Maxwell Straus
APUSH Period 2
May 20, 2015
How did the Watergate Scandal and other major events impact the already diminishing views of United States Citizens towards the government during the 1960’s and 70’s?
United States History is filled with scandal and misconduct. From the corrupt bargain, in 1824, where Andrew Jackson was cheated out of winning president, to the Iran-Contra Affair, where weapons were sold secretly for the release of U.S. hostages. The biggest scandal in United States history, however, is the Watergate Scandal. In an already wavering relationship with the citizens and the federal government because of the Vietnam War, the Watergate Scandal pushed the distrust the people had towards the government over the edge, in …show more content…
The government was something that everyone should be able to rely on. However, after the Vietnam War, where the government began to lose large amounts of support, the people had to start making their own choices because the government was not listening to them. The Watergate Scandal was the turning point of the government being seen as good in the eyes of the people into bad. There was a time when the people would put 100 percent of their trust into the president and the government. And the government would deliver and fulfill their promises. All people had during times like the Great Depression, was hope that the government could come through and help. People had this perspective of the government for a while: through both World Wars and even into the Cold War. However, that all came to an end during the Watergate Scandal. The figurehead and controller of a nation being involved in a political crime, and lying the entire time about his involvement. If you can't trust the leader of the government, how can you trust the rest of it? A lot of people were also appalled when it was found out that Nixon had tapes of him talking about covering up the Watergate Scandal. “That the way to handle this now is for us to have Walters call Pat Gray and just say, "Stay the hell out of this...this is ah, business here we don't want you to go any further on it." That's not an …show more content…
Nixon, who was reluctant and refused to turn in any of the tapes that he had of him talking about Watergate, was forced by the Supreme Court to turn them over. Once this was announce Nixon resigned, and if he didn’t he would most likely have been impeached. This is the first time in United States History that a president has left the office in the middle of his term. Nixon ended up being pardoned of all his crimes by Gerald Ford, his successor. However, many people on Nixon’s staff were sent to prison for serious crimes, like perjury. The Watergate Scandal is important because it helped to create a lasting separation between the government and the people. It also showed that even the highest up people in the United States were not immune to the law, and the justice that follows breaking
APUSH Period 2
May 20, 2015
How did the Watergate Scandal and other major events impact the already diminishing views of United States Citizens towards the government during the 1960’s and 70’s?
United States History is filled with scandal and misconduct. From the corrupt bargain, in 1824, where Andrew Jackson was cheated out of winning president, to the Iran-Contra Affair, where weapons were sold secretly for the release of U.S. hostages. The biggest scandal in United States history, however, is the Watergate Scandal. In an already wavering relationship with the citizens and the federal government because of the Vietnam War, the Watergate Scandal pushed the distrust the people had towards the government over the edge, in …show more content…
The government was something that everyone should be able to rely on. However, after the Vietnam War, where the government began to lose large amounts of support, the people had to start making their own choices because the government was not listening to them. The Watergate Scandal was the turning point of the government being seen as good in the eyes of the people into bad. There was a time when the people would put 100 percent of their trust into the president and the government. And the government would deliver and fulfill their promises. All people had during times like the Great Depression, was hope that the government could come through and help. People had this perspective of the government for a while: through both World Wars and even into the Cold War. However, that all came to an end during the Watergate Scandal. The figurehead and controller of a nation being involved in a political crime, and lying the entire time about his involvement. If you can't trust the leader of the government, how can you trust the rest of it? A lot of people were also appalled when it was found out that Nixon had tapes of him talking about covering up the Watergate Scandal. “That the way to handle this now is for us to have Walters call Pat Gray and just say, "Stay the hell out of this...this is ah, business here we don't want you to go any further on it." That's not an …show more content…
Nixon, who was reluctant and refused to turn in any of the tapes that he had of him talking about Watergate, was forced by the Supreme Court to turn them over. Once this was announce Nixon resigned, and if he didn’t he would most likely have been impeached. This is the first time in United States History that a president has left the office in the middle of his term. Nixon ended up being pardoned of all his crimes by Gerald Ford, his successor. However, many people on Nixon’s staff were sent to prison for serious crimes, like perjury. The Watergate Scandal is important because it helped to create a lasting separation between the government and the people. It also showed that even the highest up people in the United States were not immune to the law, and the justice that follows breaking