Unit 8 Review 1968-1980

The Turmoil of 1968 The televised events of the Tet Offensive in January symbolized political and psychological defeat in Vietnam and grew the war opposition. Beaten down by the war, LBJ withdrew his bid for re-election in 1968. Robert Kennedy quickly became the frontrunner, but was assassinated in June over his pro-Israel position. A few months earlier, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated by James Earl Ray, resulting in major riots across the nation. The Democratic Convention in Chicago that August featured riots among anti-war protestors and resulted in the inauspicious nomination of VP Herbert Humphrey.

The Election of 1968 Hubert Humphrey (D) was loyal to LBJ’s domestic & foreign policies George Wallace (I) pledged a return to segregation Richard Nixon (R) campaigned on a return to law, stability and order and Vietnamization Nixon’s victory illustrated America’s dissatisfaction with Vietnam and the upheavals of the 60s

Vietnamization Nixon promised to withdraw U.S. troops and turn the responsibility of fighting over to the South Vietnamese (Nixon Doctrine) Last troops came home in 1973 However, the war was expanded into Cambodia The Pentagon Papers, the My Lai Massacre, and the Kent State Massacre created widespread opposition to Nixon’s war efforts & created further mistrust of the White House Saigon fell in 1975—total failure of containment

Detente A deliberate reduction in Cold War tensions Examples: Nixon visited China & began diplomatic recognition Carter would officially recognize communist China in 1979 Nixon negotiated the SALT I treaty with the USSR to limit ballistic missiles

Nixon’s Other Foreign Policy Congress passed the War Powers Act in 1973 OPEC placed an oil embargo on the U.S. because of her support for Israel in the 1973 Yom Kippur War against Egypt

Nixon’s Domestic Policy & Social Change Nixon supported New Federalism—shifting responsibility & costs for social programs to the states Unsuccessfully fought stagflation (high inflation & unemployment) Catered to Southern whites to secure a Republican majority Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade (1973) protected a women's right to privacy with regard to abortion

Watergate The Democratic National Comm. headquarters at the Watergate was burglarized in 1972 It became clear that Nixon engaged in an illegal cover-up In U.S. v. Nixon (1974), the Supreme Court ordered him to turn over oval office audio tapes Faced with certain impeachment & trial, Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974

Gerald Ford (1973-1977) Had been appointed VP by Nixon when his vice-president resigned due to a separate scandal Ford assumed the presidency upon Nixon’s resignation Used the presidential power of pardon to grant Nixon a full and unconditional pardon Inauspicious presidency

Election of 1976 Jimmy Carter was a Washington outsider & evangelical Christian With his election, Americans sought to end the “imperial presidency”

Carter’s Foreign Policy Wanted to consider human rights Examples: Transferred the Panama Canal to Panama Opposed apartheid in South Africa Ended aid to Chile and Argentina Tried to continue détente Example: Negotiated a SALT II treaty, but it was never ratified because the USSR invaded Afghanistan

Carter’s Foreign Policy Greatest achievement was negotiating the Camp David Accords, a peace settlement between Egypt and Israel, in 1978 Greatest failure was the Iran Hostage Crisis (1979-1980) in which 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days after the Islamic fundamentalist revolution

Carter’s Domestic Policy & Social Change The economic crisis continued & the standard of living declined The environmental movement grew & Carter supported alternative energy sources, but the near nuclear meltdown at Three Mile Island hurt the movement Illegal immigration from Latin America grew Minority rights movements continued (Cesar Chavez, AIM, women’s rights, and gay liberation)