The Ford and Carter Years  Gerald R. Ford  “WIN”  Jimmy Carter  Camp David Accords  Iran Hostages  Ronald Reagan

Gerald R. Ford  Ford too office after Nixon resigned  Only president never elected by a national audience  Pardoned Richard Nixon for any crimes he may have committed while pres.

WIN  For tried to tackle domestic issues  “Whip Inflation Now”  Encouraged people to cut back on oil and gas use to try to curb gas usage and lower prices  No incentives to do so  Fuel shortages

Jimmy Carter  Election of 1976  Governor of Georgia  America wanted a Washington outsider  Upset with feds.  Thought gov’t was corrupt  Watergate signaled the beginning of America’s distrust of gov’t

Camp David Accords  Israel and Egypt  Jew vs. Muslim  Israel-Menachem Begin  Egypt-Anwar el-Sadat  Carter was able to get both sides to talk about issues in the Middle East and work for peace

CD Accords cont.  Israel agreed to withdraw form Sinai Peninsula  Seized form Egypt during the 6 Day war in ‘67  Egypt agreed to recognize Israel  Big step for Muslim country  Major first step towards peace in the Middle East  Sadat was assassinated in 1981

Iran  1979 Shah of Iran is overthrown by religious fundamentalists  Carter supported the Shah  Gave Shah asylum in the US  New gov’t was angry and took 52 US hostages from the embassy in ‘79

Iran Hostages  Carter was ordered by Iran to return the Shah for trial and punishment and the hostages would be freed  Carter refused  Rescue mission attempted but failed because of accident  Carter was unwilling to go to war

Election of 1980  Ronald Reagan  Government of California  Former actor  Former democrat during the 30s  Carter lost  Since the hostages were not free, carter lost the election

Iran Hostages cont.  Jan. 20, 1981  Hostages freed minutes after Reagan too the oath of office  Punishment for Carter by Iranians  444 days in captivity  Many of the hostage takers are or were important members of the Iranian gov’t