In 1913 in Yorba Linda, California, Nixon was born to working class parents who often struggled to make ends meet for their five children. As a result of his circumstances, he developed a sense of ambition that would follow him through his political career. At Whittier College, he found his passion in debating and soon became student body president. In 1940, after earning his law degree, he settled in California as an attorney and started a family. America’s entrance into WWII was fast approaching, and when it happened, Nixon served in the U.S. Navy.
Returning from the war, Nixon was elected to represent California in the House of Representatives in 1946. It was there that he became a leader of the anti-communism movement and jump started his political career. Notably, he served as a leader of the investigation of Alger Hiss, who was accused of being a Russian spy. By 1950, Nixon had gained a seat in the Senate, and as McCarthyism reached its height, he continued his attacks on communism. His reputation increased his popularity with conservatives, and at the age of 39, he ran as Eisenhower’s vice president in the 1952 election. During their campaign, Nixon was accused of the first scandal of his career. Denying allegations that he received gifts from lobbyists, he delivered his “Checkers” speech, in which he claimed that the only gift he ever accepted was a puppy named Checkers from his daughter. The speech proved a success, and Eisenhower won both the election of 1952 and 1956.
By 1960, Nixon had decided to run for president and won the Republican nomination. However, he lost one of the closest elections in history to Democratic candidate John F. Kennedy. Partially to blame for his loss was the growing role of television in voters’ lives, and Kennedy used this new medium to his advantage. Devastated and embarrassed, Nixon retreated to California where he resumed his duties as an attorney and failed his bid for governor of California in 1962. Denying that his political career was over and frustrated with the press, he told reporters that soon, “you won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore.”
In 1968, his words came true, and Richard Nixon became the 37th president of the United States. During the campaign, he won support with his claims that he had a plan to get the U.S. out of the Vietnam War. After taking office, he declared his plan of “peace with honor” and the strategy of Vietnamization, which entailed gradually removing U.S. troops from the war and training South Vietnam to take over in our absence. The removal of troops commenced, but by 1972, peace talks had stalled, and the U.S. began bombing North Vietnam. This led to a backlash in congress to end the war and stop U.S. involvement in Vietnam. After being re elected, Nixon finally reached a peace treaty with North Vietnam in 1973, five years after he promised peace. During his presidency, he also worked to reduce the tension between Communist China and the USSR, and his meeting with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev helped limit the production of nuclear weapons in the two countries.
However, very soon after his reelection, there was an investigation into a break-in in the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Hotel. While Nixon denied any involvement in the incident, tapes released from the White House revealed that he had tried to cover up the break in. In 1974, he resigned rather than be impeached, and was replaced by Vice President Gerald Ford. Nixon returned to his native California with his family and continued his career traveling, writing books on foreign policy, and consulting with various presidents. While he was pardoned of any criminal activity by Ford, and some view him favorably, many Americans still see him as a criminal.
Sources:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/richardnixon
http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/richard-m-nixon
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=3464
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