Chapter+7

Chapter 7 - JULY 27-30, 1974 (Jesseny)/ AUGUST 8, 1974 (Lily)/ RICHARD NIXON (Greg/Kate)

=Richard M. Nixon=

Before his Presidency
NIXON

Richard Nixon was born on January 3, 1913 in Yorba Linda, California and grew up in Whittier. Nixon graduated from Whittier College in 1934 and then went on to finish her law studies at Duke University in 1937. Following that, in January of 1942 Nixon moved to Washington D.C. to work in the Office of Price Administration. Then that august he joined the Navy to serve in the Pacific as a lieutenant during WWII. Post WWII Nixon ran for U.S. House of Representatives and won over his democratic opponent Jerry Voorhis. Then in 1950 Nixon ran for U.S. Senate and won over his opponent Helen Gahagen Douglas. He won both elections by using a method of accusing his opponents of supporting the communist party. Then in 1952 Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes President and along with him was his Vice President Richard Nixon. After all that in 1960 Nixon ran for President himself, as a republican candidate. Nixon had a close battle but in the end the popular democrat John F. Kennedy became the President. After his loss in the Presidential election Nixon ran for Governor of California but loses. He then joins a large Wall Street Law Firm in New York. Then In 1964 the republicans refuse to endorse Barry Goldwater, so Nixon took his place. In 1968 Nixon Runs for Presidency against Hubert Humphrey and George Wallace.

During and After his Presidency
Nixon ran on the Republican Ticket in 1968. He beat the Democratic nominee Hubert Humphrey (who took over when Robert Kennedy was assassinated). Nixon campaigned for the “silent majority” of everyday middleclass Americans. He ran a very conservative campaign and was against civil rights and against more welfare for African Americans. Nixon’s election marked the end of a liberal time in America. The United States was fighting battles on many fronts when Nixon took office in ’69. Between the war in Vietnam, Civil Rights, and high inflation he had a lot of problems to deal with. Nixon began to gradually pull troops out of Vietnam and training fighters in South Vietnam to pick up the slack. Nixon finally negotiated a “peace with honor” with North Vietnam. More than anything else this peace was to allow America to pull out of the war. Nixon was very good at foreign policy. He used a strategy called shuttle diplomacy to visit foreign communist powers, such as China and the USSR, resulting in talks of limiting nuclear weapons. Domestically, Nixon didn’t do as well. He led a very conservative presidency. He dismantled many liberal programs that had been established in the 1960’s as well as appointing four conservative Supreme Court judges.

The Beginning of the Watergate Scandal
Nixon established a team of agents know as the plumbers. It was their job to ensure his reelection in 1972. Not only did they illegally tap phones, but they also broke into the Democratic Party’s national campaign office at the Watergate Hotel. These actions were known as the Watergate Scandal. The scandal was not unearthed until later however. Nixon won the 1972 election in a landslide. At the beginning of this term however, his vice president was forced to resign. All of the covering up that Nixon worked so hard to hide was coming to light. Over the next two years his political career began to unravel, on national television. The senate investigation found evidence of his guilt in obstructing justice by covering up all of the illegal things that he had done. In August of 1974 the Supreme Court voted to have him show tapes that recorded conversations that took place in the oval office. At first he refused, but later he relented and showed the tapes. The problem is, some key parts of the tapes had been erased; yet another cover-up. Nixon resigned with the knowledge that he would be impeached from office. After a month the new president granted him a full pardon from federal prosecution. Although Nixon accepted this pardon, he never admitted that he had done anything illegal. Nixon died in New York City on April 22, 1994 after a retirement filled with traveling and writing about foreign policy issues.

=July 27-30, 1974= July 27th, 1974, The House Judiciary implemented the first article of Impeachment, put into place by a vote of 27 to 11, with 6 republicans voting with the democrats The Article of Impeachment was put into place against President Richard M. Nixon who is charged with obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of congress. Leading up to his impeachment, Nixon misused his power and violated his oath of office. The June 17th break in of the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in Washington is an example of how he obstructed justice. He has acted through his subordinated and agents in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens which is an abuse of his political power. He has also failed multiple times to produce papers and things issued by the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives which is an example of contempt of congress. On July 29th, the House Judiciary Committee adopted the second Article of Impeachment, charging Nixon with misuse of power and violation of his oath of office. Then on July 30th, the House Judiciary Committee adopted the third Article of Impeachment, charging Nixon with failure to comply with the House subpoenas and the Article of Impeachment was approved by the House Judiciary Committee.

= = =Nixon Resigns from Office =   After the president had admitted to the crimes at Watergate, Nixon decided to resign from office. After Watergate, He had lost his support in congress sending everything downhill; it was only a matter of time until he was impeached or resigned. Nixon addressed the country on August 8, 1974, to tell the American people  the resignation would be in effect at noon the next day, when Vice President Gerald Rudolph Ford would be sworn into office. Nixon admits in his is speech he is discouraged he couldn’t finish his term bu//t “… as President, I must put the interest of America first. America needs a full-time President and a full-time Congress, particularly at this time with problems we face at home and abroad.”// 
 * (Lily Smith)**

Sources:

[|http://www.watergate.info] [] Farnsworth, Malcolm. "Biography of Richard Nixon." //Watergate.info - The Scandal That Destroyed President Richard Nixon//. Web. 09 May 2010. .