1. The Nixon Era and Watergate

2. The Burger Court No, not this…
4 Supreme Court justices retired while Nixon was president
Gave him a chance to replace liberal judges with more conservative ones

3. The Burger Court
1969 – Warren Burger appointed to replace Chief Justice Earl Warren
3 other justices appointed:
Harry Blackmun
Lewis Powell
William Rehnquist

4. Election of 1972 Nixon’s Southern Strategy paid off
Republicans gain control of every Southern state legislature
Nixon favored to win easy re-election
Soviet/China negotiations
AND, Democrats nominated a very liberal, antiwar candidate in Sen. George McGovern (D-SD)

5. George McGovern

6. The Election of 1972 McGovern’s campaign was a disaster
Dropped his VP (Eagleton)
Nixon crushed McGovern in the election, winning 49/50 states

7. Election of 1972

8. WATERGATE
June 17, 1972 – Burglary at the DNC headquarters in the Watergate Building (D.C.)
5 arrested with bugging equipment
Working for CREEP (Committee to Re-Elect the President)
CREEP = Raised $ through unethical means

9. Watergate Building

10. CREEP

11. WATERGATE Watergate leads to the resignation of many WH aides/advisers
By 1974  29 people charged, pled guilty, or convicted
FBI, CIA, and IRS used by Nixon’s men to harass enemies (“enemies list”)
Plumbers Unit – Nixon aides determined to stop the “leaking” of information (like Pentagon Papers)

12. WATERGATE
Senate committee led by Sam Ervin (D-NC) conducted Watergate hearings ( )
John Dean III – Accused several “higher-ups” in the administration, including Nixon, of covering up Watergate (obstruction of justice!)
Nixon denied any wrongdoing

13. John Dean Testifying

14. WATERGATE
July 1973 – Evidence emerged of “bugging” equipment in the WH, installed on Nixon’s authority
Nixon recorded many conversations in the Oval Office
Now Dean’s allegations could be checked against the tapes
Nixon refused to hand over the tapes (“Executive Privilege”)

15. One of the tape recorders…

16. Possible Locations of the “Bugs”

17. WATERGATE October 1973 – VP Agnew forced to resign for taking bribes
Agnew replaced by Rep. Gerald Ford (25th Amendment)
October 20, 1973 – “Saturday Night Massacre” occurred
Nixon ordered the firing of Archibald Cox, the special prosecutor investigating Watergate

18. VP Spiro Agnew

19. WATERGATE Cox had issued a subpoena for the tapes
The Attorney General refused to fire Cox, so he resigned, along with the Assistant Attorney General

20. Saturday Night Massacre

21. WATERGATE
1974 – Nixon turned over some parts of the tapes (“relevant” parts)
Many of the tapes had missing parts, and were littered with obscenities
Nixon refused to hand over any of the remaining tapes
Supreme Court ruled in U.S. v. Nixon that he MUST turn them over; executive privilege would not be an excuse

22. WATERGATE
July 1974 – House Judiciary Committee drew up articles of impeachment against Nixon
Obstruction of Justice
Contempt of Congress
Abuse of Power

23. Impeach!

24. The Fall of Nixon
August 5, 1974 – Nixon released a 1972 tape showing he had ordered a cover-up of the Watergate case
President is obstructing justice!
Lied to the American people!

25. The Fall of Nixon August 8, 1974 – Nixon announced his resignation
August 9, 1974 – Nixon resigned as president

26. Nixon’s Resignation Letter

27. Nixon Resigns

28. Nixon Leaves the White House

29. BREAK

30. Cambodia and the War Powers Act
Cambodia had actually been bombed by the U.S. as early as 1969
Bombs fell while the U.S. govt. claimed Cambodian neutrality was being respected
Congress tried to cut off funding, but Nixon vetoed each time
Finally, Congress passed the War Powers Act (1973) to limit presidential war-making powers

31. Cambodia and the War Powers Act
2 parts to the War Powers Act:
President must inform Congress within 48 hours if troops are sent into a foreign conflict or deployed to a foreign country
Troops could stay for only 60 days, unless Congress voted to extend for 30 more days

32. The Arab Oil Embargo and the Energy Crisis
October 1973 – Syria and Egypt attacked Israel
US supported Israel with supplies
Israel won the war
Middle Eastern nations retaliate against the US by setting up an oil embargo
US economy suffered greatly

33. Yom Kippur War

34. Gas Shortages

35. The Arab Oil Embargo and the Energy Crisis
US a net importer of oil, and dependent upon foreign oil
Any interruption in oil supplies = interruption in the US economy
Congress ordered the building of an Alaskan pipeline, and set up a national speed limit of 55 mph

36. The Arab Oil Embargo and the Energy Crisis
After the embargo, oil prices quadrupled
US car manufacturers forced to make more fuel-efficient cars