JERRY AND THE PEANUT
FARMER:
Presidents Ford and Carter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlz0he9rtKw
Nixon Resigns
1st President to Resign
 Ford
is in office from August 1974 – January 1977
 1st
President to take office via the 25th Amendment:
Vice President position by appointment, then fill the
office of President by succession
 1976
Republican Presidential Candidate
 Reputation
for integrity
 Moderate
 Appointed
 Pardons

Nelson Rockefeller as VP
Nixon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM9dGr8ArR0
THE PRESIDENT WHO WAS NOT ELECTED:
FORD IS SWORN IN AUGUST 9, 1974
 Ford
was born Leslie Lynch King Jr
 Mother
 She
remarried to Gerald R Ford Sr.
 Ford
U
left abusive father shortly after his birth
was never formally adopted
of M football player (center and linebacker)
 13
terms in House of Representatives (House Minority
Leader)
 Died
at age 93 (oldest President)
VICE PRESIDENT LESLIE LYNCH KING
JR.?
 Wife:
Betty Ford

76% approval rating when Jerry lost to
Carter

Former model and dancer

Divorce’ (scandalous…)

4 kids

Feminist

ERA supporter

Pro-Choice

Breast Cancer Awareness (Together
with VP’s wife Happy Rockefeller)

Frankness

Substance Abuse and Addiction
Advocate

Alcoholic

Betty Ford Clinic
BETTY FORD – MORE
POPULAR THAN JERRY!

DOMESTIC POLICIES:

Socially conscious:

i.e. Education of All Handicapped Children
Act 1975 (special education)

ERA supporter

Pardoned Draft Dodgers

Country is in midst of Recession

Economic goals:

Reduce inflation

Reduce taxes on business

Reduce government controls on business

Stimulate the economy by reducing
government controls on businesses
“NO PAPER SHUFFLERS”
 FOREIGN
POLICIES:
 Declared
Vietnam War (for the
US) over
 Prevent
Turkey/Greece/Cyprus
going to war
 Prevent
(more) war in the
Middle East
 Maintain
Détente with USSR
Rabin and Ford
MORE OF THE SAME…
Ford and Sadat
 1975
in California:
 1.
Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme
(follower of Charles Manson)
 2.
Sara Jane Moore
2 ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS
1976 ELECTION
 Ford
Loses: Republicans still associated with
Watergate
 Carter:
represented the “common man”
 Farmer
from Georgia: Humble/Honest
CARTER: 50.1% VS. FORD 48%
40.8M VS 39.1M POPULAR VOTES
 Condition
 Middle
 Cold
of the World:
East
War
 Condition
of the Country:
 Economy
recession
 Fuel
still in a
crisis continues
WHEN CARTER TOOK OFFICE…
At Home:
- 8M increase in jobs
- Reduction in federal deficit
- Interest rates and inflation still high
- New energy policy deregulated domestic oil prices = increased
production
- Civil service reforms
- Record number of minorities and women appointed to government
jobs
- The Department of Education is created in 1979
http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/jimmycarter
CARTER’S PRESIDENCY
* Increased environmental controls
* Emphasis on environmental awareness
* Expansion of National Parks
- Especially in Alaska
CARTER THE TREE HUGGER

James Earl Carter, Jr.

Born 10/2/1924

Plains, Georgia

Family owned a peanut farm

Married to Rosalynn Carter

3 kids

Attended Naval Academy and was a Naval
Officer

Governor of Georgia

Senator from Georgia
WHO IS THIS JIMMY GUY?
 Informal
 Didn’t
like the “pomp” of the
presidential image
DIFFERENT KIND OF PRESIDENT
 Camp
David Agreement in 1978
between Egypt and Israel
 Panama
Canal Treaties
 Established
with China
full diplomatic relations
 More
nuclear weapons limits (SALT II)
with USSR
ABROAD…
 BUT:
Soviets invaded Afghanistan

Ayatollah Khomeini leader of theocracy
in Iran

US supported the ousted Shah

November 4, 1979: 52 American
Students are captured by Iranian
Revolutionary Terrorists at the US Embassy
in Tehran

Held for 444 days

Failed rescue attempt “Operation Eagle
Claw” April 1980

USS Nimitz and USS Coral Sea were
patrolling near Iran

8 US servicemen were killed and 1
Iranian citizen
IRAN HOSTAGE CRISIS
 Initially,
it helped gain public support for
Carter (Nation gathering together in a crisis)
 Went
on for so long
 Images
in the press of Iranians burning
American Flags, etc.
 Iraq
invades Iran
 Iran
and US talk with Algeria as mediator:
Algiers Accords
 Release
of hostages
 Minutes
after Reagan is sworn into office
IMPACT OF THE IRAN
HOSTAGE CRISIS

http://www.history.com/topics/1970s
THE END OF THE ‘70S