Modern American History

1973-present

Nixon Resigns
Aug 1974
Watergate scandal
leads to Nixons
resignation.
Gerald Ford assumes
office.
Sept 1974: Ford
pardons Nixon for any
crimes he committed
or may have
committed as Pres.
Im a Ford, not a
Lincoln.

Changing world for women

Roe v. Wade 1973
Supreme Court ruled
abortion was legal in
the 1st 3 months.
1970s saw women
moving into
professional fields.
Then medical students
were 16% women.
Today they make up
over 50%.

OPEC OIL EMBARGO

OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries) stop shipping oil to countries which
supported Israel.
Drastic rise in prices1973 $3/barrel

1980 $30/barrel
Gas shortages all over country

1976 Election
Jimmy Carter ran as an
outsider, not tainted by the
scandals of Watergate.
Seen as honest, a man of
the people. But his
inexperience in working
with Congress led to an
ineffective Presidency.
Camp David Accords
Carter saw success in his
foreign policy. He brokered
an historic peace treaty
between Israel and Egypt
in 1978.
BUT THEN.

Hostage Crisis in Iran

1978: Shah of Iran is pushed
out of power.

Pres. Carter allows the

Shah to enter the US
for medical reasons.
In 1979, in Tehran,
Iran, militants take 52
embassy staff as
hostages for 444 days.

Iran becomes an Islamic

Republic led by the Ayatollah
Khomeini.

8 American soldiers
killed in failed rescue
attempt.
Pres. Carter loses
support of Americans.
Seen as weak and
ineffectual.

1980 Election
Ronald Reagan defeated Carter.
Former Calif. gov. and actor.
Signalled a swing to a New
Conservatism in US as well as the
rise of the religious right, the Moral
Majority.

Whats the difference?

Which one are YOU?
Conservatives

Distrust fed. govt

Favor free enterprise
with little govt
regulation
Lower taxes encourage
investment.
Believe govt programs
take away the
incentive to work and
invest.

Liberals

Govt should regulate

the economy.
Fed govt should help
disadvantaged thru
social programs paid
for thru taxes.
Strong supporters of
free speech and
privacy.

The Reagan Years

1980-88
Domestic Policy

Reaganomics: cut taxes to

stimulate the economy.
Encouraged investment.
Supply-side Economics or
trickle-down theory (Hoover)
Program Cuts: lower taxes
meant less money for govt
programs like welfare.
Deregulation: airlines, auto
safety standards, EPA standards
on pesticides, chemicals, cable
tv industry.
Supreme Court: appointed
conservative justices who would
follow original intent of the
Constitution rather than
expand.

Foreign Policy

Military Buildup: Peace thru

strength. Saw USSR as the
evil empire to be defeated,
not negotiated with.
Afghanistan: US support the
Afghan mujahadeen against a
Soviet invasion. Becomes the
USSRs Vietnam. 1988 Soviets
withdraw.
Nicaragua: US arms the
contras fighting the socialist
govt. Congress banned aid to
contras.
Grenada: Marxist (communist)
rebels overthrow govt. US
troops sent in to put down
rebellion .

What was the Iran-Contra Affair?

1985 scandal
Senior members of
Reagans administration
sold weapons to
moderates in Iran hoping
that Irans influence would
free American hostages in
Lebanon.
Profits from the sales then
went to support the Contras
in Nicaragua, bypassing
Congress.
Was Reagan fully aware of
the situation?

Lt. Col. Oliver North

oversaw much of
operation.
He claims he had
authority from the
President; Reagan
testified he was not
aware of the deal.

 US-Soviet Relations
Under Reagan and Soviet
leader Mikhail
Gorbachev, there was a
reduction in Cold War
tensions. Gorbachev was
known for perestroika
(restructuring) and
glasnost (openness), very
unsoviet ideas.
Led to breakup of USSR
and satellite nations and
the reunification of
Germany

George Bush

1988 ElectionRead my lips: no

new taxes!George Bush
George Bush elected President. Strong
background in foreign policy.

Collapse of the Soviet Union, peaceful

revolutions in Eastern Europe. 1989-91
Tiananmen Square Protest, Beijing 1989.
Iraq invasion of Kuwait Aug.1990
Operation Desert Storm Jan.1991
Recession at homegrowing deficit, slow
economy, rising unemployment. Responds
with program cuts and tax increases.

1989 Berlin Wall falls

Collapse of the Soviet Union

Tiananmen Square Massacregovt

crackdown on pro-democracy protest. Number dead: estimates range
from few hundred to thousands. No one knows for sure.

Operation Desert Storm

1992 Election

Clinton Presidency 1992-2000

Bill Clinton of Arkansas defeats George Bush
Focus on economic issues
Somali intervention 1992 US troops attempt to
provide food relief and stabilize political situation,
but pulled out after American soldiers were killed.
Because of this setback, there was no US
assistance when 1mill+ Rwandans were murdered
in 1994.
Yugoslavia Intervention 1999 Ethnic cleansing in
former Yugoslavia. US and NATO air strikes forced
Serbia to withdraw from Kosovo and stop violence

S
Somalia 1992

Somalia
Operation Restore Hope, initiated by Bush
in Dec 92, sent troops in a humanitarian
mission in civil war-torn Somalia. Control
of the country was splintered by rival
warlords, and refugees were starving.
After the situation was stabilized, the
mission changed to restoring peace and
democracy. However, not all factions were
willing to give up their power.
After 19 Americans died in the Battle of
Mogadishu in Oct 93(Black Hawk Down),
Pres. Clinton ordered all US troops
removed from Somalia.

Yugoslav Genocide

Ethnic Cleansing
The ethnic cleansing campaign that took place
throughout areas controlled by the Bosnian Serb
Army targeted Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian
Croats. The ethnic cleansing campaign included
unlawful confinement, murder, rape, sexual
assault, torture, beating, robbery and inhumane
treatment of civilians; the targeting of political
leaders, intellectuals and professionals; the
unlawful deportation and transfer of civilians; the
unlawful shelling of civilians; the unlawful
appropriation and plunder of real and personal
property; the destruction of homes and
businesses; and the destruction of places of
worship.

Rwanda 1994

800,000 dead
100 days

Genocide- Never Again?

A history of ethnic strife between the Tutsi
minority and the Hutu majority had led to
civil war in Rwanda. During a UN-brokered
cease-fire, the Rwandan presidents plane
was shot down. Blame was cast on the
Tutsi faction, although most believed it
was Hutu extremists who shot down the
plane, triggering a long-planned massacre
of the Tutsi population.
Over the course of 100 days while the
world wondered what to do, 800,000
Rwandans were massacred. Much of the
killing was done by civilians, neighbors
turning on neighbors, much of it by
machetes.

Why was Clinton

impeached?
He was charged with
perjury, obstruction of
justice, and abusing his
power as president.
He was accused of illegal
financial dealings and
improper conduct with a
White House intern, and of
lying about it.
Charges originate in the
House, but votes in the
Senate fell short of the
majority needed to remove
him from office.

2000 Election.

Pres. George W. Bush