Watergate Paper
03/19/2012
His/145
Cynthia Grant

Watergate Paper
By 1968 the unpopularity of Lyndon B. Johnson due to the Vietnam War, ushered in yet another American President, Richard M. Nixon. Thought the United States was in the middle of a cultural revolution the change was welcomed. President Richard Nixon could relate to the average American. A product of the hard working middle class, President Nixon rose to prominence through his own will and determination. While not the ideal time to become the President of the United States of America, President Nixon would project a stern image that supported traditional Values. President Nixon inherited the Vietnam conflict and an economy that was weakening the greatest scandal that would send an American President packing. was about to unfold. An obscure break in at the Democratic National Committee Headquarters in Washington D.C. in 1972 would create one of the most serious crises in the history of the United States Presidency’s.
In 1961 we learned that the first presidential debate was televised live so media coverage of the scandal would surely steer up the American People. The Watergate Scandal would occupy the American Nation for the next two years beginning in 1972; and ultimately, in the summer of 1974. On June 17, 1972 police arrested 5 men who had broken into the offices of the Democratic National Committee’s Headquarters and would eventually arrest 2 additional men who were responsible for the break in. The Washington Post reporters would slowly but surely get to the bottom of the culprits and why they were behind the scandal. The Washington Post reporters exposed that the culprits involved would be former employees from the Committee of the Reelection of the President.
The Watergate Scandal would slowly gain Public Interest by the summer of 1972. Thought Americans would question his involvement the Scandal would damage the faith of the American People in their leaders and their government for the remainder of the century. While the effects of Vietnam and the Watergate Scandal would damage the American People it would also reassure the American People that our American Justice System does work. That there are checks and balances put in place by our constitution to rectify such a situation.
A chain of events would overtake Washington for the next two years. Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward would follow up and declare this to be “professional type operation” While President Nixon tried to force the FBI to dismiss the break ins. The tough talking judge John Sirica had other plans. In April 1973 four of President Nixon’s top aides had lost their jobs on counts of perjury and obstruction of justice and the burglars were tried and convicted. John Dean would be the first aid to break and advised that President Nixon was fully aware of a cover up plan. The biggest breakthrough in the case came when America learned about the secret taping system. President Nixon would go on to say in his State of the Union address “one year of Watergate is enough” and in a rare admission of error in a televised address a teary eyed President Nixon would resign stating “I hope that I will hastened the start of the process of healing which is so desperately needed in America.”
In conclusion, the Presidency of Richard M. Nixon will never be remembered for the good that was accomplished. It will not be remembered for two of the most important events in American History such as sending Neil Armstrong to the Moon in 1969. Nor will his presidency be remembered for ratifying the 26th amendment giving 18 year olds the right to vote. His presidency will always be overshadowed by the Vietnam conflict that he inherited from Lyndon B. Johnson and the greatest scandal that rocked our nation for more than a decade the Watergate scandal. Though it might seem that the same determination and will that landed President Nixon in the office would also lead to his downfall. President Nixon and his advisors determination to cover up any involvement in the Watergate Scandal would eventually lead to the only President of the United States of America to ever resign.

References
EBOOK COLLECTION: Brinkley, A. (2007). American history: a survey (12th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
The Washington Post: Bernstein, Carl, Woodward, Bob (1972). FBI Finds Nixon Aides Sabotaged Democrats.
Television Address: Nixon, Richard. (1973) President Nixon Resigns.