AMSCO United States History 2015 Edition, Chapter 29 Limits of a Superpower, 1969-1980
5522630502 | Henry Kissinger | Nixon's national security adviser, he later become secretary of state during Nixon's second term. He helped Nixon to fashion a realistic foreign policy that generally succeeded in reducing the tensions of the Cold War. (p. 625) | ![]() | 0 |
5522630503 | Vietnamization | President Nixon announced that he would gradually withdraw U.S. troops from Vietnam and give the South Vietnamese the money, the weapons, and the training that they needed to take over the full conduct of the war. Under this policy, U.S. troops in South Vietnam went from over 540,000 in 1969 to under 30,000 in 1972. (p. 626) | ![]() | 1 |
5522630504 | Kent State | In April 1970, President Nixon expanded the war by using U.S. forces to invade Cambodia. A nationwide protest against this action on U.S. college campuses resulted in the killing of four youths by National Guard troops at Kent State in Ohio. (p. 626) | ![]() | 2 |
5522630505 | Nixon Doctrine | This doctrine declared that Asian allies would receive U.S. support but without the extensive use of U.S. ground forces. (p. 626) | 3 | |
5522630506 | My Lai | The American public was shocked to learn about a 1968 massacre of women and children by U.S. troops in the Vietnamese village of My Lai. (p. 626) | ![]() | 4 |
5522630507 | Pentagon Papers | The New York Times published of the Pentagon Papers, a secret government history documenting the mistakes and deceptions of government policy-makers in dealing with Vietnam. (p. 626) | ![]() | 5 |
5522630508 | Paris Accords of 1973 | In January 1973 the North Vietnamese agreed to an armistice, in which the United States would withdraw the last of its troops and get back over 500 prisoners of war (POWs). The agreement also promised a cease-fire and free elections. However, the armistice did not end the war, but it allowed the United States to extricate itself. (p. 627) | ![]() | 6 |
5522630509 | detente | Nixon and Kissinger strengthened the U.S. position in the world by taking advantage of the rivalry between the two Communist giants, China and the Soviet Union. Their diplomacy was praised for bringing about de´tente—a deliberate reduction of Cold War tensions | 7 | |
5522630510 | China visit | After a series of secret negotiations with Chinese leaders, in February of 1972 Nixon astonished the world by traveling to Beijing to meet with Mao Zedong, the leader of Communist China. His visit initiated diplomatic exchanges that ultimately led to U.S. recognition of the Communist government. (p. 627) | ![]() | 8 |
5522630511 | antiballistic missiles | President Nixon used his new relationship with China to put pressure on the Soviets to agree to a treaty limiting antiballistic missiles (ABMs). (p. 627) | ![]() | 9 |
5522630512 | Strategic Arms Limitation Talks | Nixon used his new relationship with China to put pressure on the Soviets to agree to a treaty limiting antiballistic missiles (ABMs), a new technology that would have expanded the arms race. At the conclusion of the first round of Strategic Arms Limitations Talks (SALTI), U.S. diplomats secured Soviet consent to a freeze on the number of ballistic missiles carrying nuclear warheads. While this agreement did not end the arms race, it was a significant step toward reducing Cold War tensions and bringing about de´tente | ![]() | 10 |
5522630513 | Middle East War (1973) | On October 6, on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, the Syrians and Egyptians launched a surprise attack on Israel in an attempt to recover the lands lost in the Six-Day War of 1967. President Nixon ordered the U.S. nuclear forces on alert and airlifted almost $2 billion in arms to Israel to stem their retreat. The tide of battle quickly shifted in favor of the Israelis. | ![]() | 11 |
5522630514 | OPEC; oil embargo | The Arab members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) placed an embargo on oil sold to Israel's supporters. The embargo caused a worldwide oil shortage and long lines at gas stations in the United States | ![]() | 12 |
5522630515 | New Federalism | In a program known as revenue sharing, or the New Federalism, Congress approved giving local governments $30 billion in block grants over five years to address local needs as they saw fit. Republicans hoped revenue sharing would check the growth of the federal government and return responsibility to the states, where it had rested before the New Deal. (p. 628) | 13 | |
5522630516 | stagflation | The U.S. economy in the 1970s faced an unusual combination of economic slowdown and high inflation. To slow inflation, President Nixon at first tried to cut federal spending. When this policy contributed to a recession and unemployment, he adopted Keynesian economics and deficit spending. He surprised the nation by imposing a 90-day wage and price freeze. Next, he took the dollar off the gold standard, which helped to devalue it relative to foreign currencies. (p. 628) | ![]() | 14 |
