The Watergate scandal of the early 1970s was a turning point in American political history, one that had far-reaching consequences for the nation's political landscape. At its heart, Watergate involved a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate complex in Washington D.C., which was traced back to President Richard Nixon's reelection campaign. How did this lead to the Watergate incident changing U.S. politics forever? Richard Milhous Nixon was born on January 9, 1913, in the township precinct of Yorba Linda, California, in a house built by his father on his family's lemon ranch. His parents were Francis A. Nixon and Hannah (Milhous) Nixon. Nixon's long political career began in 1947 when he was elected to …show more content…
This included the use of government agencies such as the FBI and CIA for political purposes, the payment of hush money to those who might reveal damaging information, and the creation of a secret fund to finance illegal operations. Watergate changed US politics forever by guiding us in a new era of transparency and accountability in government. Prior to Watergate, presidents enjoyed broad areas to operate with little oversight from Congress or the press. But after Watergate, Americans demanded greater accountability from their elected officials. As a result, a series of reforms were enacted and designed to prevent similar abuses of power from occurring again. These include Campaign Finance reforms, Ethics rules, Expansion of Whistleblower Protections, and Increased Press Access. But what all happened during Watergate? In 1969, Richard Nixon took office. After 2 years, Nixon orders the installation of a secret taping system in the Oval Office. The “Plumbers” are hired to investigate the leaked publication of the Pentagon Papers. 1972, in mid-June, Five men are arrested after breaking into the Democratic National Committee Headquarters. Days later, the White House denied involvement in the break-in. The Watergate break-in trial finally began in 1973. In 1974, Richard Nixon finally resigned from …show more content…
This decision backfired, however, as the released tapes contained incriminating evidence linking Nixon to the cover-up efforts. The publication of these transcripts further eroded public trust in Nixon and increased calls for impeachment proceedings. •Although Nixon's speeches themselves didn't have a direct impact on the legal aspects of the Watergate trial, they significantly influenced the overall narrative around the scandal by either attempting to downplay its significance or defending his own involvement. As more information became available through hearings and investigative journalism, Nixon's denials and evasions were increasingly seen as misleading or outright false, fueling demands for