Chapter 39 The Seventies Election of 1968 Richard Nixon (R) wins election promising to end the war peace with honor Nixon defeats Hubert Humphrey He inherits an unpopular war He inherits a vocal American opposition to it Nixon and Vietnam Vietnamization U.S. forces would withdraw as ARVN troops assumed more combat duties 1969: 540,000 troops 1972: 24,000 troops Started secretly bombing neighboring Cambodia. Sent 80,000 troops into Cambodia Cambodia Ho Chi Minh trail ran through Cambodia Goal was to attack N.V. supply lines CONVN (N.V. central headquarters) This was a limited attack Eventually called off Discussion Was it fair to invade Cambodia while we are at war with its neighbor Vietnam? The U.S is at war with Afghanistan yet we invaded Pakistan Violence Erupts at Kent State Kent St. shootings Protests against Nixons war in Cambodia Students burned ROTC building on campus Nat. Guard responded by killing four and injuring nine students Laos ARVN- training wheels came off Sent along Rt 9 to Tchepone N.V. supply headquarters Failed miserably Disaster proved the ARVN couldnt fight this war without American support College Protests Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) Originally formed to campaign against racism and poverty Now began campaigning to end the war Vets Protest Anti-Draft John Kerrys message to the Senate Led to mass protests and burning draft cards More than 800 troops threw away their medals Fact By the Spring of 1969, there were 35,000 combat deaths 60% are 21 years old or younger Key Pieces of Legislation Nixon Doctrine Countries would have to fight their own wars with out American ground troops Repeal of Gulf of Tonkin blank check Eventually led to War Powers Act (1973) Twenty Sixth Amendment (1971) Lowered the voting age to 18 Nixons Dtente There was Chinese-Soviet tension Nixon sends national security advisor, Henry Kissinger Nixon himself even visits China and Soviet Union Henry Kissinger New Era Begins Nixon and Henry Kissinger looked at the world with fresh eyes The Cold Warrior was now extending the olive branch of peace Focused more on trade rather than political ideologies U.S. and China Nixons China trip was the high point of his presidency After 25 years of no communication, by 1979, the US and China established full diplomatic relations. Ping Pong Diplomacy In April 1971, China invited an American table- tennis team to play against its athletes. Demonstrated a willingness to talk Nixons New Foreign Policy He did not divide the world into us (democratic countries) and them (communist countries). He practiced realpolitik foreign policy based on concrete national interests rather than ideology. He concluded that there was no united worldwide communist movement. The Warren Court Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) All criminal defendants were entitled to legal counsel Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) Struck down state law that prohibited the use of contraceptives Miranda v. Arizona (1966) The right to remain silent Roe v. Wade (1973) Legalized abortion Nixon on the Home Front Increased entitlements: Food stamps Medicaid Aid to Families with Dependent Children Supplemental Security Income Philadelphia Plan Hiring quotas Affirmative Action Nixon and the Environment Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring (1962) and was a huge influence in gaining concern for the environment Earth Day (1970) Clean Air Act (1970) Clean Water Act (1972) Endangered Species Act (1973) Nixon and the Workplace Occupational Safety and Health Administration Improved working conditions Safety standards Consumer Product Safety Commission Held companies accountable for selling dangerous products Creeping Inflation To counter this, Nixon took the U.S. off the gold standard Devaluating the dollar ended the Bretton Woods system of international currency stabilization Economic and Energy Woes Inflation rate shot up to 13% Oil shocks Arab Oil Embargo OPEC nations announced this in 1973 Response to U.S. support of Israel during the Yom Kippur War vs. Syrians and Egyptians Shortage triggered a major recession U.S. was unprepared to deal with this OPEC quadrupled their prices once they lifted the embargo Election of 1972 Richard Nixon (R) Made significant efforts to end war in Vietnam Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong Walk on moon 1969 Strong foreign policy thanks to relations with China George McGovern (D) Best option for Dems after Ted Kennedys Chappaquiddick incident in 1969 Chose a running mate who had mental problems Lost Electoral Vote 520-to 17 Watergate Five men arrested Tried to plant bugs in