-
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
A federal agency created in 1970 under Reagan to oversee environmental monitoring and cleanup programs. -
Period: to
The 1970's
-
Kent State Massacre
Kent State Massacre was a protest of the Cambodian Incursion, which was when the United States bombing Cambodia and the Ho Chi Minh Trail in effort to stop the Vietnamese from advancing. In Kent, Ohio students clashed with local police for several days and damaged property until the governor called the National Guard who open fired and killed four students on May 4, 1970. -
Period: to
Watergate (Part 1)
In June, 1971 parts of the Pentagon Papers were leaked, confidential information was exposed and CREEP was formed. On June 17, 1972, the “plumbers” broke into the Democratic Headquarters at Watergate Hotel, and were caught installing electric eavesdropping devices. June 22, 1972, President Nixon publically declares the White Houe had no part in the break in. 1973, all burglars except McCord pled guilty. March 19,1973 McCord tells the judge that Nixon gave the orders for the break in. *See part 2 -
SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty)
SALT was a number of talks and discussions between the USSR and the United States in the 1970's. The discussions were to limit the amount of missiles created by the two nations during the cold war. The treaty was signed in 1972 by President Nixon and Leonid Brezhnev the two leaders of the two nations at the time. This treaty was considered a success by most because the signing did cause a limitation of creating missiles by the two countries. -
Period: to
Watergate (Part 2)
On October 10, 1973, Nixon’s Vice President, Spiro Agnew, resigns from office. October 20, 1973 Nixon orders Attorney General, Elliot Richardson, to fire Cox. House Judiciary Comittee meets to decide if there is enough evidence for impeachment. March 1974, Grand jury indicts several of Nixons advisors, White House tapes get released proving Nixon was involved.Summer 1974, House of Representives meet about the articles of impeachment. August 8, 1974, Nixon announces his resignation from office. -
Period: to
Yom Kippur (Oil Crisis in the middle east)
The OPEC oil embargo was a decision to stop exporting oil to the United States in the 1970's due to Nixon's decision to take the United States off the gold standard. Because of this the countries exporting this oil could no longer redeem U.S. currency. On October 19, 1973, the 12 OPEC members agreed to the embargo. Over the next six months, oil prices quadrupled in prices from before the embargo. Prices remained at higher levels even after the embargo ended in March 1974. -
Nixon Resigns and Ford becomes President
Nixon was a worrisome man and was stressed about his winning re-election to become president for a second term as president. Because of this he committed crimes known as the Watergate scandal and got caught through his own recordings proving him guilty of his crimes which he previously said weren't true. Because of the evidence found he decided to resign as president, following his resignation Gerald Ford would then become president filling his place until 1976. -
Fall of Saigon
Although the official "ceasefire" had occured two years earlier, and American troops had pulled out around the same time, the Vietnam war did not truly end until 1975. North Vietnam attacked below the 17th parallel in January 1975 and the South Vietnamese army retreated. Ford urged Congress to send in arms to aid the South but they refused. On May 1, the North Vietnamese/Viet Cong entered Saigon and renamed it Ho Chi Minh City, ending the war. -
Carter Elected
Due to Ford's errors during his presidency, Carter was able to win a narrow victory in the 1976 election. He ran on a platform of morality and "constant decency." -
Camp David Accords
Carter's only major diplomatic success was the mediation of negotiations between Israel and Egypt. It temporarily ended the state of war between the two countries, stating that Israel would return captured territory to Egypt if Egypt recognized Israel as a nation. -
Iranian Hostage Crisis
Under Carter's presidency, militant groups broke into an American embassy in Iran, taking 52 hostages. There was a great emotional response from the American people, and Carter attempted a raid to free the hostages in April 1980, but it failed. This was one of the major factors in Carter's defeat in the 1980 election. The hostages were finally freed on January 20, 1981, the day Reagan was inaugurated.
