Nixon and Watergate

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On August 5, 1974, when the smoking gun tape
became public, Nixon was told that he would not
survive the vote in the Senate
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Aftermath of Watergate

• Gerald Ford became the nations 37th president.
• More than 30 government officials went to prison
  for their role in Watergate. Nixon was not one of
  them.
• In September 1974, Ford gave Nixon a full pardon.
  
• There was a public distrust of the government
  that continues to this day.

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Carter and the 70s
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U.S. celebrates Bicentennial
On July 4, 1976, the United States celebrated its
bicentennial (200th birthday)
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Election of 1976
In the 1976 Presidential Election, the
Republicans nominated the sitting president
Gerald Ford as their candidate
The Democrats nominated a relative unknown,
Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter, who had once been
a peanut farmer
In a close election, Carter defeated Ford to
become the nations 39th president. Texas was a
key state in the victory for Carter.
Gerald Ford, Republican
Jimmy Carter, Democrat
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Election of 1976
Carter won 40.8 million votes and 297 electoral
votes
Ford won 39.1 million votes and 240 electoral
votes
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The Carter Years
Jimmy Carter was liked by many because he was a
Southern Democrat who was not a Washington insider
But Carters Presidency was troubled by the Iran
hostage crisis and an economic downturn
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Iran Hostage Crisis
The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis
between Iran and the U.S. when 53 Americans were
held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979
to January 20, 1981
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Iran Hostage Crisis
The hostages were taken captive by Islamic
militants who took over the American Embassy in
response to the U.S. allowing the former Shah of
Iran to come to the U.S.
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Iran Hostage Crisis
The American hostages were held in captivity for
444 days and not released until after Carter was
defeated in the 1980 election and left office.
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Camp David Accords

• One of the greatest achievements of Carter was
  in his foreign policy.
• Carter negotiated a peace agreement between
  Israel and Egypt that was known as the Camp David
  Accords, signed in September 1978.
• Carters work with foreign countries eventually
  earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

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Jonestown Massacre
Americans were shocked in 1978 when The Peoples
Temple, a religious cult, had a mass suicide that
left nearly 1,000 people dead
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Three Mile Island disaster
The Three Mile Island disaster is when a nuclear
power facility in Pennsylvania had a core
meltdown.
The meltdown led to radioactive gases being
leaked into the air.
The incident occurred in March of 1979 and was
the worst nuclear power accident in U.S. history
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Election of 1980
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Pop Culture of the 70s

CB Radios
Disco
Bellbottoms
Jogging
Pet Rocks
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Pop Culture of the 70s
Top TV Shows
All in the Family
The Brady Bunch
Happy Days
Mary Tyler Moore Show
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Pop Culture of the 70s
Top in Movies
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Pop Culture of the 70s
Top in Music