Watergate: Was Nixon a Crook?
Lab Title:
 Watergate: Was Nixon a crook?
Author, School, School System:
 Caroline McDermott
 Oakland Mills High School
 Howard County Public School System
Grade Level:
 9th grade
Duration of the History Lab:
 Three days
Maryland Curriculum Objectives:
 Analyze the impact of the Watergate crisis on American attitudes toward the government and
the office of the President (PS, PNW).
Essential Question:
 The Watergate scandal changed the many Americans view the office of the President of the
Untied States. It is also a very controversial event with a lot of stones left unturned. Nixon was
never impeached or charged with a crime, which leads to the question being asked in this lab.
Was Nixon a Crooke or Would Nixon have been convicted of a crime had he not been
pardoned? This lab is asking students to look beyond what he may have done wrong as a
president and look at Nixon as a citizen who may or may not have broken the law and form a
conclusion based on the evidence presented to them.
Teacher Background Essay:
Five men were arrested at 2:30AM on June 17, 1972 for breaking into the Democratic National
Headquarters in the Watergate building in Washington D.C. 1972 was an election year, and tensions
in America were very high. Incumbent Republican President Richard Nixon was facing Democrat
South Dakota senator George McGovern. The 26th Amendment had been passed, and it would be the
first time in US History that all US citizens over the age of 18 would be able to vote. The Vietnam War
was coming to an end with only 30,000 troops still deployed, but the anti-war movement was still
influential. Nixon was fixated on winning the election by promoting his commitment to ending the
Vietnam War as well as appealing to the group of citizens who wanted America to return to law and
order. The break-in at the Watergate building triggered a series of events that would end up being
one of the most infamous presidential scandals in US history. It would result in Richard Nixon
resigning from office and trust in the President of the United States being tremendously weakened.
Nobody was accusing Nixon of actually breaking into the Watergate Complex, however there were
allegations that he was heavily involved in the cover up of the break-in.
Richard Nixon began his political career by serving the state of California in congress in 1942,
then moving onto the Senate in 1950. He became Dwight Eisenhower’s Vice President from 19521960. He ran for and lost the presidency in 1960 but won the position in 1968. Nixon accomplished
much in his time in office: he ended the national draft, put a man on the moon and was able to
negotiate a nuclear arms limit with the Soviet Union. However, Nixon’s time in office was not without
tumultuous events going on in the country. The Vietnam War had created social unrest as many
citizens protested US involvement. Many people were upset with his handling of the war, and the
response of authorities to the protests that led to the death of Americans. The social unrest of the
time was unparalleled to anything the country had seen before in modern history. There was,
however, a large group of Americans who were fed up with the unrest and wanted a return to law
and order, the “silent majority”. Nixon identified this groups as the majority of Americans who
wanted to bring America back to a time of cohesiveness and calm that contrasted with the smaller
groups of people who identified with the anti-war movement and social unrest. All of his
accomplishments and hardships were soon overshadowed by one of the most controversial events to
ever haunt the White House, Watergate, all these actions took place before he was reelected in 1972.
Richard Nixon has been described by historians and people who knew him as highly
intelligent with a strategic vision and a paranoid psyche. Nixon was obsessed with his enemies. He
wanted to know every move that his political enemies made so he could use that against them. He
was not only paranoid about his political enemies but was also convinced that people were out to get
him-- from the communists to the media. He was known for wanting to keep things covert, and his
administration echoed this sentiment. His administration thus ran under the premise that things were
kept secret, and if anyone was caught leaking information than they would no longer be privy to
sensitive information. Shortly after taking office, Nixon began setting up recording devices in the Oval
Office, the Cabinet room and Camp David. Any conversation held in the Oval Office would
automatically be taped unbeknownst to the participants. The recorders in the Cabinet room and
Camp David had to be manually turned on to begin recording, but he parties present during
conversations were not aware that they were being taped. Nixon’s obsession with secrecy in the
White House led to every conversation he had his office being recorded.
When it came time for Nixon to run for reelection he would stop at nothing to win. His
opponent, George McGovern, ran on a platform to end the Vietnam War entirely and appealed to
liberal voters with his emphasis on extending more of a helping hand to the poor. During Nixon’s
request for reelection the polls consistently showed Nixon ahead of McGovern, but he still wanted to
know every move by the Democrats. He was specifically upset over the amount various contributions
the other party had been given. He wanted to squash the Democrats before they had a chance to
gain momentum. In organizing his reelection campaign Nixon appointed John Mitchell, former head
of the Department of Justice, to be in charge of the Committee to Re-elect the President (CREP).
