Bad News in America: 1973 - 1983 Watergate Scandal Arab Oil Embargo “Stagflation” “Fall of Saigon” Love Canal Three Mile Island Iranian Hostage Crisis Reagan Nearly Assassinated

Richard Nixon & the Watergate Scandal The Watergate Hotel / Office Complex Publisher Katherine Graham What happened in the Watergate? What was Nixon’s role in the Watergate Scandal? What was Woodward & Bernstein’s role in the Watergate Scandal? Bob Woodward Carl Bernstein

More Watergate Scandal Images Nixon resigns, August, 1974 Does anyone recognize Robert Redford (Woodward) & Dustin Hoffman (Bernstein)? More Watergate Scandal Images

Upper Left: Aliens from Venus reading about Nixon’s resign- ation Boy, it sure is hot in here! I need to change my shampoo, ‘cause my head feels like it’s on FIRE!!!! Upper Left: Aliens from Venus reading about Nixon’s resign- ation Upper Right: A photo of the famous Nixon farewell after he resigned from office Lower Left: Gerald Ford being sworn in as the 38th President of the United States of America

The Fall of Saigon, 1975 Desperation @ the U.S. Embassy There is NOT room for all Vietnamese

U.S. Helicopter pushed off the deck of an aircraft carrier . . . WHY?

The Arab Oil Embargo: 1973 In just a few months, gas prices quadrupled from .25 a gallon to well over $1.00 a gallon in 1973 (That would equal $4.42 a gallon today!) In one famous response to the Arab Oil Embargo, the U.S. Gov’t reduced the speed limit on the highways and interstates to 55 mph!

The Arab Oil Embargo, 1973 FYI: The U.S. Gov’t was within a day of invading key O.P.E.C. nations in the Middle East to get the flow of oil going again Adjusted for inflation, $1.37 is . . . about $7 a gallon today!!!!

“STAGFLATION” What is “Stagflation” Why was President Carter blamed? How did it hurt Americans?

A 2nd Arab Oil Embargo in 1979 made “Stagflation” worse in America

(Carter’s “Crisis of Confidence” Speech, 1979) “It is clear that the true problems of our Nation are much deeper — deeper than gasoline lines or energy shortages, deeper even than inflation or recession. And I realize more than ever that as President I need your help.…” “The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and political fabric in America . .” What can we do? First of all, we must face the truth and then we can change our course. We simply must have faith in each other. Faith in our ability to govern ourselves and faith in the future of this nation. Restoring that faith and that confidence to America is now the most important task we face.... (Carter’s “Crisis of Confidence” Speech, 1979)

Love Canal: 1977 - 1979 Upper Left: Some homes are still abandoned from this episode in Western NY Upper Right: The location of Love Canal within New York Lower Left: Lois Gibbs, the most famous activist from Love Canal; she was a 27 year old housewife Lower Middle: One of the Hooker Chemical toxic waste drums; over 20,000 drums were dumped in the Love Canal neighborhood

Love Canal: 1977 - 1979 Love Canal had yet to become a household name in 1978, the year that Lois Gibbs, a twenty-seven-year-old homemaker, discovered that her son's elementary school had been built atop a 20,000-ton toxic-chemical dump in Niagara Falls, New York. Gathering her courage, she knocked on doors throughout her neighborhood, sharing information and concerns with other residents. After a two-year struggle, the Love Canal Homeowners Association Gibbs founded succeeded in persuading the federal government to relocate 833 families from the area, signaling the first major victory in a grassroots environmental movement that would launch the federal Superfund program for the cleanup of hazardous waste sites.

circumstances did President Carter agree to clean up Love Canal? A nice (toxic) residential neighborhood Jane Fonda speaking: “Celebrity Pressure” Lois Gibbs & Pres. Carter: The Gov’t finally “stepped in to the mess”; under what circumstances did President Carter agree to clean up Love Canal?

How did this disaster begin? Three Mile Island, PA: 1979 How did this disaster begin? Did the Gov’t know what it was doing? How did this disaster end? What was the disaster’s impact on the community?

