Richard Nixon Research Paper

Maddie Brown
Mrs. Bossu
Block 1
3/24/17
Richard M. Nixon Richard M. Nixon was born on January 9, 1913 in Yorba Linda, California. He was the second of five children belonging to Frank and Hannah Nixon. From a young age the Nixon family was plagued with bad luck. Is younger brother died in 1925 and his older, who he was very close to, died in 1933 of tuberculosis. In 1922, the Nixon ranch failed and his family moved closer to his mother’s family in Whittier, California. His family never had much money, however, Nixon was credited with saying “We were poor, but the glory of it was we didn't know it.” During his high school career at Whittier High School he ran for student body president, but lost to a more popular student. His academic success
cause him to be offered a scholarship to Harvard, however he had to turn it down due to being unable to be for travel and living expenses. Therefore, Nixon attended Whittier College, where he stood out for his debate skills. Upon graduating he was offered a full scholarship to Duke University Law School which he happily accepted. After graduating from law school, Nixon returned to Whittier and joined the law firm Wingert and Bewley. In 1938, he met his soon to be wife Thelma Catherine Ryan, more commonly known as Pat, and in 1940 they were married. Soon afterward, the Nixon’s moved to Washington, DC and he took a job in Roosevelt’s Office of Price Administration. Unfortunately, Nixon became embittered with the bureaucracy and left his job to join the navy. He was transferred from Iowa to the South Pacific Theater, where he was assigned with the Combat Air Transport Command on New Caledonia. Despite receiving two service stars and several commendations, Nixon never saw action. He rose to the level of lieutenant before returning home in 1946. Nixon’s first elected position was won when he was approached by Whittier politicians suggesting he run for congress.
To win this position, Nixon utilized a tactic he would repeatedly use throughout his political career; he exploited his opponent, Voorhis’s, alleged communist sympathies. In the end, Nixon won a seat on the US House of Representatives by more than fifteen thousand votes. While in this position, Nixon served on the Education and Labor Committee and was one of those in support of the Taft-Harley Act. As a member of the House Un-American Activities Committee he became a controversial national figure. This stemmed from him leading the investigation of former State Department official Alger Hiss for being an alleged spy for Russia during World War II. Nixon was opposed, however, years later, Hiss’ guilt was revealed and he was pegged as a fervent anti-communist. Nixon was reelected for congress in 1948. In 1950, won the position of California Senator by nearly half a million votes after distorting his opponent, Helen Douglas’s voting history as left-wing. This move earned him the unflattering nickname “Tricky Dick” that followed him for the rest of his life. Nixon won the attention of President Eisenhower for his anti-communist reputation and, in 1952, won the nomination as vice president. However, during his campaign, a rumor surfaced that he held a secret fund for his own use. Eisenhower gave him a chance to clear his name and, in a nationally televised statement, Nixon affirmed the existence of the fund but denied that any of it was being used for the wrong purpose. Eventually, he won the positon as vice president. In this positon, he attended many of the high-power meetings meant for Eisenhower as the president was often incapacitated by sickness. In a way, he was already
president. In 1960 Nixon began his campaign for president, opposed by John F. Kennedy. During his campaign, Nixon advocated tax cuts that would become central to Republican economy policies. Unfortunately, during the debates, Nixon was recovering from the flu and when he appeared on camera he did not look half as lively as Kennedy. Those who had viewed the debate on television believed Kennedy had won, however, radio listeners believed Nixon had taken the lead. The use of media in elections was at an all-time high during these debates. Despite his experience, Nixon narrowly lost the campaign and moved back to California with his family. After agonizing over whether or not to rejoin the political world, Nixon announced he would once again be running for president in 1968 and was boosted after President Johnson announced he would not be running for another term. He promised to return traditional values, appoint “strict constructionists,” and choose a running mate that would be acceptable in the south. Nixon blame the democrats for the high crime rate and loss of nuclear dominance in comparison to the soviets. Throughout his campaign, he held a strong and calm demeanor, despite the tumult stemming from the Vietnam War, that most likely won him the election. At last, in a tight race between Hubert Humphrey and George Wallace, Nixon was sworn in as the 37th president of the United States.

Timeline
• 1968- Nixon wins presidency- Nixon won his second bid for presidency and was sworn in as the 37th president of the United States.
• 1969- Vietnamization policy- Nixon’s administration announced a policy to slowly decrease troops and transferring them to South Vietnam.
• 1969- Vietnam Broadcast- Nixon addressed the “silent majority,” asking them to keep their confidence in the government and back his efforts to negotiate for peace in Vietnam after protestors called for immediate withdrawal.
• 1969- Family Assistance Plan- this plan guaranteed income to all Americans. This plan was never approved by congress.
• 1970- Meeting with Elvis- Nixon’s most famous broadcast prior to his resignation was his interview with Elvis Presley concerning the drug problem plaguing young Americans.
• 1971- Wage and price controls- Nixon attempted to enforce wage and price controls to try and take control of price levels in the US due to high inflation rates.
• 1971- Military draft- On September 28th Nixon abolished the military draft.
• 1972- Foreign policy- Traveled to Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai China to speak with leaders Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai. His foreign relations policy intended to reduce international tension by making allies out of enemies. This meeting began new relations between the US and Beijing.
• 1972- Meeting in Moscow- Nixon met with Leonid Brezhnev, secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union for a summit meeting. This meeting led to the signing of the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty. This was the first nuclear limitation act between the US and Russia.
• 1972- Reelection- Nixon was reelected over George McGovern by a huge margin; 520 to 17 electoral college votes and 61% of the popular vote.
• 1972- Watergate- A break in was discovered at the Democratic National Committee Offices in the Watergate complex. The burglars were linked to those on the team charged with getting Nixon reelected. This discovery led to many more missteps by Nixon being discovered such as many wiretaps on reporters without a warrant and the creation of the “Plumbers.” He soon became very unpopular in the public eye.
• 1973- Complete withdrawal from Vietnam- Troops were completely removed from Vietnam after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords.
• 1973, 1974- Meeting with Russia- Two more summit meetings with Leonid Brezhnev of Russia were held to continue diplomacy.
• 1973- Peace in the Middle East- Nixon attempted to aid in securing the peace in the Middle East after the Yom Kippur War.
• 1974- Nixon announces his resignation- Following the Watergate scandal and in the face of his impending impeachment, Nixon announced his resignation on a nationally televised address, stating the famous quote “I am not a crook.” The country held their breath as he continued his address and many recall the sound of his voice echoing across the area due to everyone’s radios being tuned to the same station.
• 1974- Pardoned- Nixon was officially pardon from “all offenses against the United States” by his successor for president, Gerald Ford.

Works Cited
"Biography of Richard Milhous Nixon." Nixon Library. The Nixon Library and Museum, n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.
History.com Staff. "Richard M. Nixon." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 24 Mar. 2017.
"Richard Nixon." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 13 Nov. 2014. Web. 24 Mar. 2017.