Mitchell had successfully helped Nixon win the 1968 election by implementing an approach that
appealed to many Americans that would help restore law and order to the country. He had a
“fearsome reputation as a gruff, tough, no-nonsense law enforcement man with a direct line to the
Oval Office.” (Meyer, L.) Mitchell had a tight grip on the committee and all major decisions were run
by him first. The committee was committed to doing anything to ensure that Nixon would win a
second term. A big part of the campaign focused on sabotaging the Democratic Party before there
was even a clear nominee. These plans would be the key to eliminating any threat to Nixon’s
campaign. Gordon Liddy, legal counsel to the CREP suggested an elaborate plan to Mitchell that
ranged from entrapment and kidnapping to bugging and surveillance. Mitchell approved a scaled
down plan that would focus more on wiretapping and surveillance to get information from the
democrats. This plan culminated in the break in at the Democratic national headquarters at the
Watergate Complex in Washington DC.
On June 17, 1972 five men were arrested for burglarizing the Watergate Hotel in an attempt
to bug the offices of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). The Washington Post broke the
story, and subsequent articles gained little attention at first. One of the men, James McCord, was an
ex-CIA employee. At first there was no obvious motive for the men to break into the office. Two days
after the break-in it was discovered that James McCord was the security coordinator for CREP. John
Mitchell acknowledged that McCord worked to help install a security system but was in no way
behaving on behalf of the committee during the break in, nor did the committee have any knowledge
of the break in. On August 1st it was reported by the Washington Post that a check for $25,000 linked
to Nixon’s re-election campaign had been deposited into one of the burglar’s bank accounts.
Soon media outlets, spear-headed by the Washington Post, began making accusations that
linked the CREP to the break in. A national investigation soon followed. The five burglars as well as
two former White House aides that had helped plan the break were indicted in a criminal court. Four
of the burglars and one of the aides plead guilty and the other two, McCord and Liddy, refused to
cooperate. After being convicted on eight counts James McCord wrote a letter to the judge presiding
over the case that he and the other defendants had been pressured into cooperating by White House
officials. His statement provided evidence that indicated that perjury had been committed in the
Watergate trials. The letter implied that there had been an exchange of money for the defendants
silence. While the burglars were being put on trial and sentenced for the crimes they committed,
Nixon easily won reelection in 1972 by a huge margin.
In February of 1973 the Senate voted 77-0 to form the Select Committee on Presidential
Campaign Activities to investigate Nixon and the CREP’s potential involvement with the Watergate
break-in. They would be looking into whether the President of the United States and his staff had had
any involvement in the break-in and if so whether their actions justified any consequences. John
Dean, who had recently been fired as a White House legal counsel became a key witness in
implicating Nixon’s involvement in the Watergate cover up. He said that Mitchell had ordered the
break in and that Nixon knew about it. Soon after the Senate formed its committee Nixon’s attorney
general announced that the Justice Department would begin its own investigation to uncover any
potential wrong doings by the White House and appointed Archibald Cox as special prosecutor. Nixon
continued to claim that he had no knowledge of the break in. It was soon brought to the attention of
the Senate committee that Nixon had recorded all conversations had conducted in the Oval office.
Both the Senate committee and the Justice Department investigation ordered that the tapes as well
as their transcripts be turned over for the investigation. Nixon refused to turn them in, claiming
executive privilege. Nixon continued to refuse to hand over the tapes after he was issued a subpoena.
While the fight for the tapes was going on many of Nixon’s top advisors began to be indicted for their
involvement with the scandal. Nixon offered a compromise that would reveal some more of the
information from the tapes but would still not turn over all of the tapes for examination. The offer
was rejected, and as a result Nixon fired the special prosecutor of the Justice Department
investigation and the Attorney General. Finally with pressure from the public and the threat from the
House of Representatives of impeachment Nixon handed over some of the tapes in October of 1973.
When the Senate committee began collecting information from the tapes they noticed that
there were some missing pieces. One of the tapes handed over had an Eighteen-minute gap. Based
on the other information on the tapes the Senate committee believed that the missing information
on the tapes would have proved Nixon’s involvement in the cover up. An explanation was given that
Nixon’s secretary had accidentally erased the recordings during that time when she was transcribing
the tapes. More tapes were demanded, and Nixon was reluctant to give the Senate all of the
information requested. As public outrage began to build Nixon addressed the public to further deny
his involvement with the Watergate cover up. In February 1974 The House Judiciary Committee
began hearings to investigate the grounds to potentially impeach Nixon. This investigation was added
to the list of investigations already underway, including the initial criminal investigation, the Justice
Department investigation and the work done by the Select Senate Committee. This was however the
only investigation that could end in the president’s impeachment. It is the constitutional power of the
House of Representatives to impeach the president and the power of the Senate to hold the trial of
impeachment. A month later the House Judiciary Committee handed down indictments for seven
white house top advisors, including Mitchell, for perjury and obstruction of justice. The committee
demanded Nixon hand over all of the tapes, but he continued to refuse. The battle for the tapes
ultimately made it to the Supreme Court, which ruled unanimously that all of the tapes must be
handed over. In the tapes that were finally handed over Nixon was heard making direct references to
the Watergate cover up. By May the House Judiciary Committee handed down three articles of
impeachment for the House of Representatives to consider: obstructing the Watergate investigation,
misusing power and violating his oath of office and failure to comply with House subpoenas. Nixon
had reached the end of his battle, and on August 9, 1974 Richard Nixon resigned as President of the
United States of America.
