A.P. UNITED STATES HISTORY
NAME:
RICHARD NIXON: WATERGATE SCANDAL
Richard Nixon’s first term as president (1968-1972) yielded numerous positive results. He made progress on civil rights and health care, he had
substantially improved the U.S. relationship with China and the Soviet Union, he pressed for key environmental reforms, and by the 1972 election he had
taken significant steps toward ending U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. In 1972, Nixon won one of the most sweeping presidential victories in U.S.
history when he defeated Democratic nominee George McGovern, winning every state except two. However, Nixon would not finish his term, becoming
the first president to resign his position.
How did a president who had won such an overwhelming victory fall from power? One word, Watergate. You will now look into the events that not only
helped bring down a president but also caused many Americans to further distrust the presidential office and politics in general. Watergate can be broken
down into five stages: 1) The Watergate Break-In, 2) The Investigation Begins, 3) Congressional Hearings, 4) The Secret Tapes, 5) Nixon Resigns. Look
at the following political cartoons. Each one represents one of the stages, but they are out of order. Your job is to match the political cartoon with the
stage it represents, then sum up that stage in the Watergate Scandal. Use your notes and the information I have provided to help provide the key
information in your summary.
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