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Watergate" is a general term used to describe a complex web of political scandals between 1972 and 1974. The word refers to the Watergate Hotel in Washington D. C. In addition to the hotel, the Watergate complex houses many business offices. It was here that the office of the Democratic National Committee was burgled on June 17 th, 1972. The burglary and subsequent cover-up eventually led to moves to impeach President Richard Nixon.
Nixon resigned the presidency in August 1974. "Watergate" is now an all-encompassing term used to refer to political burglary, bribery, extortion, wiretapping, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, destruction of evidence, tax fraud, illegal campaign contributions, use of public (taxpayers') money for private purposes and The late 1960 s were a time of great political and social confusion in the United States. President Johnson had been destroyed by the Vietnam War and had announced that he would not contest the 1968 election. A spirit of unrest influenced the college campuses. Demands for black rights were growing and a huge anti-war movement had developed.
Richard Milhous Nixon (Republican) was elected president in 1968. Nixon was elected on a pledge of ending the war. During his term, Nixon and his Secretary of State, Dr. Henry Kissinger, opened up diplomatic relations with China (1971) and established "detente" with the Soviet Union. It has been argued that only a president with Nixon's well-established and hostile attitude to communism could have done these things. 1971: Publication of the "Pentagon Papers." These secret Defense Department documents on American involvement in the Vietnam war were leaked to the New York Times by an official in the Defense Department, Dr. Daniel Ellsberg.
Nixon challenged the publication of the documents in the Supreme Court and lost when the court ruled 6 - 3 in favour of publication. 1970 - 1: A White House Special Investigations Unit was established, known as the "Plumbers." This secret group investigated the private lives of Nixon's critics and political enemies. It burgled the office of Ellsberg's psychiatrist in an attempt to discover damaging information. Nixon was reported to have a "hate list", containing the names of many Democrats, James Reston, Jack Anderson, Jane Fonda, Barbra Streisand and Paul Newman. Somewhere around 1971, voice-activated tape recorders were installed in the Oval Office in the White House. As the 1972 election approached, the Democrats opted for a liberal candidate, Senator George McGovern, a factor that led to the tremendous win by Nixon.
During the campaign, McGovern had been forced to drop his vice-presidential running mate, Thomas Eagleton, after newspapers published reports of his previous mental illness. McGovern had earlier said he was 1000 % behind Eagleton. Eagleton was replaced by Sargent Shriver. Nixon won 49 of the 50 states, McGovern winning only Massachusetts and Washington D.
C. The media becomes more confident and aggressive. Watergate was unravelled by the Washington Post reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Their work led to the development of teams of "investigative" reporters on newspapers around the world. "Deep Throat" became an everyday term, referring to the anonymous official who leaked information to Woodward and Bernstein.
An excellent article on the possible identity of "Deep Throat" appears in the Washington Post. A new wave of Democratic congressmen is elected in 1976 and there are dramatic changes in the composition of committee chairmanships. Many of Nixon's subordinates are jailed, some discover religion, and others write books. Political scandals are termed " -- gate." Nixon sets about rehabilitating his reputation, writing books and travelling the world.
He dies on April 22 nd 1994 at the age of 81. In 1995, Oliver Stone produces a film called "Nixon", starring Anthony Hopkins as Nixon. The film is condemned by the Nixon family. Earlier, in 1991, Len Colony and Robert Getting produce a book called "Silent Coup - The Removal of a President." Former Vice-President Spiro Agnew dies on September 17, 1996, in Berlin, Maryland, aged 77. More of the White House tapes were released in 1996 and 1997. The Washington Post also discusses the tapes.
John Ehrlich man, Nixon's Domestic Policy Adviser, dies on February 14, 1999, aged 73. Bibliography:
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Research essay sample on Washington D C Deep Throat
