American History: A Survey (Brinkley), 13th Edition

Chapter 30: THE CRISIS OF AUTHORITY

Primary Sources

1
Read the section of the text under the heading "The Watergate Crisis." All along, President Nixon had claimed that neither he nor any of his inner staff knew any of the details of the Watergate break-in. He also denied that he had been involved in any cover-up. Through July 1974, the evidence against Nixon was circumstantial or based on contradictory testimony. Although the pressure for his removal at that time was strong, the president still had many defenders. Then in August, Nixon was forced to release the tapes that are excerpted below. They cover conversations of June 23, 1972, only six days after the break-in. Read the excerpts, and consider these questions: Were these tapes necessary for Nixon's impeachment, or was there adequate evidence without them? What do the conversations reveal about the casual manner in which Nixon and Haldeman used federal agencies for political purposes?

The Nixon Tapes

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