

Watergate scandal rocked the USA in early 1970s
Started small and escalated
› Phase 1: CREEP
› Phase 2: Did Nixon know?
› Phase 3: Battle for the tapes
› Phase 4: The end

17 June 1972: Five ‘burglars’
arrested in Democratic Party
Head Quarters in Watergate
Hotel
› Not stealing, but planting
bugging devices
› One was former CIA agent
› All linked to Committee for
the Re-election of the
President (CREEP)
› John Mitchell, CREEP director, used ‘dirty
tricks’ to discredit Democrats
› Two Washington Post reporters pursued
own investigation
› Nixon denied he or close advisors were
involved
› Nixon thought Watergate was behind him
› He was wrong
January 1973:
› Watergate burglars on
trial
› All found guilty
› One claimed White
House involved
 Nixon reacts:
› Denied allegation
› Appointed Archibald Cox
as special Watergate
prosecutor

› May-Nov. 1973: televised independent
Senate investigation
› Three of Nixon’s advisors resigned
› One, John Dean (member of White House
Counsel), claimed he discussed burglary at
least 35 times with Nixon
› Nixon denied any involvement, fired Dean
(White House Counsel member are
appointed by the president)

Nixon’s tapes
› Senate Investigation
revealed Nixon
recorded all
conversations in oval
office since 1971
› Senate & Cox wanted
tapes
› Nixon refused, citing
“presidential privilege”

20 October 1973: “Saturday Night Massacre”
 Nixon ordered Attorney General to fire Cox
 He refuses, then resigns under pressure

New special investigator, Leon Jaworski who also
demands the tapes

Nixon released some tapes, but 18 ½ crucial
minutes had been “accidentally” erased

April 1974: Battle over tapes continued
› Nixon released 1200 heavily edited pages
› Jaworski appealed to Supreme court

Supreme Court ordered tapes turned
over

27 July 1974:
› House Judiciary Committee voted
to impeach Nixon for obstruction of
justice

8 August:
› Nixon resigned to avoid
impeachment
› President Ford pardoned him

Congress passed laws due to scandal
› Privacy Act (1974): Americans can inspect
government files on them
› Budget Act (1974): President has to account for all
$$$ spent (Nixon believed to have spent millions of
government money on personal properties & evaded $400,000
of taxes)
› Election Campaign Act: Limited campaign
contributions; Limiting the influence of wealthy individuals
and special interest groups on the outcome of federal elections

Scandal utterly destroyed Nixon’s reputation
› Called “Tricky Dick”, most achievements forgotten
› Undermined America’s confidence in
government
› Press turned from hiding info to seeking
scandal
› Confidence & idealism of 60s replaced
with skepticism and doubt

Study these three cartoons, which do you think
makes the following points? (Write these three
things down in your notebook)
› Nixon is a liar
› America is in crisis
› Don ‘t trust politicians
Cartoon # 1
Cartoon # 2
Cartoon # 3

Focused on foreign affairs
› Opened China
› Reduced nukes with
Soviets

Promised exit from
Vietnam
› ‘Peace with dignity’;
exited Vietnam (1973)

Important advances on social issues
› More blacks in college, voting, in politics

Law and Order President
 Goal was to stop crime in America
 Enforcing laws:
Antiwar protesters
Draft evaders
Deserters
Fight Organized Crime

Nixon cut taxes
› Unfortunately, this fueled inflation
1. I would like for you to work in pairs.
2. You and your partner are both
inmates in an insane asylum
3. One of you can only remember
good things about people
4. The other can only remember bad
things
One day the two of you see a newspaper
headline of Nixon’s resignation
› The skeptic turns and says, “Well, it’s
about time! Tricky Dick sure was a
crook!”
› The optimist replies, “How can you say
that, after all of the good he has done!
› Now its your turn…Write 12 additional
lines of dialogue using facts from your
notes!
Chapter 19 Section 2
 Identify: Sam J. Ervin, John Dean,
Executive Privilege, Impeach, and The
Federal Campaign Act Amendments.
 Reading Check Questions on page:
859,861, & 862
