English 1050
Lambert
Multimedia Source Analysis Exercise:
"Watergate Spelled Out" Video:
https://youtu.be/So7TRdh6rpI
Your Name: Amalvin Fritz
Please write a response of one or more sentences in each box.
1. According to the video, who were the "Plumbers"?
A tight group of individuals within the Nixon Administration that were tasked with preventing
leaks of sensitive information to the public. They also broke into numerous offices and carried
out any activities necessary to ensure that Nixon won the 1972 re-election. This group had no
direct link to Nixon, but were associated with people that worked under Nixon. As seen in the
movie, Howard Hunt was a part of this group. This group also carried out the Watergate Scandal,
so they played a huge role in the collapse of the Nixon Administration.
2. Based on the information in the video, identify one factor that led to Nixon's re-election in
1972.
Based on the video, one main factor that led to Nixon's re-election campaign was the destruction
of Edmund Muskie's campaign. This destruction was mostly a result of actions within the white
house at the time, including by the Plumbers. Having McGovern run instead of Muskie gave
Nixon a landslide victory. Nixon won the electoral college in every state except Massachusetts
and won the re-election that he had been working for during his time as president. So a factor
that led to Nixion's re-election was the collapse of the Muskie campaign caused by the plumbers
and other organizations within the White House.
3. Based on the information in the video, identify one factor that led to Nixon's resignation from
office in 1974.
One factor that contributed to Nixon's resignation from the office in 1974 was the release of the
tape recordings recorded on a secret tape recorder hidden in the oval office. These tapes proved
the corruption of the Nixon administration and exposed the involvement of the president in the
Watergate Scandal. When these tapes were released to the public, support for Nixon from both
the Congress and the people quickly dwindled. Eventually, the House of Representatives
recommended impeachment and the process was about to commence when in August of 1974,
Nixon announced his resignation from the office of president.
