Watergate -TodayUnit 15

Nixon was the first president to go to what country and what was the result of the meeting?

● China○ Established a trade agreement that cut off the

military supply line to Vietnam● Sent approval rating up to 68%

What was the results of the 1972 election?

● Republican: Nixon● Democrat: George

McGovern

Describe the Watergate scandal

● Break in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters

● Investigation lasted over a year○ Nixon himself either ordered the break in or

attempted to cover it up.● Resigned before he could be impeached● https://www.history.com/topics/1970s/watergate

Who became President after Nixon?

● Gerald Ford○ Became

Vice-President after Nixon’s original VP was forced to resign over a different scandal.

What is a pardon?

● The action of forgiving or being forgiven for an error or offense.

● Ford issues a pardon to Nixon○ Ended investigation○ Seemed like Ford was just continuing the cover up

and the corrupt government.

What was the push in the 1976 election and what was the outcome?

● Elect a true outsider to politics● Democratic: Jimmy Carter

○ Won the election○ Never held an office in Washington○ Sunday school teacher

● Republican: Gerald Ford

Describe the Camp David Accords

● 1977● Egyptian President: Anwar Sadat● Israeli Prime Minister: Menachem Begin● Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty between the two

countrieshttps://www.history.com/topics/middle-east/camp-david-accords

What is amnesty?

● An official pardon for people who have been convicted of political offenses.

● Carter granted to draft dodgers during Vietnam○ Seen as a slap in the face to those who fought in the

war

Describe the oil problem under Carter

● OPEC: the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries○ Limited amount of oil they would sell to the US○ Gas prices skyrocket

■ Prices of everything else rise○ US had to ration gas

What major trade zone did Carter give back?

● Panama Canal○ Owned from 1903-1977

● Seen as another sign of weakness

Describe the Iran controversy

● January 1979● Shah of Iran came to US to get Cancer treatment

○ Religious revolution takes place○ Government taken over by Muslim leader Ayatollah Khomeini

● Demands for Shah to be returned so he can be put on trial● US refuses, US embassy invaded

○ 44 hostages, held for 444 days

https://www.history.com/topics/middle-east/iran-hostage-crisis

What was the SALT II treaty?

● Between US and Soviets intended to restrain the arms race in strategic ballistic missiles armed with nuclear weapons.

How did the US respond to the Soviet Union invading Afghanistan?

● Refusal for the SALT II treaty● Boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyN5LPHEQ_0&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtMwmepBjTSG593eG7ObzO7s&index=43

Who won the election of 1980?

● Democrat: Jimmy Carter○ Incumbent

● Republican: Ronald Reagan○ Former actor○ Two-term governor of California○ Conservatives: small government that left people alone○ Liberals: people unable to take care of themselves needed

government help to keep things fair and people taken care of.

Describe Reaganomics

● Designed to give people more money that they can then spend○ People spend more, companies hire more workers, unemployment

rate falls○ More people are working, more people paying taxes, so the

government could lower individual taxes● After the unemployment rate rising it did end up falling from 1982 - mid

1990’s● Push for deregulation of companies so they could more easily produce

more goods at a cheaper cost.

Where did Reagan increase spending?

● The military○ Nuclear missiles○ Airplanes○ Ships○ Other weapons

● This heightened Cold War tensions

What is Star Wars?

What is Star Wars?

● Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)● System of satellites that could shoot any soviet missile out of the

sky○ No one know if we could actually make these satellites but the

soviets knew they couldn’t

Who was the leader of the Soviet Union at the time?

● Mikhail Gorbachev○ Took office in 1985

■ 3 old leaders die in office in 4 years○ First to not live through the revolution ○ Believed in an open government that did not force its people or

satellite countries to obey■ People allowed to protest

How did the Cold War end?

● Berlin Wall falls in 1989● Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Czechoslovakia overthrow

communist leaders○ Warsaw Pact dissolved

What was the Iran-Contra affair?

● Reagan (US) secretly sold weapons to Iran in exchange for getting US prisoners released

● US took money from the weapons and gave it to anti-communist group in Nicaragua (Contra)

● Senate hearing but Reagan avoids most charges

https://www.history.com/topics/1980s/iran-contra-affair

Describe the events of the Challenger

● January 1986● Shuttle trips had become the norm so NASA created a contest

○ Christa McAuliffe (teacher) won○ Everyone including school children are watching the shuttle

● Major malfunction and the rocket blew up 73 seconds after take off ○ Seals on the major fuel filled rocket failed due to the extremely cold temp

(below freezing in some places)● Space program shut down for 32 months

https://www.history.com/topics/1980s/challenger-disaster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h4DkpFP_aw&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtMwmepBjTSG593eG7ObzO7s&index=44

Who won the election of 1988?

● Republican: George H.W. Bush○ Incumbent VP○ 1988-1993○ President during the end of the Cold War

● Democrat: Michael Dukakis○ Governor of Mass.

