Sources of Stagnation
America had enjoyed a long economic boom in the 1950s and 60s.
The 1970s ended that boom.
Machinery was getting old and run down by this time.
What's more, the boom-years had put more money in people's hands. Anytime this is the case, prices go up.
America's economic lead had dwindled as Germany and Japan had by then rebuilt and caught back up.
Nixon “Vietnamizes” the War
The policy was enough to get him elected. Still, with America so divided, their were still opponents hawks wanted more action, doves wanted to leave immediately. The doves protested loudly.
Nixon appealed to the “silent majority”, those who supported the war, but without the sound and fury of the protesters.
In the earlier part of the war especially, the fighting was done disproportionately by the poorer classes.
African-Americans suffered casualties at higher rates than whites.
At that village, U.S. troops snapped and killed the entire village, including women and children.
Cambodianizing the Vietnam War
The North Vietnamese had been using their neighbor as a staging-ground for attacks. The land was out-of-bounds for U.S. troops, but the North channeled supplies through Cambodia
In 1970, Nixon ordered the U.S. to invade Cambodia to put a stop to the uneven playing field.
A similar situation occurred at Jackson State College killing two.
Nixon pulled out of Cambodia after only two months. U.S. troops resented Nixon's reversal and having to fight with "one hand tied behind their back."
China and the Soviet Union were fighting over what it means to be a communist. Nixon saw this as a chance to step in and play them against each other.
Nixon did visit China, in 1972.
several nuclear weapons were mounted on a single missile.
Nixon was still against communism.
A New Team on the Supreme Bench
Under Chief Justice Earl Warren, the Supreme Court had made a noticeable shift to the left and was activist. Nixon fussed about this move. Several cases showed the trend
A series of cases gave rights to defendants in criminal cases.
New York Times v. Sullivan
Reynolds v. Sims Forbade creative district lines that made some people's votes weigh more than others. This type of gerrymandering had been used by southern whites to keep power.
Nixon sought to change the Court's liberal trend by appointing justices. Warren E. Burger was quickly nominated, accepted, and became chief justice. Nixon appointed a total of four supposedly conservative justices.
However, justices are free to rule as they wish, not how the president wants. The Burger Court was reluctant to undo what the Warren Court had done.
Evidence of how the court was not conservative came with the Roe v. Wade decision which legalized abortion.
Nixon on the Home Front
Contrary to what one might guess from a conservative, Nixon made the Great Society programs grow. For example:
The court prohibited things like intelligence tests, saying they limited women and minorities in some fields. The court suggested hiring proportions should be the same ratio as the population.
Environmental laws were passed.
Back to the economy, Nixon tried to halt inflation by imposing a 90-day wage and price freeze in 1971.
As a minority president, Nixon gathered southern support by appointing conservative justices, paying little attention to civil rights, and opposing school busing.
The Nixon Landslide of 1972
North Vietnam attacked across the dividing line in 1972. Nixon responded by ramping up bombings and mining the harbors of the North.
The presidential election of 1972 saw Nixon seek reelection. The Democrats nominated George McGovern who promised to end the war in 90 days.
McGovern was supported by young adults and women. His campaign was hurt when it became known that his V.P. candidate, Thomas Eagleton, had received psychiatric treatment.
The agreement Kissinger had spoken of didn't come just yet. Nixon ramped up the bombings in attempt to drive the North back to the bargaining table, it work, and on January 23, 1973 a cease-fire was reached.
The Secret Bombing of Cambodia and the War Powers Act
In mid-1973, people were surprised to learn that the U.S. had made some 3,500 secret bombings of Cambodia. This despite assurances from the government that Cambodia's neutrality was intact. The "credibility gap" widened.
Nixon's goal had been to hurt the communists there and help the non-communists.
The end result was that, in the chaos, a tyrant named Pol Pot killed some 2 million of his own people.
Congress set out to ensure that no "blank check" like the Tonkin Gulf Resolution would be passed again.
This law helped start what was called the "New Isolationism."
The Arab Oil Embargo and the Energy Crisis
America aided Israel, while Kissinger helped keep the Soviets out of the fray. After tense times, an uneasy peace was reached.
But, Arab nations were not pleased at America's support of Israel.
In October of 1973, Arab nations placed an embargo on oil.