When Vice President Gerald Ford took over as President and was faced with the daunting task
of rebuilding the image of the White House. The Watergate scandal had left a bad feeling over the
entire county. Many citizens of the United States no longer trusted or believed in the office of
president. Any prosecution of Nixon on criminal charges would take years to settle and thus keep the
countries spotlight on the scandal and further the heightened tension between the public and the
White House. In order to clear the air and create a fresh start for the White House, Ford pardoned
Nixon from any criminal offenses he may have committed in relation to the Watergate break in and
cover up.
Nixon never faced a criminal trial and was therefore never convicted of any crime. He was
also never impeached, so he was never tried before Congress as violating the terms of his presidency.
The legacy of Watergate will not soon be forgotten. It changed the way that the citizens view the top
leading officials in the country, and people began to question their authenticity and intentions. In
defending himself against wrongdoings through Watergate Nixon said during a press conference “I
am not a crook”. The question remains today, just how much was Nixon involved and had he not
been pardoned what type of charges and subsequent convictions may have he faced? Nixon clearly
made some unethical decisions, and as a president that was worthy of impeachment. However, he
was never faced with being charged of breaking the law as a private citizen. The main focus of this lab
is not whether or not Nixon should have been impeached but whether or not he committed a crime.
If Nixon had been charged with a crime it would have been obstruction of justice relating to his role in
the cover up of the Watergate break in. Obstruction of justice is “a criminal office that involves
interference, through words or actions, with the proper operations of a court of officers of the court”.
The question this history lab poses is not if Nixon would have been impeached, but rather would he
have been held criminal liable for his involvement with the Watergate cover up, was Nixon a crook?
Bibliography:
Bernstein, C. & Woodward, B. (1975). All the Presidents Men. New York: Warners Communication
Company.
Beschloss, M. and Sidey, H. (2009). The Presidents of the United States of America: Richard Nixon.
Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/richardnixon
Cillizza, C. (2009, July 3). The Case Against Richard Nixon. The Washington Post. Retrieved from:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/hall-of-fame/the-case-against-richard-nixon.html
Ford Library & Museum. Retrieved from
http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/museum/exhibits/watergate_files/index.html
Mankiewicz, F. (1973). Perfectly Clear: Nixon from Whittier to Watergate. New York: Quadrangle.
Meyer, L. (1988, November 10). John N. Mitchell, Principle in Watergate, Dies at 75. The Washington
Post. Retrieved from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpsrv/national/longterm/watergate/stories/mitchobit.htm
Schmidt, M.R. (2000). The 1970s. San Diego, Greenhaven Press, Inc.
*Materials:
 Photo of Nixon
 Student background essay
 Documents A through F
 Student answer sheet
 Answer key
 Pre-Write Handout
 Argumentative Essay Outline
*Attached separately: Graphic Organizer
Grading Rubric
Historical Sources with Annotations:
 Document A: Smoking Gun tape
This is one of the conversations Nixon had with his chief of staff H.R. Haldeman regarding
the scandal. In this particular conversation Nixon orders Haldeman to tell the FBI to stop
their investigation of the burglary. This conversation leads the students to think that yes
Nixon is a crook, he tried to interfere with the FBI investigation which would be
obstructing justice.
 Document B: Nixon’s statement about the Watergate investigation
In Nixon’s public statement about the Watergate investigation he denies any involvement
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in the Watergate break-in itself or any involvement in the cover up of the break-in.
Students will use this document to say that Nixon is not a crook. As President of the
United States he should speak truthfully to the people.
Document C: Articles of Impeachment
This document is the Articles of Impeachment by the Judiciary Committee handed down to
the House of Representatives. The articles state that he violated his oath as president by
using his role as President to cover up the Watergate break-in. The articles state that he
violated his role of President by “obstructing” an investigation, which is breaking the law.
This document says that Nixon is a crook.
Document D: Unindicted co-conspirator political cartoon
This political carton has Nixon sitting at the head of a table with empty chairs with former
White House staff members names written on them. Under each one of the staff
member’s names it says guilty. On the back of Nixon’s chair it says “unindicted coconspirator”. This cartoon is implicating that Nixon had something to do with the scandal
but was never accused of a crime, making him a crook.
Document E: Memorandum on prosecuting Nixon
This document is listing reasons that Nixon should be prosecuted and reasons that he
should not. This specific document allows the student to evaluate both sides of the
argument and decide for themselves, which is stronger, and thus whether or not Nixon is a
crook.
