1970s
Chris, Destin, Theresa
Watergate scandal:
· 5 people broke in the Watergate building in Washington, D.C.
· They were connected to President Richard Nixon’s reelection campaign
· Tried to steal information, secret documents.
· Nixon wanted to cover it up:
o trying to stop the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from investigating the crime
o destroying evidence
· not sure whether Nixon knew about the Watergate espionage operation before it happened
· Watergate scandal changed American politics forever
· Americans question their leadership, think more critically about presidency.
Jimmy Carter (Democrat):
· 39th president (January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981)
· Wanted government to be more caring and compassionate
· He announced a “pardon” to all the people who were in Vietnam
· He got leader from Egypt and Isreal together à signed “Peace Agreement”
· Faced economic problems: recession, inflation, oil crisis, Iran hostage crisis
Oil crisis:
· October 1973 and January 1974
· Arab oil producers cut off exports to the U.S.
· Protests against American military support for Israel in its war with Egypt and Syria.
· soaring gas prices, long lines at filling stations
· Economic downturn in the U.S.
· Embargo made U.S. feel heavily dependent on Middle Eastern oil
· challenged America's position in the world and it’s confidence
Camp David Accords:
· September 18, 1978
· high point of Jimmy Carter's presidency
· Egyptian President and Israeli Prime Minister had their thirteen-day summit at Camp David, Maryland
· “first peace treaty should influence further progress toward peace in the Middle East”
Iran Hostage crisis:
· November 1979 - January 1981
· On November 4, 1979: young Islamic revolutionaries overran the U.S. Embassy in Tehran
· 66 Americans got caught for 444 days
· One of most dramatic problems facing Americans at home and abroad
· weakened Carter’s presidency, he was not able to release them
· After Ronald Reagan took office the hostages got released
1970-Apollo 13
1971- 26th amendment ratified
1971-The Soviet Union and NASA sent probes to Mars.
1972- President Nixon visits Moscow
1973- US pulls out of Vietnam
1974- Sears tower opens
1975- Microsoft founded
1976- Apple founded
1977- Fifteen nations, including the United States and the Soviet Union, sign a nuclear-proliferation pact, slowing the spread of nuclear weapons around the world.
1979-Three mile island incident
Sources:
- http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2013/10/15/234771573/the-1973-arab-oil-embargo-the-old-rules-no-longer-apply
- http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/20/jan-20-1981-iran-releases-american-hostages-as-reagan-takes-office/?_r=0
- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/carter-hostage-crisis/