Long lines formed at gas stations and prices of gas skyrocketed in the U.S.
The "energy crisis" changed things in America.
The Alaska pipeline was approved to flow oil southward.
There were calls for more use of coal and nuclear power.
Using OPEC to exert their will, the Arab nations nearly quadrupled the price of oil by the end of the 70s.
Watergate and the Unmaking of a President
Also, in the "Saturday Night Massacre", Nixon fired Watergate investigators and the attorney general, which also looked bad.
A month later, impeachment for "obstruction of justice" was going forward so Nixon handed over all of the tapes. Those revealed Nixon had indeed ordered a cover-up this was an impeachable offense.
Rather than get booted out of office, Nixon resigned on August 8, 1974. Gerald Ford was sworn in as the new president.
The First Unelected President
Gerald Ford became president without anyone ever voting for him, either for president or vice president.
He was seen as a nice guy, more of an everyman, but a bit of an average-minded and clumsy fellow. None of the negatives were really fair, but that was much of the public view.
Surprisingly, Ford pardoned Nixon for any illegal actions he might have done.
To many Americans, détente was benefiting Russia, but America was getting little in return.
Defeat in Vietnam
America's goal in Vietnam was to contain communism. America left in 1973, generally having done that. In 1975, however, North Vietnam overran and took over South Vietnam.
It was embarrassing that the last Americans were evacuated from the rooftop of the American embassy by helicopter.
Technically, America didn't lose the war. America left when it was a tie, then the U.S.-supported South Vietnam lost. But, in reality and in perception, America lost.
Feminist Victories and Defeats
The feminist movement of the 60s gained some steam entering the 70s.
Congress passed "Title IX" which prohibited sex discrimination in any federally-funded educational program. This was best seen in the rise of girls' sports to equal boys'.
The Supreme Court heard cases regarding women.
The Roe v. Wade case legalized abortion.
At this point, opposition stalled ERA. Essentially, the opposition felt ERA would undercut and deteriorate the family.
National child care was proposed. The thinking was that this would weaken family life.
The feminist movement was seen as the cause of divorce. The divorce rate had tripled between 1960 and '76.
Many despised abortion. Catholics and other Christians viewed pregnancy as a blessing and charged the feminists viewed it as an inconvenience.
ERA was failed in 1982, 3 states short of the needed 38.
The Seventies in Black and White
The practicality of this was that integration took a hit. If students went to their nearest school, the schools would stay largely segregated.
The election was very close, but the Republican "brand" had been too tarnished by Watergate nonsense. Carter won 297 to 240.
Congress also went heavily Democrat. During his "honeymoon period", Carter got a new Dept. of Energy established. He also got a tax cut through.
Carter's honeymoon was short though. Being a political outsider was good during the election, but not good inside Washington D.C. where "back-slapping" and "back-scratching" is how things get done.
Carter’s Humanitarian Diplomacy
Jimmy Carter was a devout Christian and had a high concern for human rights. That would be his guiding principle when it came to foreign policy.
Carter's crowning foreign policy achievement was a Middle East peace settlement.
They shook hands and agreed that Israel would withdraw from lands gained in the Six-Day War and Israel's borders would be respected.
Full diplomatic relations with China were reestablished.
Another agreement planned to turn over the Panama Canal to Panama by the year 2000 (and did).
To many, Carter's policies seemed nice, but soft and too willing to give.
Plus, the Cold War kept on going. Thousands of Soviet backed Cuban troops showed up in various African countries to support communist forces there. Carter made no response.
Economic and Energy Woes
Carter had worse problems than foreign affairs the economy was tanking.
Carter proposed energy conservation laws, but they weren't well received.
Along with oil, the Middle East gave Carter more headaches in 1979 when the shah of Iran was ousted by Islamic fundamentalists. The shah had been put into power with help from the CIA and was seen as a symbol of the West and the U.S.
Carter went to Camp David, talked with energy experts, then scolded America for its dependence on oil and materialism. This was probably true, but it was a scolding, not an energy solution.
Within a few days he fired four cabinet members and reverted to his close-knit Georgia crew. Some wondered if Carter was losing touch with the people.
Foreign Affairs and the Iranian Imbroglio
Another high-note for Carter came with the SALT II agreements. He met with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and agreed to limit nuclear weapons.
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