Document F: Watergate figure Dean sues Liddy, others
This article describes a law suit brought by John Dean against Gordon Liddy and authors of
the book Silent Coup. In the book John Dean is accused of masterminding the entire breakin and managing the cover-up for his own interests and benefits. The article describes a
law suit saying that the book was libel and slander. The article will lead the students to say
Nixon was not a crook since Dean was behind the entire thing according to the book and
Liddy.
Procedures:
I. Introduce the Essential Question
The Watergate scandal changed the many Americans view the office of the President of the
Untied States. It is also a very controversial event with a lot of stones left unturned. Nixon was
never impeached or charged with a crime, which leads to the question being asked in this lab.
Was Nixon a Crooke or Would Nixon have been convicted of a crime had he not been
pardoned? This lab is asking students to look beyond what he may have done wrong as a
president and look at Nixon as a citizen who may or may not have broken the law and form a
conclusion based on the evidence presented to them.
II. Initiate the History Lab
 Begin the lab by showing photo if Richard Nixon. Ask the students who this man is?
Using prior knowledge there should be recognition. Assess student’s knowledge about
what Nixon is remembered for?
 Lead the students in a brief discussion about what they know about the Watergate
scandal. Lead them to discuss that the Watergate scandal led to Nixon being the first
President ever, or since then to resign from the office of President.
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III.
IV.
Have students look at the picture again ask students to take a few minutes and write a
thought bubble about what may be going on in Nixon’s head at the time right before
his resignation. Have students share what they think Nixon was thinking at this time.
They will give answers regarding his emotion; he looks stoic, pensive, worried.
 Lead students to discuss why he felt this way. Ultimately you want to get to the point
that Nixon was upset over the situation, but what he was really dealing with was
potential consequences of the scandal. Tell students that even though he resigned that
he was never charged with a crime. They are going to be investigating whether or not
he did commit a crime, Was Nixon a Crook?
Frame the Essential Question
 Inform students that the Watergate scandal was a complicated so before they can
begin their investigation they need to understand what took place. Distribute the
student background essay. Have students read background essay and answer
corresponding questions:
 Review answers of the questions with the students and check for understanding
 Tell students they are going to be answering the essential questions based on
documents about the Watergate scandal
 Reiterate the question that they are going to be answering. Make sure they
understand they are deciding whether or not he broke the law, not if he violated his
job as President.
Modeling and facilitating the historical process
 Distribute document packet, student answer sheet and graphic organizer to students
 Explain to students that they are going to be looking at documents to answer the
essential question and the student answer sheet and graphic organizer will help keep
all of their data straight.
 Go over Document A (Smoking Gun Tape) as a whole class. Using a document camera
is helpful to illustrate to the students how they should be analyzing the documents.
 Tell students first we have to figure out what they are looking at by sourcing the
document. They should be able to use some of their prior knowledge from the
background essay to help them with some of the questions.
o What type of document is this?
o Where are these men having this conversation?
o Who is the conversation between?
 Have them answer the corresponding question with the student answer sheet and fill
in the graphic organizer for the sourcing column for document A.
 Before reading the document read the remaining questions in the student answer
sheet so the students know what to be looking for as they read.
o Why does Nixon reference the Bay of Pigs?
o What is he instructing Haldeman to do?
 Have a student read the document aloud. While the student is reading the document
highlight on the document camera phrases that help answer the question. (“the
problem is that this will open the whole, the whole Bay of Pigs thing”, “they should call
the FBI in and say that we wish for the country, don't go any further into this case”)
 Ask students guiding question to help them answer the first question
V.
o What was the Bay of Pigs? (Students should have prior knowledge of this event
and therefore with a little assistance be able to answer this question.)
o Where did it take place?
o How did it leave America feeling? (Students should say that it left American
embarrassed and feeling weak)
o Why did Nixon reference the Bay of Pigs? (Remind students of information
about the buglers from the background essay, some of the buglers were from
Cuba. A connection to Cuba with the break-in may not sit well with Americans)
 Make sure students understand the reference to Cuba and have an answer written
down.
 Move onto the next question, What is he instructing Haldeman to do?
o What is Nixon refereeing to when he says “this whole problem”? (students will
say Watergate)
o What does the FBI have to do with Watergate? (students should make the
connection that FBI was involved in the investigation)
o What does Nixon ask Haldeman to say to the FBI? (return to the document if
students need additional guiding, they should get to the conclusion that the
Nixon asked Haldeman to tell the FBI to stop their investigation because they
do not want to open the Bay of Pigs thing again)
 Have students answer the final question in the student answer sheet on their own.