Describe Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm

● Iraq invades Kuwait○ Saddam Hussein leader○ For oil reserves○ Saudi Arabia feels threatened so they ask US for support

● Operation Desert Shield○ 28 countries take part○ Saudi Arabia defeated

Describe Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm Continued

● Operation Desert Storm○ Iraqis driven out of Kuwait ○ 5 weeks of bombing, 5 days of ground attacks

● Terms○ No weapons of mass destruction○ No flying airplanes in some areas of our country○ Saddam Hussein remained in power○ US kept some forces in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern

Countries

Describe George HW involvement in Africa

● Sent troops to Somalia○ Stop Civil War

● Economic sanctions against South Africa○ End Apartheid○ Release Nelson Mandela from Prison

What caused H.W’s approval rating to fall?

● 91% approval rating○ HIghest of any President in History

● Economy started to slow○ Went back on promise that he wouldn’t increase taxes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-K19rVDxoM&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtMwmepBjTSG593eG7ObzO7s&index=45

Who won the election of 1992?

● Republican: George H.W. Bush○ Incumbent

● Democrat: Bill Clinton○ Governor of Arkansa○ 1st Democrat since 1976

What was the Family Medical Leave Act?

● Guaranteeing mothers 12 week of unpaid leave after the birth of a child○ Maternity leave

Describe the Brady Law

● Required a background check for anyone buying a handgun○ The Act was named after James Brady, who was shot and

wounded by John Hinckley Jr. during an attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981.

What is NAFTA?

● North American Free Trade Agreement○ Made trade easier between US, Canada, and Mexico

Describe the domestic terror events that took place during Clinton’s presidency

● 1993○ Branch Davidians

■ Refused to leave their compound in Waco, TX■ Suspected of abusing children and storing large amount of illegal

weapons ○ World Trade Center

■ Al Qaeda attack● 6 killed, 1,000+ injured

Domestic terror events under Clinton Continued

● 1995○ Timothy McVeigh

■ Used a fertilizer bomb to blow up a federal government building in Oklahoma City● 168 killed, 800 injured

● 1996○ Atlanta Olympics

■ Bomb went off in Centennial Olympic Park● 2 Killed

Domestic terror events under Clinton Continued

● 1999○ Columbine

■ School Shooting● 12 students killed, 24 injured

Why was Clinton impeached?

● Investigation for possible sexual assault● Accused of lying under oath and intimidating other into lying under

oath○ House of Representatives: Impeached○ Senate: Voted not to remove

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rboN6F2g-k&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtMwmepBjTSG593eG7ObzO7s&index=46

Describe the election of 2000

● Democrat: Al Gore○ Current VP

● Republican: George W Bush○ Governor of Texas○ H.W’s son

● Must win 270 votes ○ Gore: 266○ Bush: 246○ Florida was too close to call

Describe the election of 2000 Continued

● Initial results showed Bush won○ So close there had to be a recount

■ Democrats: hand count■ Republicans: machine

○ Supreme court decided that due to lack of time and over 6 million ballots it would be done by machine

● Bush won Florida (271 electoral votes)● Gore gained more votes (about 500,000) ● 4th time in history (Quincey Adams, Hayes, Harrison, Trump election made

5th)

What is No Child Left Behind?

● The law held schools accountable for how kids learned and achieved.○ Schools penalized for not showing improvement○ Provides money for extra educational assistance for poor

children in return for improvements in their academic progress.● States are required to test students in reading and math in grades

3–8 and once in high school.

Describe the events of 9/11 and the War on Terror

● 4 terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States● The attacks killed 2,996 people, injured over 6,000 others, and caused at

least $10 billion in infrastructure and property damage○ The single deadliest terrorist attack in human history

● American Airlines Flight 11: North Tower● United Airlines Flight 175: South Tower● American Airlines Flight 77: Pentagon● United Airlines Flight 93: Crashed in Pennsylvania field expected to be

headed for White House https://www.history.com/topics/21st-century/9-11-attacks

War on Terror

● Operation Enduring Freedom○ US attacked Al Qaeda in Afghanistan○ Supported by public

● Operation Iraqi Freedom○ Not as popular○ Saddam Hussein was helping terrorist○ Last about 8 years○ Saddam removed from power, new government put in place○ Obama pulled troops out in 2011

What is the Department of Homeland Security?

● Its stated missions involve anti-terrorism, border security, immigration and customs, cyber security, and disaster prevention and management.

● It was created in response to the September 11 attacks and is the youngest U.S. cabinet department.

Describe the Patriot Act

● Allowed almost unlimited surveillance of every phone, computer, credit card or television in the world○ It protects civil liberties and provides for the common defense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlsnnhn3VWE&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtMwmepBjTSG593eG7ObzO7s&index=47

Who won the election of 2008?

● 1st election since 1952 in which neither major party's presidential nominee was the incumbent president or the incumbent vice president.

● Republican: John McCain○ Arizona

● Democrat: Barack Obama○ Illinois (1 Term)○ Few that opposed the War in Iraq

Describe the “Obamacare”

● Mandatory for○ All citizens to have health insurance○ Large businesses to provide insurance for their employees○ Mandatory for specific items to be included in coverage

Describe two of policies/events under Obama

● Same-Sex Marriage made legal● Clean energy● Removal of troops from Iraq (increasing troops in Afghanistan)● Killing of Osama bin Laden● Protest against the perceived police brutality towards minorities

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUfh2ebjLOg&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtMwmepBjTSG593eG7ObzO7s&index=48

Who won the election of 2016?

● Democrat: Hillary Clinton○ Secretary of State

● Republican: Donald Trump○ Gaining support of industrial

workers in the Midwest