"Watergate" is a general term used to describe a complex web of political scandals between 1972 and 1974. The word specifically refers to the Watergate Hotel in Washington D.C.
       Richard M. Nixon is one of the most fascinating political figures of the 20th century. His long political career began in 1947 when he was elected to the House of Representatives. By 1952 Nixon had been chosen as Dwight Eisenhower's vice-presidential running mate, but nor before he was embroiled in a scandal that led to the infamous Checkers Speech.
 

 

       Nixon served as vice-president for eight years, then lost the 1960 election to John F. Kennedy. He recovered from political defect to be chosen again as the Republican Party's candidate at the 1968 election. Following a year of turmoil, including two political assassinations, Nixon became the nations 37th president on January 20, 1969. Later that year, he delivered his Silent Majority speech on the Vietnam War, articulating his belief that the bulk of the American people supported his policies and program. He was vindicated by winning a landslide re-election. he was sworn in for a second term in January 1973.

 
      Watergate has entered the political lexicon as a term synonymous with corruption and scandal, and yet the Watergate Hotel is one of Washington's finest hotels. It was here that the Watergate Burglars broke into the Democratic Party's National Committee offices on June 17, 1972. If it had not been for the alert actions of Frank Wills, a security guard, the scandal may never have erupted. 
The story of Watergate has an interesting and political background, arising out of political events of the 1960s such as Vietnam. But the events of the scandal really begins during 1972, when the burglars were arrested. by 1973, Nixon had been re-elected, but the storm clouds were building. By early 1974, the nation was consumed by Watergate.
 Nixon made three major speeches on the Watergate scandal during 1973 and 1974. The first was on April 30, 1973 in which he announced the departure of Dean Haldeman and Ehrlichman. A more defiant speech was the one on April 29, 1974, in which Nixon released partial transcripts of the White House tapes.
Investigations of Watergate were heavily influenced by the media, particularly the work of two reporters from the Washington Post, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, along with their mysterious informant John Sears. (deep throat)
  Political investigations began February 1973. The senate established a Committee to investigate the Watergate scandal. The public hearings of the Committee were sensational, including the evidence of John Dean, Nixon's former White House Council. The committee also uncovered the existence of the secret White House tape recordings, sparkling a major political and legal battle between the Congress and the President.          Bob Woodward (right) 

 In 1974, the House of R. Nixon's last days in office came in late July and early August 1974. The House of Committee voted to accept three of the four proposed Articles of Impeachment, with some Republicans voting with Democrats to recommend impeachment of the president. representatives authorized the Judiciary Committee to consider impeachment proceedings against Nixon. The work of this committee was again the spotlight a quarter of a century later when Bill Clinton was impeached.
       The final blow come with the decision by the Supreme Court to order Nixon to release more tapes. One of these became known as the Smoking Gun tape when it revealed that Nixon had participated in the Watergate cover-up back in June 1972. Around the country there were calls for Nixon to resign including one from an Arkansas congressional candidate and future president.
 At 9pm on the evening of August 8, 1974, Nixon delivered a nationally televised resignation speech. The next morning, he made his final remarks to the White House staff before sending his resignation letter to the Secretary of States.
 

Darcy Worley

8th American History

Rossville Jr. High

Post-World War II America Project

May 2002

 Bibliography