President Gerald Ford and his Foreign PoliciesKyle Condon, Caitlan Shaughnessy, Yash Aryaputra

Summary of Ford’s Administration-Coming into presidency, Ford had to deal with the aftermath of the Watergate Scandal, a failing economy, a war in Vietnam, and suspicions of American politicians by the public

-Worked his way up the House of Representatives under Lyndon B Johnson and became Nixon’s vice president after Spiro Agnew resigned following tax evasion accusations

-In his administration Ford had to deal with issues involving the Soviet Union, Vietnam, China, and gaining the trust of American people following the Watergate scandal

Dealing with Watergate Scandal-Scandal involving President Nixon and many of his cabinet in which Nixon knew that people connected to him broke into a Democratic HQ at the Watergate hotel during his re-election campaign

-Nixon resigned fearing impeachment giving Ford President role

-Ford pardoned Nixon of his crimes, fearing that a President being charged with a crime would stir up country and its people

Successes of his Foreign Policies-Signed Helsinki Accords starting to make a move toward Detente with the Soviet Union; brought together Eastern Communist countries and Western Democratic countries

- Ended U.S. involvement in Vietnam War before disaster after the North took over the South

- Saved American ship the Mayaguez from a Cambodian Communist group called the Khmer Rouge- Ford ordered a commando raid of the ship which proved American toughness to the world and also proved that the U.S. would fight back against Communist groups

Failures of his Foreign Policies -Allowed Communists to come to power all over Southeast Asia including Vietnam

-CIA went corrupt and the American people lost their trust in the CIA after Watergate showed that the CIA were involved in domestic affairs which was not part of its role

Themes and Takeaways from Ford Administration

-Ford underestimated the power of the Soviet Union- In a live televised Presidential Debate vs Jimmy Carter in 1976 when asked about the Soviet Union Ford said “"there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe, and there never will be under a Ford administration."

-Ford’s did not see the Soviets as a major threat despite the ongoing Cold War and it cost him his re-election in 1976, Ford’s always struggled with handling his foreign policy

-In his inauguration speech Ford said “Our Constitution works. Our great republic is a government of laws and not men.”

Works Cited"Gerald Ford." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.

"Gerald R. Ford." Gerald R. Ford. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.

"Miller Center." Miller Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.

Roper, Jon. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Presidents of America: An Authoritative History of the American Presidency, Shown in

More than 460 Photographs and Illustrations. Wigston, Leicestershire: Lorenz, 2012. Print.

US News. U.S.News & World Report, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.