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__ Richard Milhous Nixon (1913-1994) __


 * Political Party:** Republican
 * Terms:** 1969-1974
 * Vice Presidents:** Spiro T. Agnew (1969-1973), Gerald Ford (1973-1974)


 * Theme: American Identity **

In the first year of Nixon’s Presidency, one of the most amazing events in history occurred that would forever change life for Americans and the entire world, Americans had landed on the moon. As the space race between America and other nations hit its peak, the National Aeronautic Space Agency had done what many believed impossible but hoped would happen. Starting with JFK, the American space program had tried to outpace the Soviets in the race to space but was bested at almost every turn as the Soviets put satellites and men into orbit. The Americans decided to do one better a launched men all the way to the moon. Not even Nixon could have expected the affect this one incident would have on American history and his Presidency. All Americans joined together for this one cause and came together as one people more so than almost any other time in history. JFK had set a goal, and Americans had done it by beating the Soviets in space travel. This opened up industries such as satellite communications, defense, and exploration that became the future of the Space Age. Although not a major part of the start of the Space Age, Nixon could not have helped but being affected by the American desire for exploration and travel as more scientific research went into space and industry expanded into the great beyond. This advancement in humanity rivals all others as the most important in American history as it united all Americans to the cause of challenging the unknown and besting ourselves. President Nixon had to dedicate funds to the space program and with them NASA was able to continue its success and adventures into space that blossomed American imagination, bravery, and hope. The moon landing gave all Americans, including Nixon, the belief that whatever we set our minds to could be accomplished. Opposite the American Identity of the Space Age was the hippie peace movement of the 60’s that lost much of its momentum during Nixon’s Presidency. As many Americans protested the Vietnam War and asked for peace, one of the most peaceful protests/concerts in world history happened at Woodstock. Woodstock was the culmination of the American hippies who represented the peace minded citizens of America believing the music and love held the answer to finding peace. Although not a hippie himself, President Nixon helped the peace movement and gave peace a chance when he removed Vietnam troops. To this day, Woodstock is remembered however as the largest rock concert in history between the number of performers and the audience that took up a corn field. No peace movement in history has matched Woodstock or its accomplishment in joining together so many people with the hope and dream of making a peaceful world without war. Although this went against the entire base of the American economy, which had been a war economy since World War 2, it shows the change in the American mindset and the beginning of a peaceful American identity.


