Presidencies of Ford, Carter,

& Reagan

Essential Question:How was the US fundamentally changed during the 1970’s and 1980’s

Ford Tries to Reunite the Nation*Unelected President*Pardoned President Nixon*“Whip Inflation Now” Program

Cambodian Communists seized anunarmed U.S. cargo ship, the Mayaguez, in 1975. Ford called the action piracy and sent U.S. Marinesto free the vessel and its crew. Gerald R. Ford

• Whip Inflation Now– Ford’s campaign to

stop inflation in the U.S.

– Unsuccessful– Ridiculed by public– Supporters wore a

WIN pin• Some people

wore the pin upside down

• Spelled NIM– Need

Immediate Money…

Did You Know?Gerald Ford played football at the University of Michigan from1932-1934.

Jimmy Carter 1976-1980

Domestic Issues

*Energy Crisis*Worsening Inflation*Nuclear Power*Civil Rights

Historical SpotlightThe Trans-Atlantic Pipeline, stretching acrosshundreds of miles of tundra,was completed in 1977.

Science and TechnologyOn March 28, 1979,Three Mile Island,near Harrisburg, PA, was the sight of a nuclear accident.The partial melt-down of the reactorcore caused wide-spread concern about nuclear power throughoutthe American public.

Carter and Foreign Affairs

In 1977, the U.S. agreed toturn over control of the Panama Canal to Panamaon December 31, 1999.

Panama Canal

• Built by the U.S. after the French failed• Opened in 1914• Deaths: France-21,900 U.S.-5,600

– Malaria and Yellow Fever• From New York to San Francisco the trip

shortened from 14,000 to 5,900 miles• Returned to Panama under the

Torrijos-Carter Treaties as long as the canal stays neutral

In 1978, Carter brokered anhistoric peace agreement between Israel and Egypt known as the Camp DavidAccords.

In 1979, Iranian rebels ledby the Ayatollah Khomeiniseized the U.S. embassy inTehran and took 52 Americanhostages for 444 days. (Iran Hostage Crisis)

Camp David Peace Accords

• Framework for Peace in the Middle East• Framework for peace between Egypt and

Israel– Arab countries recognize Israel– U.S. will give economic and military aid to

Egypt and Israel– Israel will give the Sinai Peninsula back to

Egypt

Begin, Carter, & Sadat

Iran Hostage Crisis

• Iran was allied with Nazi Germany during WW2– Allies overthrow government and install the

Shah• After the war there is a power struggle in

Iran• There are democratic elections and the Shah

loses

• In 1953 the U.S. returns to Iran and puts the Shah back in power– Overthrow a democratic gov’t and replace with

a dictator• This angered many Iranians that did not

support the Shah• When Carter is elected President in his

speech he praises the Shah– More anger from Iranians

• The Shah falls ill with heart trouble and is flown to U.S. for treatment

• While in the U.S. Ayatollah Khomeini leads a revolution in Iran and becomes leader

Ayatollah Khomeini

• Muslim students plan on taking Americans hostage in response to U.S. policy

• 300-500 students from the university capture and retain 65 hostages from the U.S. embassy in Tehran

• 52 of the hostages are held for 444 days• Leads to Anti-Iranian sentiment in U.S.

Anti-Iranian Protests

Rescue Attempt

• Called Operation Eagle Claw• Failed attempt to rescue hostages• Involved 8 helicopters and C-130 gunships• Helicopters had mechanical difficulties• Would not be able to collect all the hostages• Huge Sandstorm as well• Operation aborted

Release

• 20 minutes after Reagan is sworn in as President the hostages are released

• Less than a year later the Iran-Iraq War started

• U.S. will sell weapons to Iraq and help them turn the tide of the war

• Still bad relations between Iran and U.S.

U.S. Embassy in Tehran 2004

Historical SpotlightIn 1979, Soviet troopsinvaded the country ofAfghanistan. When theyrefused to withdraw,Carter cut grain salesto the Soviet Unionand announced a boycott of the 1980Summer Olympics inMoscow.

Ronald Reagan

The Rise of the Modern

Conservative Movement

Map 30.4 Presidential Election of 1980 (p. 903)

Supply-Side Economics a.k.a“Reaganomics”

• Cut taxes to put more money into the hands of businesses

• Cut taxes on the wealthiest Americans

• Lower taxes = more investment in the “supply side” of the economy

• Claimed Tax Cuts Would:– promote and create new jobs– encourage capital investment, and – lead to stimulated industrial

growth

• Reagan believed in a tough approach toward the Soviet Union (the “EVIL EMPIRE”)– Very costly MILITARY BUILDUP – STRATEGIC DEFENSE INITIATIVE

proposed creation of massive satellite shield in space (nicknamed “Star Wars”)

• Reagan INCREASED U.S. military and economic PRESSURE on the Soviet Union

• CHALLENGED moral legitimacy of the Soviet Union

example: SPEECH AT BERLIN WALL: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

• Despite fierce anti-Communist attitude, Reagan developed CLOSE FRIENDSHIP with Soviet leader Mikhail GORBACHEV

• Gorbachev’s policies– To reform ailing Soviet system, Gorbachev

instituted GLASNOST and PERESTROIKA– Glasnost: means “POLITICAL OPENESS”

(freedom of speech)– Perestroika: means

“RESTRUCTURING”, an economic policy to allow LIMITED free enterprise (capitalism)

END OF THE SOVIET UNION: REASONS FOR COLLAPSE

• INCREASING Soviet military EXPENSES to compete with the United States

• Economic Inefficiency

Fall of Berlin Wall, Soviet Union Dissolves

• NOVEMBER 9, 1989 – Berlin Wall comes down

• Mikhail GORBACHEV RESIGNED the presidency of the Soviet Union on December 25, 1991 and the Soviet Union was DISSOLVED by the next week

• Soviet Union was REPLACED by a LOOSE ALLIANCE of former Soviet republics called the COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES

Reagan at Brandenburg Gate

Iran-Contra Affair

Plan

• An operation to free American Hostages being held by terrorist groups with Iranian ties.

• It was planned that Israel would ship weapons to Iran, and then the U.S. would resupply Israel and receive the Israeli payment.

• Being held by the Lebanese Shia Islamist group Hezbollah

• Hezbollah: militant group and political party in Lebanon (terrorist group).

Oliver North• The plan deteriorated into an

arms-for-hostages scheme• Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North in 1985

mostly set up the plan where a portion of the proceeds from the weapon sales were diverted to fund anti-Sandinista and anti-communist rebels, or Contras, in Nicaragua.

The Plan Exposed

• Lebanese newspaper reported that the U.S. sold arms to Iran through Israel in exchange for the release of hostages by Hezbollah.

Reagan

• President Ronald Reagan: was a supporter of the Contra cause

• no evidence has been found showing that he authorized the exchange of the money raised by the Iranian arms sales to the Contras.

Reagan: Economic Recession, and Recovery

• 1981-1982 Recession• Inflation slowed, consumer spending

increased• Stock market grew• Federal deficit grew even as domestic

spending decreased• National debt = $909 billion in 1980 ---

$3.2 trillion in 1990