 Ask students to share with the class if based on this document they think Nixon was a
crook? (Most students will say yes because Nixon is ordering Haldeman to interfere
with an FBI investigation, other students may say not because Nixon himself did not
tell the FBI to stop their investigation)
 After that have students look at their graphic organizer and fill in the row with them
using the document camera.
o Source: Nixon and Haldeman, conversation in the oval office, June 23, 2012
o Main idea: Nixon is asking Haldeman to tell the FBI to stop their investigation of
Watergate
o According to this document was Nixon a crook? Yes, he is interfering with an
FBI investigation; No, he is not himself going to the FBI
o Evidence: “they should call the FBI in and say that we wish for the country,
don't go any further into this case”
 After modeling the lab and clarifying all questions with the first document have
students get into pairs or groups of 3.
 Have students analyze the rest of the documents the same way they just did as a
whole class.
 Some groups of students may need additional modeling before they move into
working in their groups.
 Students should have the student answer sheet and the graphic organizer completed
by the end of this activity (May take up to two class periods from the introduction of
the essential until they finish analyzing the documents)
Synthesizing information and
developing critical interpretations
VI.
Have students discuss their interpretations of the different sources to make sure their
understand the purpose of each one.
 Once students have demonstrated that they understand the text of the documents
allow them to discuss their conclusions. Keep in mind that some students may come
to different conclusions and as long as they use the evidence to back up their opinion
that is all right.
 Allow students to briefly debate whether or not Nixon was a crook.
Assessment
Argumentative Writing Task
o Students will answer the essential question in the form or a five paragraph
argumentative essay.
o The pre-write activity and outline are attached.
o This can be started in class with a pre-write and if time with mobile labs to type
up or do the pre-write in class and assign the essay to be typed at home as a
long term assignment.
Performance Task 1
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Read the following excerpt from one of the White House Tapes.
Transcript of a taped conversation between John Dean and Richard Nixon, March 21, 1973 in the
oval office.
Dean: I think that there's no doubt about the seriousness of the problem we've got. We have a
cancer within-close to the presidency, that's growing. It's growing daily. It's compounding. It grows
geometrically now, because it compounds itself. That'll be clear as I explain, you know, some of the
details of why it is, and it basically is because (1) we're being blackmailed; (2) people are going to
start perjuring themselves very quickly that have not had to perjure themselves to protect other
people and the like…
Dean, J and Nixon, R. (1973, March 21). Transcript of a recording of a meeting. Retrieved from
http://nixon.archives.gov/forresearchers/find/tapes/watergate/trial/exhibit_12.pdf (June 29, 2012)
Write the next five lines of the conversation between Dean and Nixon based on whether or not you
think Nixon was a crook. Be sure to include the following:
-Expressing your stance on the essential question.
-Reference to events surrounding the scandal.
-Explanation of what Dean means by “cancer within-close to the presidency”.
Performance Task 2
Read the following excerpt from a Washington Post Story published on June 3, 1973 and write a
headline that best describes the main idea of the article and how it fits into the Watergate
Scandal, then draw an illustration that would best match the article.
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 Former presidential counsel John W. Dean III has told Senate investigators and federal
prosecutors that the discussed aspects of the Watergate cover-up with President Nixon or in Mr.
Nixon’s presence on at least 35 occasions between January and April of this year, according to
reliable sources.
Dean plans to testify under oath at the Senate’s Watergate hearings, regardless of whether he is
granted full immunity from prosecution, and he will allege that President Nixon was deeply
involved in the cover-up, the sources said.
Dean has told investigators that Mr. Nixon had prior knowledge of payments used to buy the
silence of the Watergate conspirators and of offers of executive clemency extended in his name,
the sources said.
Dean has little or no documentary evidence to support his charges against the President and
most of his allegations are based on his own recollection of purported conversations with Mr.
Nixon, the sources said.
Multiple Choice Item 1
What was going on around the time of the election of 1972 that might have lead Nixon to be
worried about his prospects for reelection?
A)
B)
C)
D)
Resistance to the Vietnam War
Fear of Communism
The Civil Rights Movement
An economic recession
Multiple Choice Item 2
Read the following excerpt and answer the question below.
Statement about the Watergate Investigation by Richard Nixon, August 15, 1973
“If I were to make public these tapes, containing as they do blunt and candid remarks on many
subjects that have nothing to do with Watergate, the confidentiality of the Office of the President
would always be suspect. Persons talking with a President would never again be sure that
recordings or notes of what they said would not at some future time be made public, and they
would guard their words against that possibility.”
According to this excerpt why won’t Nixon make the White House tapes pubic?
A) He does not want his involvement in Watergate revealed
B) He does not want the discretion of the president to be compromised
C) He does not trust the information to be used appropriately
D) He does not think that people will talk to him anymore
Weighted Multiple Choice
What is the main idea of this political cartoon?
[Nixon hanging between the tapes], May 24, 1974 Reproduction of original drawing
Published in the Washington Post (79) Retrieved from:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/herblock/crook.html
A) Nixon does not believe he is a crook because the tapes prove his innocence.