Democratic Party headquarters Other Dirty Tricks Forging documents IRS harassment of innocent individuals Enemy Lists Burglarizing psychiatrist who treated leaker of Pentagon Papers Playing the FBI and CIA Nixons Accusation Nixon was accused of obstructing justice Oval Office tapes could reveal the truth Nixon cited executive privilege Supreme Court asked for the tapes Nixon publicly gave three tapes over One of them was the Smoking Gun Tape Others were deleted or inaudible Nixons Vice Resigns Spiro Agnew Took bribes while governor and vice-president Twenty-fifth Amendment Deals with succession of the President and Vice President Nixon nominated and Congress confirmed Gerald Ford Resignation House and Senate had the numbers to impeach Nixon Instead he resigned on Aug 8, 1974 The Constitution works! Democracy works! Great Quote Always give your best, never get discouraged, never be petty; always remember, others may hate you, but those who hate you dont win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself. - Richard Nixon, day he left White House Gerald Ford Replaces Nixon First man to be made president solely by a vote of Congress Ford pardons Nixon Paris Peace Accords Jan 27, 1973 a cease fire is announced US withdrawals all of its troops from Vietnam April 1975 South Vietnam surrendered to North Vietnam The Fall of Saigon NVA and Viet Cong took Saigon in 1975 U.S. military evacuated U.S. personnel but had to leave many South Vietnamese behind South Vietnam came under communist rule Coming Home Veterans faced numerous difficulties after the war PTSD Drug and Alcohol Addiction Often blamed for governments mistake Faced a nation that wanted to forget about the war Most did Well American Cover-Ups 1.My Lai U.S. forces attacked an unarmed Vietcong village Killed villagers U.S. conducted an inadequate military investigation 2. Pentagon Papers Government mislead country about the war Johnson sent troops and planned for war prior to the Gulf of Tonkin Discussion How do you feel about individuals leaking government secrets to the public? Example: Pentagon Papers and Wikileaks? How do you feel about the American people protesting against the war while our troops are in Vietnam? Prisoners of War Kept in North Vietnamese prisons Horrendous conditions Interrogation and torture increased after a few attempts for escape Hanoi Hilton Worst of the 12 prisoner camps Former POW John McCain, shortly after his release in 1973 National Effect Mistrust of government 58,000 American deaths 2,000 Americans missing 300,000 Americans wounded Over 2 million Vietnamese dead Cost $150 billion for war ($700 billion today) Communist regimes eventually came to power in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia but it didnt spread as expected. War Powers Act Congress to declare war; pres. has 60 days Discussion What are your thoughts about government funds going to the Vietnam War and not to the War on Poverty? Upfront Magazine Modern Vietnam Lessons Do what you are asked to do to the best of your ability. They went, they served, they sacrificed, and fought like tigers. Did what was asked (drafted) Vietnam Veterans Memorial Memorial was completed in 1982 Washington D.C. Symbol of sacrifices made Stagnation Slump in productivity: Women and Teenagers meant fewer skills in workforce Declining investment in machinery Shift from manufacturing to services Vietnam War Drained dollars American Feminists Victories Title IX Prohibits sex discrimination ERA (1972) Reed v. Reed (1971) Frontiero v. Richardson (1973) Discrimination in employment Roe v. Wade (1973) Protecting abortion Defeats Antifeminists blamed womens movement for high divorce rates Equal Rights Amendment Treating women like men hurts women Died in 1982 Reverse Discrimination Bakke v. California (1978) Case against Affirmative Action Weight on racial and ethnic background shouldnt trump ability or achievement Racial quotas were unconstitutional but race could be taken into account as one factor in college admissions Election of 1976 Republicans Gerald Ford Tried restoring dignity to presidency (failed) Vice Bob Dole (previously was Nelson Rockefeller) Chief of Staff Dick Cheney Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld Director of CIA George H.W. Bush Democrats Jimmy Carter Ill never lie to you 97% of African Americans voted for Carter Iranian Hostage Crisis Anti-American Muslim militants stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran Took hostages Wanted the U.S. to return the shah Amendments Amendments 1-10Amendments 11-21Amendments Bill of Rights 1789 From , there were 11 total amendments passed Passed between