Best of History Web Sites

Nixon & Watergate

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Richard Nixon and Watergate Web Sites

Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
The website for the Nixon Library and Museum is a great place to start learning about the controversial 37^th President. The site has a detailed biography, beginning with Nixon’s childhood, following his political career, and looking at his life after the presidency. The virtual library contains documents, audio files, and many of the Nixon White House tapes. There are specific online exhibits focusing on Nixon’s trip to China, the 1973 December bombings in Vietnam, and the gifts Nixon received as Head of State. The teacher resources subsection has four lesson plans and many resources for instructors, while the kids’ site has some quick facts and essential speeches.

Watergate Exhibit Evidence
This subsection of the Nixon Presidential Museum site deserves separate mention due to its impressive collection of primary documents, audio files, oral histories, and contemporary video clips detailing the entire chronology of the Watergate scandal.

The Watergate Files
This comprehensive website form the Gerald R. Ford Library and Museum is a well organized chronicle of the Watergate scandal. Divided into five segments, the site gives a chronological narrative of the event, providing an overview, biographies, primary documents, and film reels for each time period.

American Public Radio – The Presidential Tapes – Richard Nixon
How important were taped conversations to the presidency of Richard Nixon? It’s almost a rhetorical question. This site utilizes White House tapes to take an in-depth look at three issues from Nixon’s time in the Oval Office - appointing William Rehnquist, bombing North Vietnam in 1972, and Watergate.

The Miller Center - Richard Nixon
The Miller Center at the University of Virginia provides an excellent overview of the life and presidency of Nixon. The essays on the Nixon administration detail his campaigns and elections, domestic affairs, foreign affairs, and his impact and legacy. Some primary sources and video files are included, but the site is mostly text based.

The Presidents – Richard M. Nixon
This companion site to PBS’ The Presidents documentary series provides an extended biography of the 37^th President, some primary sources from his presidency, and an interactive “vote on the issues” activity. The site also contains a link to the full documentary on Nixon, visible in either QuickTime or Real Player.

“I am Not a Crook”
These editorial cartoons from Herb Block and accompanying analysis tell the story of the Watergate scandal, including comments on secret taping and censorship. The cartoons serve as excellent primary sources as well as critical thinking exercises for students.

When Nixon Met Elvis
This interactive site from the National Archives uses letters, photos, and other documents to tell the behind the scenes story of the famous meeting between the President and the King of Rock ‘n Roll in 1970.

The Watergate Story
The Washington Post offers this chronology of the scandal that unraveled the presidency of Richard Nixon.Historical narrative, hyperlinked biographies, original articles by Woodward and Bernstein, and video combine to take users through the entire Watergate story, from the investigation’s original all the way to the revealing of Deep Throat’s identity. Additional links include editorial cartoons and multimedia.

Nixon’s China Game
From the PBS American Experience collection, this web site provides special features, maps, a timeline, and a teacher's guide to support the film, Nixon's China Game.