1. Created & edited by Steve Armstrong
Jimmy Carter
January 20, January 20, 1981
Created & edited by Steve Armstrong
SHS,

2. Inaugural ceremony

3. Carter walked Pennsylvania Avenue

4. Carter met Gov. Clinton

5. Carter tried to hold regular press conferences

6. Democratic Congress worked against Carter
Speaker “Tip” O’Neill was often at odds with President Carter
O’Neill, from Massachusetts, was apparently not pleased with a southerner as President
Carter distasted wheeling and dealing

7. Amnesty for draft evaders
President Carter gave amnesty to all Vietnam War era draft evaders

8. Domestic initiatives
Promoted development of coal to reduce dependence on foreign oil
Created two new cabinet level departments: Energy and Education

9. Carter’s “malaise”
By 1978, President Carter’s approval rating was down to 29% (lower than Nixon)
President Carter and his staff seemed to demonstrate their inexperience in governing
Carter did not seem able to effectively deal with the faltering economy and energy crisis

10. Panama Canal Treaty, 1977
Every president since LBJ wanted to rid the USA of the Panama obligation
Carter agreed that the USA would give up control of the Canal Zone in January 2000
Criticized by Republicans

11. Camp David Accords, 1978
Carter brought Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin to negotiate a peace accord

12. Carter met with Begin,

13. Then met with Sadat

15. Camp David Accords officially signed in 1979

16. Three Mile Island disaster
Three Mile Island nuclear facility released radiation steam into the atmosphere (1979)
Environmentalists expressed fears against nuclear energy
5 on 7 point international nuclear event scale

18. Failure of SALT II
Carter signed SALT II and submitted the treaty to the Senate for ratification
Soviets then invaded Afghanistan
Carter response to the Soviets:
Stopped grain shipments to Russia (which angered American farmers)
Tried to organize a boycott against Russia
Tried to boycott the 1980 Olympics in Moscow

19. Iran Hostage Crisis,
Iranians seized the American embassy in Teheran
American embassy personnel were held hostage for over 444 days

20. April 1980 rescue attempt failed

21. Carter’s approval rating plummeted
Carter froze Iranian assets held in American banks
Carter called on the world to engage in a trade embargo

22. Role of Walter Cronkite
Cronkite ended each evening’s broadcast with the sentence: “And that’s the way it is, the 233rd day of Americans held hostage in Iran.”
This added to American frustration against Carter