B) Nixon is doing everything in his power to hide what the information in the tapes while
maintaining his innocence.
C) The public believes that if Nixon has nothing to hide then he should turn over the
tapes.
D) The public believes that Nixon is not a crook because he said so.
Answer key:
A) 1
B) 3
C) 4
D) 0
Watergate: Was Nixon a crook?
Five men were arrested at 2:30AM on June 17, 1972 for breaking into the Democratic National
Headquarters in the Watergate building in Washington D.C. The break-in at the Watergate building triggered a
series of events that would end up being one of the most infamous presidential scandals in US history. It would
result in Richard Nixon resigning from office and trust in the President of the United States being tremendously
weakened. Nobody was accusing Nixon of actually breaking into the Watergate Complex, however there were
allegations that he was heavily involved in the cover up of the break-in.
Richard Nixon has been described by historians as highly intelligent but very paranoid. Shortly after
taking office, Nixon began setting up recording devices in the Oval Office, the Cabinet room and Camp David.
Nixon’s obsession with secrecy in the White House led to every conversation he had his office being recorded.
When it came time for Nixon to run for reelection he would stop at nothing to win. In organizing his
reelection campaign was known at the Committee to Reelect the President, or CREP. The committee was
committed to doing anything to ensure that Nixon would win a second term. A big part of the campaign
focused on sabotaging the Democratic Party. A plan was proposed that ended up in break-in at the Democratic
national headquarters at the Watergate Complex in Washington DC.
One of the men who was arrested was an ex-CIA worker, three others were Cuban workers. Soon
media outlets, spear-headed by the Washington Post, began making accusations that linked the CREP to the
break-in. A national investigation soon followed. Information from one of the burglars implied that they were
given money from ties to the president in order for them to stay quiet about. In February of 1973 the House
formed the Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities to investigate Nixon and the CREP’s potential
involvement with the Watergate break-in. John Dean a former White House legal counsel became a key
witness in implicating Nixon’s involvement in the Watergate cover up. It was soon brought to the attention of
the Senate committee that Nixon had recorded all conversations had conducted in the Oval office. Nixon
refused to turn them in, claiming executive privilege. While the fight for the tapes was going on many of
Nixon’s top advisors began to be indicted for their involvement with the scandal. Finally with pressure from
the public and the threat from the House of Representatives of impeachment Nixon handed over some of the
tapes in October of 1973.
When the Senate committee began collecting information from the tapes they noticed that there were
some missing pieces. One of the tapes handed over had an Eighteen-minute gap. As public outrage began to
build Nixon addressed the public to further deny his involvement with the Watergate cover up. In February
1974 The House Judiciary Committee began hearings to investigate the grounds to potentially impeach Nixon.
The committee demanded Nixon hand over all of the tapes, but he continued to refuse. The Supreme Court
ultimately ruled unanimously that all of the tapes must be handed over. In the tapes that were finally handed
over Nixon was heard making direct references to the Watergate cover up. By May the House Judiciary
Committee handed down three articles of impeachment for the House of Representatives to consider:
obstructing the Watergate investigation, misusing power and violating his oath of office and failure to comply
with House subpoenas. Nixon had reached the end of his battle, and on August 9, 1974 Richard Nixon resigned
as President of the United States of America.
Vice President Gerald Ford took over as President. Ford pardoned Nixon from any criminal offenses he
may have committed in relation to the Watergate break in and cover up. The Watergate scandal had left a bad
feeling over the entire county. Many citizens of the United States no longer trusted or believed in the office of
president.
Nixon never faced a criminal trial and was therefore never convicted of any crime. He was also never
impeached, so he was never tried before Congress as violating the terms of his presidency. The question
remains today, just how much was Nixon involved and had he not been pardoned what type of charges and
subsequent convictions may have he faced? If Nixon had been charged with a crime it would have been
obstruction of justice relating to his role in the cover up of the Watergate break in. Obstruction of justice is “a
criminal offense that involves interference, through words or actions, with the proper operations of a court of
officers of the court”. The question this history lab poses is not if Nixon would have been impeached, but
rather would he have been held criminal liable for his involvement with the Watergate cover up, was Nixon a
crook?
Questions:
1) When did the break in happen? When did the house begin hearings? When did Nixon resign?
2) Why did Nixon set up recording devices in the Oval Office?
3) Why did the House set up a committee to investigate the Watergate break-in?
4) What did the tapes reveal?
5) What were the reasons Nixon would have been impeached?
Document A
Transcript of a recording of a meeting between Nixon and his Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman in the Oval Office on
June 23, 1972 from 10:04 to 11:39 AM.
