Richard Nixon

Reconciliation was the first goal set by President Richard M. Nixon. The Nation was painfully divided, with turbulence in the cities and war overseas. During his Presidency, Nixon succeeded in ending American fighting in Viet Nam and improving relations with the U.S.S.R. and China. But the Watergate scandal brought fresh divisions to the country and ultimately led to his resignation

Lesson Plans | Primary Sources |

 

Lesson Plans:

Opposing Views on Vietnam - Students will understand Richard Nixon’s policies concerning the Vietnam War in 1969, including “Vietnamization.” And the main arguments of Vietnam veteran John Kerry and the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) in 1971 in opposition to the continuation of the war.
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Richard Nixon and Watergate - What was Watergate? Why was the scandal called Watergate? What precipitated the scandal? How did it end? Who were the primary people involved in the event? Who broke the story to the American public? Who was "Deep Throat"?
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Watergate and the Constitution - When Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 in the wake of the Watergate scandal, it was only the second time in our history that impeachment of a President had been considered. Nearly every action taken with regard to the case had some constitutional significance. The document shown here deals with a specific question: Should the Watergate Special Prosecutor seek an indictment of the former President?(primary source documents)

Primary Source Documents:

Nixon's Views on Presidential Power:
Excerpts from an Interview with David Frost - United States v. Nixon. The following is an excerpt from an interview with former President Nixon conducted by David Frost. It aired on television on May 19, 1977. (Landmark Supreme Court Case)

Richard Nixon's Checkers Speech - Although it would forever be known as Nixon's "Checkers Speech," it was actually a political triumph for Nixon at the time it was given. The Republicans went on to win the election by a landslide.

Richard Nixon and Elvis Presley meeting - Of all the requests made each year to the National Archives for reproductions of photographs and documents, one item has been requested more than any other. That item, more requested than the Bill of Rights or even the Constitution of the United States, is the photograph of Elvis Presley and Richard M. Nixon shaking hands on the occasion of Presley's visit to the White House.

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Richard Nixon Library
Richard Nixon's Memoirs