The 1970sThe 1970sThe Lost DecadeThe Lost Decade

The 1970s – The Lost DecadeThe 1970s – The Lost Decade

The 60s are often said to have started with The 60s are often said to have started with JFK’s assassination in 1963 and ended JFK’s assassination in 1963 and ended with the fall of Saigon in 1975with the fall of Saigon in 1975

As the 80s had the good manners to show As the 80s had the good manners to show up on time with Reagan’s election in 1980, up on time with Reagan’s election in 1980, the 70s only had five years to identify itselfthe 70s only had five years to identify itself

Referring to the 70s as Referring to the 70s as the lost decadethe lost decade also refers to a certain feeling of also refers to a certain feeling of lostnesslostness, , a national identity crisis which showed a national identity crisis which showed itself in strange waysitself in strange ways

Nixon’s Inner Circle

H.R. Haldeman H.R. Haldeman Chief of StaffChief of Staff

John Erlichman John Erlichman Domestic AdvisorDomestic Advisor

John Mitchell John Mitchell Attorney GeneralAttorney General

John Dean John Dean White House White House

CounselCounsel

The Plumbers

G. Gordon LiddyG. Gordon Liddy Jack CaulfieldJack Caulfield James McCordJames McCord

Howard HuntHoward Hunt Tony UlasewiczTony Ulasewicz

Watergate• Four Cubans and Four Cubans and

McCord were arrested McCord were arrested at 2:30am on June 17, at 2:30am on June 17, 1972, in the DNC HQ1972, in the DNC HQ

• Cover-up began the Cover-up began the next day, and blame next day, and blame initially stopped at initially stopped at Howard HuntHoward Hunt

• It may have stayed It may have stayed there if not for a there if not for a source known as source known as DEEP THROAT…W. DEEP THROAT…W. Mark FeltMark Felt

Watergate• Felt supplied Felt supplied

Washington PostWashington Post reporters Woodward reporters Woodward and Bernstein with and Bernstein with inside information on inside information on the investigationthe investigation

• The President seemed The President seemed impervious to the impervious to the growing scandal, until growing scandal, until he fired John Dean in he fired John Dean in April 1973April 1973

• Nixon resigns on Nixon resigns on August 9, 1974August 9, 1974

The Energy Crisis• Prices of gasoline Prices of gasoline

quadrupled, rising quadrupled, rising from just 25 cents to from just 25 cents to over a dollar in just a over a dollar in just a few monthsfew months

• Total consumption of Total consumption of oil in the U.S. oil in the U.S. dropped 20%dropped 20%

• USG mandated USG mandated 55mph speed limit, 55mph speed limit, tax credits, and year-tax credits, and year-round Daylight round Daylight Savings TimeSavings Time

“Moral Equivalent of War” • OPEC nations had OPEC nations had

quadrupled the price quadrupled the price of oil in the Westof oil in the West

• Geo Metro and the Geo Metro and the Ford Escort are Ford Escort are modeled after the modeled after the 1970's Chevy Vega 1970's Chevy Vega and Ford Pintoand Ford Pinto

• One of the long-term One of the long-term effects of the effects of the embargo was a world-embargo was a world-wide economic wide economic recessionrecession

Earth Day

Silent Spring & the EPA• Silent SpringSilent Spring played played

roughly the same roughly the same role in the history of role in the history of environmentalism environmentalism that that Uncle Tom's Uncle Tom's CabinCabin played in the played in the abolitionist abolitionist movement and Upton movement and Upton Sinclair’s novel Sinclair’s novel The The JungleJungle played in the played in the reform of America’s reform of America’s food packaging food packaging industryindustry

1970s Culture

1970s Culture

1970s Culture

1970’s Sports

• Cathy Rigby became Cathy Rigby became 1st American to 1st American to medal at the World medal at the World Gymnastics Gymnastics ChampionshipsChampionships

• A.J. Foyt wins Indy A.J. Foyt wins Indy 500, 24 Hours of Le 500, 24 Hours of Le Mans, and Daytona Mans, and Daytona 500500

• Congress enacted Congress enacted Title IX on June 23, Title IX on June 23, 19721972

Racial Conflict

• During the late 1950s During the late 1950s and early 1960s, it and early 1960s, it was the South that was the South that was the primary was the primary arena for conflicts arena for conflicts over desegregationover desegregation

• By the mid 1970s, to By the mid 1970s, to locus of racial locus of racial conflict had shifted conflict had shifted to Los Angeles, to Los Angeles, Detroit, Boston, and Detroit, Boston, and ChicagoChicago

America’s 200th Birthday “ “Each generation of Each generation of

Americans, indeed of Americans, indeed of all humanity, must all humanity, must strive to achieve strive to achieve these aspirations these aspirations anew…liberty is a anew…liberty is a living flame to be fed, living flame to be fed, not dead ashes to be not dead ashes to be revered, even in a revered, even in a Bicentennial Year”Bicentennial Year”

~ President Gerald ~ President Gerald Ford, July 4, 1976, Ford, July 4, 1976, PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia

“Southern Fried Chic”• Jimmy Carter was Jimmy Carter was

the first southerner the first southerner elected President in elected President in well over 100 yearswell over 100 years

• Americans warmed Americans warmed to Carter’s down-to Carter’s down-home image and home image and rejected that of the rejected that of the stumbling Fordstumbling Ford

• A great deal of A great deal of attention was given attention was given to President Carter’s to President Carter’s brother Billybrother Billy

Iranian Hostage Crisis

• Iranian militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Iranian militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 70 Americans captive on Tehran and took 70 Americans captive on November 4, 1979…the act triggered the most November 4, 1979…the act triggered the most profound crisis of Carter’s presidencyprofound crisis of Carter’s presidency