PRESIDENT: When you get in these people when you...get these people in, say: "Look, the problem is that this
will open the whole, the whole Bay of Pigs thing, and the President just feels that… without going into the
details... don't lie to them to the extent to say there is no involvement, but just say this is sort of a comedy of
errors, bizarre, without getting into it, [say] "the President believes that it is going to open the whole Bay of
Pigs thing up again. And… because these people are plugging… for keeps and that they should call the FBI in
and say that we wish for the country, don't go any further into this case", period!
Source: Haldeman, HR and Nixon, R. (1972, June 23). Transcript of a recording of a meeting. Retrieved from:
http://www.nixonlibrary.gov/forresearchers/find/tapes/watergate/trial/exhibit_01.pdf (June 28, 2012)
Document B
Richard Nixon’s public statement about the Watergate investigations. May 22, 1973
Recent news accounts growing out of testimony in the Watergate investigations have given grossly misleading
impressions of many of the facts, as they relate both to my own role and to certain unrelated activities
involving national security…
I will not abandon my responsibilities. I will continue to do the job I was elected to do...
With regard to the specific allegations that have been made, I can and do state categorically:
1. I had no prior knowledge of the Watergate operation.
2. I took no part in, nor was I aware of, any subsequent efforts that may have been made to cover up
Watergate.
3. At no time did I authorize any offer of executive clemency for the Watergate defendants, nor did I know of
any such offer.
4. I did not know, until the time of my own investigation, of any effort to provide the Watergate defendants
with funds.
5. At no time did I attempt, or did I authorize others to attempt, to implicate the CIA in the Watergate matter.
6. It was not until the time of my own investigation that I learned of the break-in at the office of Mr. Ellsberg's
psychiatrist, and I specifically authorized the furnishing of this information to Judge Byrne.
7. I neither authorized nor encouraged subordinates to engage in illegal or improper campaign tactics.
…I have specifically stated that executive privilege will not be invoked as to any testimony concerning possible
criminal conduct or discussions of possible criminal conduct, in the matters under investigation. I want the
public to learn the truth about Watergate and those guilty of any illegal actions brought to justice…
Source: Nixon, R. (1973, May 22). Statement about Watergate investigations. Retrieved from:
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=3855#axzz1z71F5a00 (June 28, 2012)
Document C
Articles of Impeachment Adopted by the Committee of the Judiciary July 27, 1974
Article 1
…
In his conduct of the office of President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, in violation of his constitutional
oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve,
protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take
care that the laws be faithfully executed, has prevented, obstructed, and impeded the administration of
justice, in that:
On June 17, 1972, and prior thereto, agents of the Committee for the Re-election of the President committed
unlawful entry of the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in Washington, District of Columbia,
for the purpose of securing political intelligence. Subsequent thereto, Richard M. Nixon, using the powers of
his high office, engaged personally and through his close subordinates and agents, in a course of conduct or
plan designed to delay, impede, and obstruct the investigation of such illegal entry; to cover up, conceal and
protect those responsible; and to conceal the existence and scope of other unlawful covert activities.
In all of this, Richard M. Nixon has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of
constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice and to the manifest injury of
the people of the United States.
Wherefore Richard M. Nixon, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office.…
Source: Committee of the Judiciary of the House of Representatives. (1974, July 27). Articles of Impeachment. (Adopted
27-11) Washington, D.C. Retrieved from
Document D
A political cartoon illustrating Nixon sitting at the head of the table with empty chairs with White House staff
members names on them.
Source: Nixon, "unindicted co-conspirator", July 14, 1974 Reproduction of original drawing . Published in the Washington
Post (80) Retrieved from: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/herblock/crook.html (June 28, 2012)
Vocabulary
Indicted: to charge with an offense or crime
Conspirator: a person who takes place in a conspiracy; plotter
Document E
From: Carl B. Feldbaum and Peter M. Kreindler To: Leon Jaworski, Special Prosecutor, Watergate Special
Prosecution Force, Department of Justicce. Memorandum On Prosecuting Nixon, August 9, 1974
SUBJECT: Factors to be Considered in Deciding Whether to Prosecute Richard M. Nixon for Obstruction of
Justice
…The factors which mandate against indictment and prosecution are:
1. His resignation has been sufficient punishment.
2. He has been subject to an impeachment inquiry with resulting articles of impeachment which the
House Judiciary Committee unanimously endorsed as to Article I (the Watergate cover-up).
3. Prosecution might aggravate political divisions in the country.
4. As a political matter, the times call for conciliation rather than recrimination.
5. There would be considerable difficulty in achieving a fair trial because of massive pre-trial publicity.
The factors which mandate in favor of indictment and prosecution are:The principle of equal justice under law
requires that every person, no matter what his past position or office, answer to the criminal justice system for
his past offenses…
1. The country will be further divided by Mr. Nixon unless there is a final disposition of charges of
criminality outstanding against him so as to forestall the belief that he was driven from his office by
erosion of his political base…
2. Article I, Section 3, clause 7 of the Constitution provides that a person removed from office by
impeachment and conviction "shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment,
and Punishment, according to Law."…
3. It cannot be sufficient retribution for criminal offenses merely to surrender the public office and trust
which has been demonstrably abused...