5522630517 | southern strategy | Having received just 43 percent of the popular vote, President Nixon was well aware of being a minority president. To win over the South, he asked the federal courts in that region to delay integration plans and busing orders. He also nominated two southern conservatives to the Supreme Court. The Senate refused to confirm them, and the courts rejected his requests for delayed integration. Nevertheless, his strategy played well with southern white voters. (p. 629) | 15 | |
5522630518 | wage and price controls | In 1971 President Nixon imposed a 90-day wage and price freeze to slow inflation. (p. 628) | ![]() | 16 |
5522630519 | off the gold standard | In 1971 President Nixon took the U.S. off the gold standard, which helped to devalue the U.S. dollar relative to foreign currencies. (p. 628) | ![]() | 17 |
5522630520 | cost of living indexed | In 1972 Congress approved automatic increases for Social Security benefits based on the rise in the cost of living. (p. 628) | ![]() | 18 |
5522630521 | Title IX | In 1972 Congress passed this statue to end sex discrimination in schools that received federal funding. (p. 628) | ![]() | 19 |
5522630522 | Burger Court | In 1969 President Nixon appointed Warren E. Burger of Minnesota as chief justice to succeed the retiring Earl Warren. The Burger Court was more conservative than the Warren Court, but some of its decisions anger conservatives. (p. 629) | ![]() | 20 |
5522630523 | Roe v. Wade | In 1973 the Supreme Court struck down many state laws prohibiting abortions as a violation of women's right to privacy. (p. 629) | ![]() | 21 |
5522630524 | election of 1972 | In the 1972 presidential election Richard Nixon easily won a second term by defeating Democratic Senator George McGovern of South Dakota. Nixon won every state except Massachusetts. (p. 629) | ![]() | 22 |
5522630525 | George McGovern | In 1972 this Democratic Senator from South Dakota was a very liberal, antiwar, anti establishment candidate for president. He was defeated easily by Richard Nixon. (p. 629) | ![]() | 23 |
5522630526 | Watergate cover-up | In June 1972, a group of men hired by Nixon's reelection committee were caught breaking into the offices of the Democratic national headquarters in the Watergate complex. This break-in and attempted bugging were only part of a series of illegal activities. No proof demonstrated that Nixon had order the illegal activities. However, it was shown that Nixon participated in the illegal cover up of the scandal. (p. 630) | ![]() | 24 |
5522630527 | plumbers | The president's aides created this group to stop leaks to the press as well as to discredit opponents. (p. 630) | ![]() | 25 |
5522630528 | enemies list | The White House created this list of prominent Americans who opposed Nixon or the Vietnam War. (p. 630) | ![]() | 26 |
5522630529 | United States v. Nixon | In the last days of the Watergate scandal, the court denied Nixon's claims to executive privilege and ordering him to turn over the Watergate tapes. (p. 629) | ![]() | 27 |
5522630530 | War Powers Act (1973) | It was found that President Nixon had authorized 3,500 secret bombing raids in Cambodia, a neutral county. In November 1973, after a long struggle, Congress finally passed this act over Nixon's veto. This law required Nixon and any future president to report to Congress within 48 hours after taking military action and to obtain Congressional approval for any military action over 60 days. (p. 631) | ![]() | 28 |
5522630531 | impeachment and resignation | The start of impeachment hearings in the House forced Nixon to eventually turn over the Watergate tapes, tape recordings of Nixon in his office. The tapes clearly implicated Nixon in the cover-up. The House Judiciary Committee voted three articles of impeachment: (1) obstruction of justice, (2) abuse of power, and (3) contempt of Congress. On August 9, 1974 Nixon resigned. (p. 632) | ![]() | 29 |
5522630532 | imperial presidency | Cold War presidents had used national security, secrecy, executive privileged, and the mystique of the office to concentrate power into the White House. (p. 640) | ![]() | 30 |
5522630533 | Gerald Ford | As vice president, he became president when Richard Nixon resigned on August 1, 1974. He was a likeable and unpretentious man, but his ability to be president was questioned by many in the media. (p. 632) | ![]() | 31 |
5522630534 | pardon of Nixon | In his first month in office President Gerald Ford granted Richard Nixon a full and unconditional pardon for any crime he might have committed in office. (p. 632) | ![]() | 32 |
5522630535 | reform of CIA | Former Congressman George H. W. Bush was appointed by President Ford to reform this agency after it had been accused of assassinating foreign leaders. (p. 633) | ![]() | 33 |
5522630536 | fall of Saigon | In April 1975 the U.S supported government in Saigon fell and Vietnam became one country under Communist rule. (p. 633) | ![]() | 34 |
5522630537 | Cambodia genocide | In 1975, the U.S. supported government in Cambodia fell to the Khmer Rouge, a radical Communist faction that killed over one million of its people in an effort to rid the country of western influence. (p 633) | ![]() | 35 |
5522630538 | battle over inflation | In 1979-1980, inflation seemed completely out of control and reached the unheard of rate of 13 percent. (p. 636) | ![]() | 36 |
5522630539 | Bicentennial | In 1976 the United States celebrated its 200th birthday. (p. 633) | ![]() | 37 |
