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Kent State Shooting
Protesting and rioting at Kent State University in Ohio, as a response to Nixon's decision to bomb Cambodia, reached a climax when the governor sent in the National Guard. Guardsmen who were poorly trained in crowd control opened fire on the crowd, killing four students, two of which were women just passing by on their way to class. The riot at Kent State was just one of the campus demonstrations triggered by Nixon's contradictory statements about events in Vietnam and the Cambodian incursion. -
Nixon and Kissinger visit Beijing
President Nixon and National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger visited China as a part of a new, secret diplomatic offensive policy: détente. Nixon agreed to cultural and economic exchanges and to recognize and admit communist China into the United Nations. Exports to communist China greatly increased; the visit ended over twenty years of American refusal to accept the outcome of the Chinese revolution. -
Nixon and Brezhnev sign SALT
Nixon and Kissinger visited Moscow as part of their new détente policy, hoping to ease relations. The signing of the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT) was a result of their meeting Brezhnev. The U.S. and Soviet Union agreed to stop making nuclear ballistic missiles and to reduce the number of antiballistic missiles in their arsenals. Additionally, Nixon agreed to large sales of American Grain to the Soviet Union. -
Abortion legalized in Roe v. Wade
In 1969, Norma McCorvey was denied an abortion in Texas, as it was not vital. As "Jane Roe", McCorvey filed suit against Henry Wade, the Dallas Country prosecutor, resulting in the Supreme Court Case Roe v. Wade. The court decided the mother's "right to privacy" enabled a woman to have an abortion during the first six months of pregnancy. The decision legalized most abortions, a victory for the feminists, and resulted in an increase in the number of abortions performed annually. -
North Vietnam and U.S. reach settlement
The Paris Peace Accords were signed by the U.S., North Vietnam, and South Vietnam, ending U.S. conflict in Vietnam on January 27, 1973. North Vietnam promised to release American prisoners of war within sixty days. It temporarily ended the fighting between the North and South. However, it did not completely end hostilities between the North and South. -
Yom Kippur War begins
Egypt and Syria attacked Israel on the Eve of Yom Kippur, a Jewish holiday. The Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir asked the U.S. for aid, and Nixon brought aircraft and other materials to Israel. The Egyptian president was forced to capitulate by Israeli forces, and the Middle East responded by stopping shipments of oil to the West. -
Nixon Resigns
Nixon resignation was a result of the Watergate scandal in which he kept illegal actions from the public. "Plumbers" were caught looking through files and placing eavesdropping devices in the Democratic party headquarters. Nixon denied being involved in the scandal and refused to give audiotapes. When the audiotapes were released to the public after approval of the court, it revealed Nixon's nature and involvement. Before Nixon could be impeached, he resigned from the role of presidency. -
South Vietnam falls and Vietnam War ends
In 1973, the last American troops were pulled out of South Vietnam by president Nixon. Without the support of the American army, South Vietnam would fall to North Vietnam. President Ford wanted to send troops but Congress refused.On May 1st of 1975, the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese took over Saigon, the capital city, and renamed it Ho Chi Minh City, which ended the Vietnam war. -
Egypt and Israel sign Camp David Accords
President Carter mediated the Camp David Accords, a peace treaty between the leaders of Egypt and Israel. America had been involved because they had supported Israel. As a result, Egypt cut oil supply to America which greatly affected them economically as the price of oil increased drastically. In the treaty, Israel promised to give back captured land to Egypt, Egypt recognized Israel as a nation, and Egypt began supplying America with oil again. -
Muslim militants seize U.S. Embassy in Tehran
In Iran, muslim militants broke into the American Embassy and took everyone inside captive. President Carter reacted by refusing all demands Iran made until the hostages were given back. This was known as the Iranian hostage crisis. Carter failed to win back the captives, which led to Carter not being re-elected. The hostages were given back on the day President Reagan was inaugurated.
