1. Presidencies of
Ford, Carter,
& Reagan

2. Essential Question:
How was the US fundamentally changed during the 1970’s and 1980’s

3. Ford Tries to Reunite the Nation
*Unelected President
*Pardoned President Nixon
*“Whip Inflation Now” Program
Cambodian Communists seized an
unarmed U.S. cargo ship, the
Mayaguez, in Ford called the
action piracy and sent U.S. Marines
to free the vessel and its crew.
Gerald R. Ford

4. Whip Inflation Now
Ford’s campaign to stop inflation in the U.S.
Unsuccessful
Ridiculed by public
Supporters wore a WIN pin
Some people wore the pin upside down
Spelled NIM
Need Immediate Money…

5. Did You Know? Gerald Ford played football at the University
of Michigan from

6. Jimmy Carter 1976-1980 Domestic Issues *Energy Crisis
*Worsening Inflation
*Nuclear Power
*Civil Rights

7. Historical Spotlight The Trans-Atlantic Pipeline, stretching across
hundreds of miles of tundra,
was completed in 1977.

8. Science and Technology
On March 28, 1979,
Three Mile Island,
near Harrisburg,
PA, was the sight of a
nuclear accident.
The partial melt-
down of the reactor
core caused wide-
spread concern
about nuclear
power throughout
the American public.

9. Carter and Foreign Affairs
In 1977, the U.S. agreed to
turn over control of the
Panama Canal to Panama
on December 31, 1999.

10. Panama Canal Built by the U.S. after the French failed Opened in 1914
Deaths: France-21,900 U.S.-5,600
Malaria and Yellow Fever
From New York to San Francisco the trip shortened from 14,000 to 5,900 miles
Returned to Panama under the Torrijos- Carter Treaties as long as the canal stays neutral

12. In 1978, Carter brokered an
historic peace agreement
between Israel and Egypt
known as the Camp David
Accords.
In 1979, Iranian rebels led
by the Ayatollah Khomeini
seized the U.S. embassy in
Tehran and took 52 American
hostages for 444 days.
(Iran Hostage Crisis)

13. Camp David Peace Accords
Framework for Peace in the Middle East
Framework for peace between Egypt and Israel
Arab countries recognize Israel
U.S. will give economic and military aid to Egypt and Israel
Israel will give the Sinai Peninsula back to Egypt

14. Begin, Carter, & Sadat

18. Iran Hostage Crisis Iran was allied with Nazi Germany during WW2
Allies overthrow government and install the Shah
After the war there is a power struggle in Iran
There are democratic elections and the Shah loses

19. In 1953 the U.S. returns to Iran and puts the Shah back in power
Overthrow a democratic gov’t and replace with a dictator
This angered many Iranians that did not support the Shah
When Carter is elected President in his speech he praises the Shah
More anger from Iranians
The Shah falls ill with heart trouble and is flown to U.S. for treatment
While in the U.S. Ayatollah Khomeini leads a revolution in Iran and becomes leader

20. Ayatollah Khomeini

21. Muslim students plan on taking Americans hostage in response to U. S
Muslim students plan on taking Americans hostage in response to U.S. policy
students from the university capture and retain 65 hostages from the U.S. embassy in Tehran
52 of the hostages are held for 444 days
Leads to Anti-Iranian sentiment in U.S.

22. Anti-Iranian Protests

23. Rescue Attempt Called Operation Eagle Claw
Failed attempt to rescue hostages
Involved 8 helicopters and C-130 gunships
Helicopters had mechanical difficulties
Would not be able to collect all the hostages
Huge Sandstorm as well
Operation aborted

24. Release
20 minutes after Reagan is sworn in as President the hostages are released
Less than a year later the Iran-Iraq War started
U.S. will sell weapons to Iraq and help them turn the tide of the war
Still bad relations between Iran and U.S.

25. U.S. Embassy in Tehran 2004

26. Historical Spotlight In 1979, Soviet troops invaded the country of
Afghanistan. When they
refused to withdraw,
Carter cut grain sales
to the Soviet Union
and announced a
boycott of the 1980
Summer Olympics in
Moscow.

27. The Rise of the Modern Conservative Movement
Ronald Reagan
The Rise of the Modern Conservative Movement

28. Map 30.4 Presidential Election of 1980 (p. 903)

29. Supply-Side Economics a.k.a “Reaganomics”
Cut taxes to put more money into the hands of businesses
Cut taxes on the wealthiest Americans
Lower taxes = more investment in the “supply side” of the economy
Claimed Tax Cuts Would:
promote and create new jobs
encourage capital investment, and
lead to stimulated industrial growth

30. Reagan believed in a tough approach toward the Soviet Union (the “EVIL EMPIRE”)
Very costly MILITARY BUILDUP
STRATEGIC DEFENSE INITIATIVE 🡪 proposed creation of massive satellite shield in space (nicknamed “Star Wars”)

31. Reagan INCREASED U.S. military and economic PRESSURE on the Soviet Union
CHALLENGED moral legitimacy of the Soviet Union 🡪 example: SPEECH AT BERLIN WALL: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
Despite fierce anti-Communist attitude, Reagan developed CLOSE FRIENDSHIP with Soviet leader Mikhail GORBACHEV

32. Gorbachev’s policies
To reform ailing Soviet system, Gorbachev instituted GLASNOST and PERESTROIKA
Glasnost: means “POLITICAL OPENESS” (freedom of speech)
Perestroika: means “RESTRUCTURING”, an economic policy to allow LIMITED free enterprise (capitalism)

33. END OF THE SOVIET UNION: REASONS FOR COLLAPSE
INCREASING Soviet military EXPENSES to compete with the United States
Economic Inefficiency

34. Fall of Berlin Wall, Soviet Union Dissolves
NOVEMBER 9, 1989 – Berlin Wall comes down

36. Mikhail GORBACHEV RESIGNED the presidency of the Soviet Union on December 25, 1991 and the Soviet Union was DISSOLVED by the next week
Soviet Union was REPLACED by a LOOSE ALLIANCE of former Soviet republics called the COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES

37. Reagan at Brandenburg Gate

38. Iran-Contra Affair

39. Plan
An operation to free American Hostages being held by terrorist groups with Iranian ties.
It was planned that Israel would ship weapons to Iran, and then the U.S. would resupply Israel and receive the Israeli payment.
Being held by the Lebanese Shia Islamist group Hezbollah
Hezbollah: militant group and political party in Lebanon (terrorist group).

40. Oliver North The plan deteriorated into an arms-for-hostages scheme
Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North in mostly set up the plan where a portion of the proceeds from the weapon sales were diverted to fund anti-Sandinista and anti-communist rebels, or Contras, in Nicaragua.

41. The Plan Exposed
Lebanese newspaper reported that the U.S. sold arms to Iran through Israel in exchange for the release of hostages by Hezbollah.

42. Reagan President Ronald Reagan: was a supporter of the Contra cause
no evidence has been found showing that he authorized the exchange of the money raised by the Iranian arms sales to the Contras.

43. Reagan: Economic Recession, and Recovery
Inflation slowed, consumer spending increased
Stock market grew
Federal deficit grew even as domestic spending decreased
National debt = $909 billion in $3.2 trillion in 1990