5522630540 | election of 1976 | In 1976 presidential election Democrat James Earl (Jimmy) Carter won a close election by defeating Gerald Ford. He was helped by running as an outsider and the voters memory of Watergate. (p. 634) | ![]() | 38 |
5522630541 | James Earl (Jimmy) Carter | He was elected president in 1976. He was a former Democratic governor of Georgia. (p. 634) | ![]() | 39 |
5522630542 | human rights | President Carter championed the cause of human rights around the world. He opposed the all-white oppressive governments of South Africa and Rhodesia. He cut aid to Argentina and Chile for their human rights violations. (p. 634) | 40 | |
5522630543 | Panama Canal Treaty | In 1978 the Senate ratified a treaty that would gradually transfer control of the Panama Canal from the U.S. to Panama. (p. 634) | ![]() | 41 |
5522630544 | Camp David Accords | In September 1978 President Carter arranged for leader of Egypt and Israel to met at the Camp David presidential retreat to provide a framework for a peace settlement between the two countries. (p. 635) | ![]() | 42 |
5522630545 | Iranian hostage crisis | In November 1979 Iranian militants seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran and held more than 50 of the U.S. staff as hostages. The hostage crisis dragged on for the rest of Carter's presidency. (p. 635) | ![]() | 43 |
5522630546 | recognition of China | In 1979 the U.S. ended its official recognition of the Chinese government in Taiwan and completed an exchange of ambassadors with the People's Republic of China. (p. 635) | ![]() | 44 |
5522630547 | Soviet Afghanistan invasion | In December 1979, Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan, an action that ended a decade of improving U.S.-Soviet relations. (p. 635) | ![]() | 45 |
5522630548 | Paul Volcker, high interest rates | In 1980 the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board pushes interest rates to 20 percent in order to combat inflation. (p. 636) | ![]() | 46 |
5522630549 | malaise speech | In 1979 President Carter gave a speech in which he blamed the U.S. problems on a "moral and spiritual crisis". (p. 636) | ![]() | 47 |
5522630550 | cultural pluralism | The U.S. population became more racial diverse and diverse ethnic and cultural groups strove to celebrate their unique traditions. (p. 637) | ![]() | 48 |
5522630551 | impact of 1965 immigration law | The end of ethnic quotas favoring Europeans opened the United States to immigrants from all parts of the world. (p. 637) | ![]() | 49 |
5522630552 | Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 | This act penalize employers for hiring immigrants who had entered the country illegally or had overstayed their visas, while granting amnesty to undocumented immigrants arriving by 1982. (p. 637) | ![]() | 50 |
5522630553 | Hispanic Americans | In 2000 they became the country's largest minority group. (p. 637) | ![]() | 51 |
5522630554 | Cesar Chavez | In 1975 as leader of the United Farm Workers Organization he organized boycotts and eventually gained collective bargaining rights for farm workers. (p. 637) | ![]() | 52 |
5522630555 | American Indian Movement | To achieve American Indian self-determination and revival of tribal traditions this organization was founded in 1968. (p. 638) | ![]() | 53 |
5522630556 | Indian Self-Determination Act | In 1975 this act gave American Indian reservations and tribal lands greater control over internal programs, education, and law enforcement. (p. 638) | ![]() | 54 |
5522630557 | gaming casinos | The American Indians attacked widespread unemployment and poverty on reservations by building these facilities. (p. 638) | ![]() | 55 |
5522630558 | Asian Americans | In the 1980s this group became the fastest growing minority population. (p. 639) | ![]() | 56 |
5522630559 | gay liberation movement | By the mid 1970s homosexuality was not longer classified as a mental illness and the federal Civil Service ended its ban on unemployment of homosexuals. (p. 639) | ![]() | 57 |
5522630560 | Earth Day | In 1970 this day showed the concerns about pollution and the destruction of the natural environment. (p. 639) | ![]() | 58 |
5522630561 | Exxon Valdez accident | In 1989 this oil tanker ran aground and created a massive oil spill off the coast of Alaska. (p. 639) | ![]() | 59 |
5522630562 | Three Mile Island | In 1979 this nuclear power plant accident in Pennsylvania turned public opinion against nuclear power. (p. 639) | ![]() | 60 |
5522630563 | Chernobyl meltdown | In 1986 this nuclear plant in the Soviet Union exploded killing many people. (p. 639) | ![]() | 61 |
5522630564 | Clean Air Act | In 1970 Congress passed this act to protect the air. (p. 639) | ![]() | 62 |
5522630565 | Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) | In 1970 Congress created this agency to protect the environment. (p. 639) | ![]() | 63 |
5522630566 | Clean Water Act | In 1972 Congress passed this act to protect the water. (p. 639) | ![]() | 64 |
5522630567 | Environmental Superfund | In 1980 Congress created this fun to clean up toxic dumps, such as Love Canal in New York state. (p. 639) | ![]() | 65 |
5522630568 | Endangered Species Act | In 1973 Congress passed this act to protect endangered species. (p. 639) | ![]() | 66 |