon decided to resign on August 8th, 1974
The first president to do so
The famous last picture of Nixon as he leaves the White House.

11. President Gerald Ford 1974 - 1976
1) Nixon’s Vice-President Gerald Ford took over
2) Lost much popularity when he pardoned Nixon for Watergate
3) Ford faced a Congress dominated by Democrats
He couldn’t really get anything done
4) He would run for re-election in 1976 but was defeated by Democrat from Georgia Jimmy Carter

12. Jimmy Carter 39th President of the United States