Jimmy Carter's Watergate Scandal

1022 Words5 Pages
The election of Jimmy Carter as the 39th president of the United States started a new era in the United States government that everyone was looking forward to due to the recent Watergate Scandal. Many citizens saw Carter as the typical “self-made American” who worked his way up from the bottom due to his early life peanut farming. During his campaign he prided himself on “truth in the government” but as many presidents do during their terms, he did not quite live up to his word. Carter and his administration endured many blunders, which made the citizens of the U.S. question Carter’s credibility. It was his handling of the Iran hostage crisis, Panama Canal negotiations, and questionable Relations with the Soviet Union that truly made the people…show more content…
role in the Panama Canal. The role of the previous presidents played a crucial part in America’s usage of the canal, with Theodore Roosevelt negotiating to occupy the Panama Canal Zone in 1914 and Franklin Roosevelt dropping the right for U.S. citizens in Panamanian cities to be protected by the United States. President Carter, unlike many presidents before him, was not a very skilled negotiator. His body of representatives, which included no U.S. senators, was not very informed until the “Agreement in Principle” was signed with Panama. The treaty caused much opposition among the citizens so in return Carter reached out to former presidents for support and he also gave a series of fireside chats to the people. Secretary of State of Vance stated that the United States could defend the canal but Panama had other idea, claiming that after the treaty was past the U.S. would have no justifiable means to intervene in the protection of the canal. The “leadership amendment” finally past, which gave the U.S. the right to defend the canal, but only after a new amendment was agreed to by the Panama president which gave the U.S. to intervene. Even though Carter won treaty approval, it was still an embarrassing moment for him and thereafter the Republicans attacked him for being weak and “giving away the Panama…show more content…
With the new find of oil in 1909, the Iranians began dealing their oil with Britain until 1951, when Mohammad Mossadeqa, the new erratic new prime minister, threw them out. The United States government feared that a soviet takeover was only a matter of time. The United States took action in no time and through the Central Intelligence Agency, they staged an overthrow of the current Prime Minister and returned the Pahlavi dynasty back into power. The new leader, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlava was allowed back in power under the condition that 80 percent of Iran’s oil was transferred to British and American interests. The Shah’s compliance with this deal created an image of being a Western servant in the minds of many Iranians. As the years carried on the Shah became extremely oppressive against his own people. He dispatched a top-secret police agency that shuck fear into his people and he also outlawed opposing political groups. By the time Carter took office, the Shah was hated throughout all of Iran. A radical Islamic group led by Ayatollah Khomeini gained so much power that by 1979 they forced the Shah out of the country and made him turn over his power. As the Shah was rotting away in Mexico and deathly ill from cancer, President Carter granted him access to the United States in order to seek medical treatment. This truly ticked off Muslim fundamentalists in Iran and in November 1979 loyal
Show More
Related

  • Jimmy Carter 1980 Election Analysis

    1206 Words  | 5 Pages

    election of 1976, the people of the United States of America made the collective decision that they were not happy with the currently residing president, Gerald Ford, who came into office my a series of misfortune and scandals rather than direct election. Instead, the people elected Jimmy Carter to become the next president. This firmly sets the stage for the election of 1980. The voters obviously looked for someone to well represent their interests and views and they felt that they were not receiving

    Read More

  • Richard Nixon's Watergate Scandal

    850 Words  | 4 Pages

    came into being. This was a political organization who later was no longer existent. During his presidency he provided the country wirth acts, policies and improve relation with foreign countries. However, he was also involved in the known, ‘Watergate Scandal’. The president is considered to have Executive Privilege once they claim the executive branch. During the time Nixon was president, OPEC formed. They are a company who regulate and enforce gas prices. The fossil fuel during this time was very

    Read More

More about Jimmy Carter's Watergate Scandal

Open Document