Upper Left: this is how close the facility was (and is) to civilians Right: This is a photograph taken when the radioactivity went down to a level in the core where people could enter (in protective gear) and take pictures. The broken rods contained the uranium; this is proof that there was a partial melt-down. This uranium spilled from the rods, and went to the “floor of the core”. This uranium ate through 50% of the core

“The Age of Malaise” Women give up roles of housewives because they start taking over job positions; this becomes an issue because this was the main cause of the perc-entage of marriages ending up in divorce. (1/2 of Amer-ican marriages.) Studio 54 is the beginning of the “disco age.” Movie “Saturday Night” reflects the disco period.  Youth is a heavy drug user, most to escape the problems of the society. In 1976, Carter ran versus Ford and Carter wins, he gives a message of hope and traditional values; most Americans are apathetic The Winter of 1977 is the coldest winter in forty years; this leads to a massive energy shortage, which meant a need to sacrifice and conservation.

leads to funding “Super Fund” clean-ups. The Love Canal was a Hooker Chemical plant where waste products were dumped out near neighborhoods, which became a cancer/disease cluster.  People in campaigns start striking to clean up toxic waste; this leads to funding “Super Fund” clean-ups. Japan and Germany challenges USA economically since America’s car companies had difficulty competing with the foreign car industry, Foreign car production was based on saving gas. To Americans, large cars were “gas guzzlers.” Foreign cars made up to 25% in the market.

In San Francisco, Dan White murdered Mayor Moscone and Councilman Harvey Milk because these men were on behalf of the gay population.  White defended himself saying that he ate a lot of “Twinkies” and sugar altered his mind. He got a 7-year sentence; this forever became known as the “Twinkie Defense” School busing was on a time where discrimination was a big issue. Because whites didn’t want their children to be educated with Black students; this caused public school enrollment to drop down a 25%. There was racial tension across the country.  The most “attacked” cities were Boston and LA, officers would help schools because there was a lot of violence. Carter gathers common people and asks them “what is wrong with America?” He gives the “Malaise Speech” and tries to recover America’s trust.   The OPEC raises energy prices by a 50%. It was clear to see that America was near major crises

Pure Evil, Volume II Ayatollah Khomeni Pure Evil, Volume 1 What most Americans wanted to do to “Pure Evil, Vol. III” The Iranian Hostage Crisis: 1979 - 1981 Pure Evil, Volume 1 Ayatollah Khomeni Pure Evil, Volume II

Images: Iranian Hostage Crisis: Upper Left: Carter & the Shah of Iran Upper Central: One of the 52 U.S. hostages held for 444 days Upper Right: President Carter telling the nation about the botched rescue attempt Left: The wreckage of the botched rescue attempt (it was in Iran)

“Miracle on Ice” occurred The “Miracle on Ice” realized; this photo was taken moments after the U.S. defeated Finland 4-2 for the Gold Medal! In February, 1980, the “Miracle on Ice” occurred 20 U.S. college hockey players won the Olympic Ice Hockey Gold Medal By winning the Olympic Ice Hockey Gold Medal (the U.S. defeated the USSR 4-3 in the semi-final round, and Finland 4-2 in the Gold Medal game), America finally had some “good news” It was the first and only time in our history that our entire nation “went crazy” over the success of a sports team!

The Shah of Iran is given freedom in America The Shah of Iran is given freedom in America. Iranians held Americans hostage until the Shah was turned over to Iranian courts; media covered all events that happened. Anti-Americanism in the Middle East increased dramatically. America defeated Soviet Union on ice, playing hockey, this was symbolic of America’s courage, which restored pride and patriotism. Election of 1980: Hostage crisis ongoing.Reagan ran versus Carter. “Are you better off than you were four years ago.”

A diagram of the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan, March, 1981

Upper Right: Photograph taken just seconds after Hinckley fired his handgun Upper Left: John Hinckley under arrest Lower Left: Who Hinckley wanted to impress by assassinating President Reagan