Watergate: A Legacy

Abstract

Watergate: A Legacy is a presentation that looks into the political and cultural history of the Watergate scandal from the early 1970s in the United States and how it led the House of Representatives to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Richard M. Nixon in 1973. This presentation was given at the University of Maryland Libraires' Living Democracy Symposium held on October 10, 2024, at the College Park campus. The presentation examines how President Nixon and his administration undermined democracy, truth, and the rule of law through their activities to cover up the Watergate break-in and how public officials such as Maryland Representative Lawrence J. Hogan, Sr., other members of the House Judiciary Committee, members of the Senate Watergate Committee, the FBI, and many others worked hard to uphold justice in order to preserve democracy and the welfare of the country. Throughout the presentation, documents from Lawrence Joseph Hogan, Sr. papers held at the University of Maryland Archives are highlighted to illustrate the political and cultural impact this historic event had upon the American people during an era of great social and political change.