1. Nixon Gas stations ran out of fuel during oil embargo
President Richard Nixon

2. 1968—Voting Bases Begin Changing
Hubert Humphrey = Democrat
George Wallace =

3. Domestic Approach

4. Richard Nixon: in Vietnam
Elected 1968 – promised to end war in Vietnam
But secretly escalated U.S. involvement in Vietnam war -- authorized U.S. bombing in Cambodia
Nixon wanted to destroy N Vietnamese supply lines that went across the border into Cambodia
Q: why do you think a lot of American saw this as a problem?

5. Richard Nixon: Pentagon Papers
Pentagon had internal memo outlining its plans to get into war (while president was denying he’d do so), and other military errors.
Memo leaked to press, was published. Reinforced thinking of many Americans that Vietnam was a mess and mistake.
Gov’t tried to keep NYT from publishing Papers; NYT published them anyway

6. Richard Nixon: End of Vietnam War
In second term, Nixon took U.S. out of Vietnam – “Vietnamization” aka “peace with honor”
1975 (almost immediately after U.S. troops left): South Vietnam fell, surrendered to North Vietnam.
Evacuation of U.S. personnel in one of last flights out of Vietnam

7. Richard Nixon: Watergate
Nixon wanted to be reelected in Ordered Republican “burglars” to break into Democratic headquarters in Watergate office building to copy documents and place “bugs” in phones.
Guard at Watergate caught the burglars.
Watergate building, Washington D.C.
Nixon tried to cover up his involvement in the break-in; House committee investigation into scandal revealed corruption
Nixon secretly taped many of his conversations

8. Richard Nixon: Watergate
Committee voted to recommend impeachment of Nixon (impeachment = accusation of lawbreaking; after accusation, Nixon would have had to go on trial)
Nixon resigned left White House before full House could vote on whether to impeach.
Nixon’s vice president, Gerald Ford, took office and pardoned Nixon (“Our long national nightmare is over”)
Nixon leaving the White House

9. Jimmy Carter
Little known peanut farmer and governor of Georgia; elected 1976.
One of biggest challenges was dealing with energy crisis: 1973 OPEC embargo; 1979 “oil shock”
Line at gas station low on fuel

10. Jimmy Carter People struggled to be optimistic in 1970s.
Carter gave “malaise” speech, saying nation was having “crisis of spirit” (this didn’t go over well among Americans)
“The threat is nearly invisible in ordinary ways. It is a crisis of confidence. It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will. We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation...”

11. Jimmy Carter: Middle East success
Camp David Accords – Carter mediated peace talks between Egypt and Israel
Israel agreed to give back land it had captured in the last war; Egypt agreed to recognize Israel’s right to exist
Anwar Sadat (Egypt), Jimmy Carter, Menachem Begin (Israel)

12. Jimmy Carter: Iran Hostage Crisis
1979: US-supported Shah of Iran overthrown in revolution; Muslim extremists took over country.
Extremists (led by Ayatollah Khomeini) captured U.S. embassy in Tehran, including 52 Americans held hostage.
Ayatollah Khomeini
Barry Rosen, U.S. press attache

13. Iran Hostage Crisis
U.S. hostages paraded through streets in Iran, and Pres. Carter looked weaker and weaker the longer they were there.
Carter sent special forces to Iran to rescue them, but mission failed
Wreckage of U.S. aircraft at Desert One, staging area in Iranian desert

14. Iran Hostage Crisis
Hostages finally released after 444 days in captivity.
U.S.-Iran relations have been tense ever since.
Freed hostages come home
Angry demonstrator