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American History: The Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement

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The year was 1972. From events such as the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement, the United States was faced with extreme political and social turmoil. Despite Nixon’s promise to end war and unite the country, no one could have predicted that his election would accompany one of the largest political scandals to date. It all began with tape on door latches, finally ending with the resignation of a president and a scandal that echoes in American culture four decades later. Like most scandals, Watergate started simply enough with the intention of keeping Nixon’s political enemies at bay. However, before long it went from tape on door latches to bugging offices to breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters. By the year 1974, 43 people were facing legal consequences for their role in Watergate, and President Nixon was nearing the frightening reality of trial and possible impeachment. As small as it may have seemed at its beginning, the Watergate Scandal ending up affecting all aspects of American culture, specifically American politics. On June 17, 1972 at just after midnight, a security guard at the Watergate Complex in Washington, D.C. discovered adhesive tape covering the latches of several doors in the building. After a call to the police and an investigation of the building, five men were found and arrested for burglary and attempting to wiretap the offices of members of the Democratic National Committee. The next day, the Washington Post released

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