4. The modern nature of the Presidency necessitates massive public exposure of the President's actions
through the media. A bar to prosecution on the grounds of such publicity effectively would immunize
all future Presidents for their actions, however criminal…
Source: Feldbaum, CB and Kreindler, PM. (1974, August 9). Memorandum on Prosecuting Nixon. Records of the
Watergate Special Prosecution Force. National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved from:
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/watergate-constitution/ (June 28, 2012)
Document F
Newspaper article describing a lawsuit brought by John Dean for accusations saying he masterminded the
entire break in and cover up and lied about it.
Watergate Figure John Dean sues Gordon Liddy, others
LOS ANGELES (AP)—John Dean, President Nixon’s one time chief counsel, filed a $50 million libel and slander
lawsuit against Watergate conspirator G. Gordon Liddy for his autobiography, and against authors of another
book [Silent Coup: The Removal of a President].
The suit filed Wednesday by Dean and his wife, Maureen, complains that the defendants wrote that
Dean masterminded the June 1972 Watergate break-in at the Democratic National Committee offices.
Silent Coup, published last year charges that Dean planned the break-in to collect dirt on the
Democrats to boost his influence in the White House. The controversial book says that Dean then initiated the
cover-up without consulting superiors and became Nixon’s chief accuser to save himself.
Vocabulary
Libel: defamation by written or printed words.
Slander: defamation, a false statement or report.
Associated Press. (1992, January 30.) Watergate Figure John Dean sues Gordon Liddy, others. The Prescott Courier.
Retrieved from
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=886&dat=19920130&id=yqkkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sn0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4145,567664
9 (June 28, 2012)
Student Answer Sheet
Watergate: Was Nixon a Crook?
Document A:
1) Sourcing: Who is the conversation between?
2) Contextualization: Why does Nixon reference the Bay of Pigs?
3) Close Reading: What is he instructing Haldeman to do?
4) According to this document was Nixon a crook? Explain
Document B
1) Contextualization: Why was Nixon making this address to the nation?
2) Close Reading: What did Nixon say about his involvement with the Watergate scandal?
3) According to this document, was Nixon a crook Explain
Document C
1) Close Reading: What is the House of Representatives claiming Nixon has done to violate his
duty as president?
2) Close Reading: Does the House of Representatives accuse Nixon of violating any crimes of the
United States?
3) According to this document was Nixon a crook? Explain
Document D
1) Sourcing: Who are the people whose names are on their other chairs?
2) Close Reading: What happened to all of these people?
3) Close Reading: Explain what “unindicted co-conspirator” means.
4) According to this document was Nixon a crook? Explain
Document E
1) Sourcing: What is the purpose of this memo?
2) Close Reading: What are arguments against prosecuting Nixon?
3) Close reading: What are arguments for prosecuting Nixon?
4) According to this document was Nixon a crook? Explain
Document F
1) Who are John Dean and Gordon Liddy? (Sourcing)
2) What did Liddy and the authors accuse Dean of? (close reading)
3) According to this document, was Nixon a crook? Explain
Outline Guide: Watergate: Was Nixon a Crook?
Paragraph #1
Grabber
Background with key terms defined
Claim supported by mini-claims.
Paragraph #2
Mini-claim 1
Evidence:
Argument:
Paragraph #3
Mini-claim 2
Evidence:
Argument:
Paragraph #4
Counterclaim: Disprove what others may think of you claim. Why is the other side of the argument wrong?
Paragraph #5
Conclusion: Restatement of claim and mini-claims with fresh language
History Labs Glossary
Analysis – A close examination of the parts of something in order to identify the relationships between those parts or
between each part and the whole
Focus questions – Student generated questions that must be answered in order to address the essential question
Guiding questions – A list of questions students should consider when analyzing the resource
Gradual release of responsibility – The process of moving from teacher modeling to students working cooperatively to
students working independently
History Lab – A set of inquiry-based learning experiences that address an indicator within the history curriculum
Indicator – Statement that describes what students will know and be able to do over an extended period of time
Objective – Statement that describes what students will know and be able to do during a discrete period of time,
generally a class period
Essential question – The question that guides the History Lab and addresses the indicator on which it is based
Source Work Terms
Text – What is visible/readable – what information is provided by the source?
Context – What was going on during the time period? What background information do you have that helps explain
the information found in the source?
Subtext – What is between the lines? Must ask questions about:
 Author - Who created the source and what do we know about that person?
 Audience - For whom was the source created?
 Reason - Why was this source produced at the time it was produced?
 Style - How does the author use language and rhetorical devices to convey meaning?