Watergate
- This became one of a series of scandalous acts involving the Committee to Re-elect the president
- Nixon downplayed the scandal and denounced the story as biased and misleading
- FBI eventually confirmed that Nixon aides had attempted to sabotage the Democrats many began resigning and faced prosecution
- Nixon was involved by trying to cover up the break-in (obstruction of justice) and eventually resigned from the presidency
President Gerald Ford (R)- 38th 1974-1977
- Nixon's Vice President
- Took over when Nixon resigned
- Only Vice President and President to never be elected
- Had two assassination attempts within three weeks
- both attempts were made by women
- 1976 election
- he was a very good athlete for Michigan
- he could have played in the pros, but decided not to, because he wanted to be a in congress
Accomplishments of Ford
- Pardoned Nixon - a "corrupt bargain"
- offered conditional amnesty program for Vietnam War draft dodgers who had fled to countries such as Canada
- " Whip Inflation Now" called for Americans to reduce their spending and consumption in an attempt to stop inflation
- Education for All Handicapped Children Act (1975) established special education in school throughout the US
- continued detente with the USSR
- Ford wanted to help South Vietnam when North Vietnam invaded in 1974 but Congress refused
- By April 1975, all of Vietnam became communist
- Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act was passed to allow refugees to immigrate to the US
Vietnam 1950-1975
- we wanted to stop the spread of communism
- the war was very unpopular with Americans
- soldiers who come back from Vietnam were not considered heroes
The French connection
- France had gained control of Indochina in a series of colonial wars in the mid-late 1800's
- During WW2, Vi chi France worked with Japanese forces in controlling Indochina during WW2
- After the Japanese surrender, the French fought to retain control of their former colony against the Viet Minh independence movement, led by Communist Party leader Ho Chi Minh
- After the Viet Minh defeated the French colonial army at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954, the French withdrew, and the colony was granted independence
Comments