 * Presidential Grading **

Throughout his Presidency, Richard Nixon was a skilled statesman who attempted to make America a better and safer place at home and abroad through strong foreign policy and national leglislation. However much he succeeded in bringing peace to the nation during the Vietnam and Cold Wars, Nixon’s achievements are always overshadowed by the Watergate Scandal he actively and wrongly took part in. Although he ended up resigning and being disgraced, he deserves a C+ for his work with the détente with communist nations and welfare programs. In his first inaugural address, Nixon showed a desire for peace and equality that matched the mood of the citizens of the decade. He stated how his predecessors of the 20th century had begun the journey and how it was his duty to fulfill the mission they began. In his quest for peace, Nixon succeeded on two fronts: he reached a détente with China and the USSR through trade and foreign policy, the first since the beginning of the Cold War, and he removed troops from Vietnam. By achieving the détente, he began the ending of the Cold War with a sign of peace to communism, even though he had been an avid “red-hunter”. With Vietnam, he wished to begin a slow withdrawal of troops in order to leave some stability in the land but still remove American forces. Many of the nation demanded immediate withdrawal of all forces, but Nixon did not succumb to the pressure and, knowing better, kept fighting to win or at least make peace. Nixon’s other major goal was to make and execute successful equal rights laws to finally end the segregation of blacks and whites. He believed the time had come to celebrate America’s achievements as one nation of people and not two nations divided. In this goal, he also succeeded and helped to integrate many aspects of American life and lift up the disenfranchised blacks. He wanted to give everyone equal freedoms and succeeded through such actions as the Philadelphia Plan to establish black apprentices and improving welfare such as Medicaid and OSHA to give equal protection to all citizens. As his second inaugural address rolled around, Nixon was facing the Watergate scandal as were many other Republicans. His goals were to begin America’s era of true peace and create a peace that would last for generations to come by fixing relations with communist countries and continuing foreign trade. The peace he envisioned did not last and continues to elude American’s grasps to this day as war continues. Nixon’s second goal was to stop Washington paternalism of the American people and teach society to take responsibility for its actions, yet within a few months, Nixon would be attempting to stop the Watergate scandal with executive privilege and resign after the humiliation of the scandal became well known. Ultimately, his second term goals failed because of his participation in the Watergate scandal and his corruption since “power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” During Nixon’s entire Presidential career, Democrats held majorities in both houses of Congress, but this did not stop President Nixon from pushing policy changes and working to create international peace with the help of Congress. As a Quaker, Nixon desired peace and social reform among all else which Democrats agreed with and helped in to achieve. During the 91st Congress, many improvements and developments were made through acts that sought to improve living and working conditions namely in urban settings as Nixon pushed the passage of OSHA to ensure the protection and safety of work places. Due to Nixon’s liberal ideals, he easily got along with the Democrat Congress and worked side-by-side with them to improve the lives of Americans and reach his goal of peace and prosperity. He started of a remarkable statesmen and made great advancements for Americans during his term in office as is evident with his work during the 92nd Congress where he improved welfare and education with Title IX. Working with Congress, he succeeded in stopping sexual discrimination in schools and colleges and helped the women’s rights movement in his age of peace. Unfortunately, as his power and arrogance grew, he became corrupt and attempted to protect himself from the Watergate scandal by stopping the investigation and using Presidential Privilege to hide incriminating evidence. The truth always comes out however, and Nixon was tried and almost impeached by the very House of Representatives he worked so closely with and resigned in shame, having lost the respect of the American citizens and Congress. The most positive action of Nixon’s Administration was the détente the President achieved between America and Communist China and Russia by offering to open up trade with them. Although many desired to continue the containment doctrine and Cold War to destroy communism, President Nixon saw the chance to fix a generation old issue and fix foreign policy that was stopping the world from reaching peace. He believed that Americans and Soviets had fought long enough and began the decline of the Cold War that would end in 1989 thanks in part to his efforts. If he had not worked for the détente and began the troop removal from Vietnam, the situation of the Cold War could have progressed further into aggression and tension to the point where a full out war could have occurred between the U.S. and communist countries in order to settle the conflict of capitalism and communism. Nixon desired peace, as did many American citizens in the hippie days, and did what few could have in the time of conflict and strife. Seeing as the Cold War had progressed this far over two and a half decades, it was time to begin amending the problems of the past and reaching a better tomorrow through diplomacy. Nixon was the leader of the Cold War because he did not back down and make America look weak but had the courage to stand up and take action towards peace with his détente, the beginning of his mission for an era of peace. In a Presidency with such success and achievements, they are all shadowed by Nixon’s greatest blunder, the Watergate Wiretapping Scandal. Republican’s, including Nixon, had arranged for the Democratic campaign offices at the Watergate hotel to be broken into during the campaign for the 1972 election. While denying involvement in the case, Nixon attempted to protect himself and hide the tape recordings of his phone conversations about his involvement in the scandal by using Presidential Privilege to keep the tapes away from the courts saying they were the business of the executive branch and could not be taken by the judicial branch. The Supreme Court ruled that privilege did not protect the tapes since they were directly involved in a criminal case and could implicate Nixon, who was not above the law. This decision brought the President back down to the average man’s level when the tapes were brought before court and an impeachment trial was about to begin before Nixon decided to resign. He resigned to avoid the humiliation of a trial and the length of the impeachment, but the damage had already been down. He had become corrupt and this ruined his credibility and tarnished all the achievements he had made at home and abroad. After the incident, he was disgraced and almost put before a criminal court before President Ford pardoned him for his actions, angering Americans more at the corruption of the Republicans. Even though President Nixon did so much good for the nation, his one lasting effect on the office of the President was the changes that occurred because of the Watergate Scandal. By attempting to use Presidential Privilege to protect himself and be higher than the law of the United States, he opened up the office of the President to the power of the Supreme Court, which was necessary to prevent this from happening again, who ruled the privilege protected the executive branch’s decisions with legislation and policies but not from crimes or hiding evidence. The court ordered Nixon to hand over the tapes which incriminated him in the scandal and forced him to resign in the coming months. If Nixon had not participated in Watergate and not used privilege to protect his position and office, he may have kept the Presidency and been unaffected unlike his party members. He made some serious mistakes, but these mistakes allowed for the appropriate action to be taken by the Supreme Court in lowering the prestige and power of the President down away from a monarchy. If Nixon had been allowed to break the law, the Office of the President could have become an all-powerful, corrupt monarch, but Nixon’s actions forever changed the Presidency and lowered in down to a level that kept the President equal to the citizens he lead and not above the law and Constitution they are supposed to enforce. Although many feel Nixon was a completely corrupt and conniving President, his wrongdoings were not until the end of his Presidency. His actions with foreign policy, social reform, and domestic advancement show his skill as a statesman and his success in his quest for peace. President Nixon was a peaceful and kind man who sought to make America and the world a happier, peaceful place but became corrupt and arrogant as the power of the office got to him. He attempted to cheat and steal his way back into office, but he was still a strong leader and hopeful statesman which is why he earns a grade of a C+.

Works Cited

"American President: Richard Nixon." //Miller Center//. University of Virginia. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. .

"Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States." //The American Presidency Project//. Gerhard Peters. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. .

"Richard M. Nixon." //The White House//. United States Government. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. .