All The President's Men / Watergate Scandal Guided Walking Tour & Dinner After
Details
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June 17 is the 44th anniversary (1972) of the Watergate break-in that brought down the Presidency of Richard Nixon. Remember the great movie “All the President’s Men” (nominated for 8 Academy Awards - and won 4) with Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman? Let’s take a guided walking tour past some of the actual sites associated with the Watergate break-in and learn more about the book and film "All The President's Men."
See the original film trailer on the link below:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuaYh9_ZK1U
Please note, a video crew from Yelp will potentially be on hand to film a portion of the tour:
https://www.yelp.com/biz/washington-dc-history-and-culture-washington-2
What You Learn
What exactly was the Watergate scandal?
Why did a “third rate burglary” take place, and how were the perpetrators actually caught?
Why is Watergate considered the “biggest political scandal” and the “greatest detective story” in American history?
Who was “Deep Throat” and where is the world’s most infamous parking garage?
Is the film “All the President’s Men” an accurate portrayal of what took place here in Washington, DC?
What were the political, social, and personal consequences of Watergate?
Logistics
Our walking tour will cover approximately two miles over two and a half hours. We’ll be entering several portions of the Watergate complex during our tour. Unfortunately we won’t be seeing the exact office where the actual break-in took place as that specific area has since been completely renovated and is not open to the public. Our tour will conclude atop the Kennedy Center terrace – where we’ll see one of the most spectacular views in Washington, DC.
If you are so inclined feel free to check out “All the President’s Men” on video before or after our tour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHgmSYZtUls
Watergate
The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal that occurred in the United States in the 1970s as a result of the June 17, 1972, break-in at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement. When the conspiracy was discovered and investigated by the U.S. Congress, the Nixon administration's resistance to its probes led to a constitutional crisis. The term Watergate has come to encompass an array of clandestine and often illegal activities undertaken by members of the Nixon administration. Those activities included such "dirty tricks" as bugging the offices of political opponents and people of whom Nixon or his officials were suspicious. Nixon and his close aides ordered harassment of activist groups and political figures, using the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The scandal led to the discovery of multiple abuses of power by the Nixon administration, articles of impeachment, and the resignation of Richard Nixon, the President of the United States. The scandal also resulted in the indictment of 69 people, with trials or pleas resulting in 48 being found guilty and incarcerated, many of whom were Nixon's top administration officials.
The affair began with the arrest of five men for breaking and entering into the DNC headquarters at the Watergate complex on June 17, 1972. The FBI connected cash found on the burglars to a slush fund used by the Committee for the Re-Election of the President (CRP), the official organization of Nixon's campaign. In July 1973, as evidence mounted against the President's staff, including testimony provided by former staff members in an investigation conducted by the Senate Watergate Committee, it was revealed that President Nixon had a tape-recording system in his offices and that he had recorded many conversations. After a protracted series of bitter court battles, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the president had to hand over the tapes to government investigators; he eventually complied. Recordings from these tapes implicated the president, revealing he had attempted to cover up the questionable goings-on that had taken place after the break-in. Facing near-certain impeachment in the House of Representatives and equally certain conviction by the Senate, Nixon resigned the presidency on August 9, 1974. On September 8, 1974, his successor, Gerald Ford, pardoned him.
The name "Watergate" and the suffix "-gate" have since become synonymous with political scandals in the United States and in other English- and non-English-speaking nations.
Event Information
Weather: The event will take place light rain or shine and we’ll be indoors for a portion of the evening. If it’s on the calendar then we’re proceeding as planned.
Metro Station: Foggy Bottom
Parking: There is limited paid parking throughout the area – however, please note metered time limits, which are often only 1 or 2 hours.
Meeting Point: Outside of the Foggy Bottom Metro station – street level.
Timeliness: Please be on-time or even early. We’ll begin 5 minutes after the posted event start time with our traditional group "icebreaker" introductions. After departing Foggy Bottom we’ll walk to the Watergate complex, and then later to the Kennedy Center terrace for one of the most spectacular views in Washington, DC.
Ending Point: After our tour ends at the Kennedy Center we’ll either walk or take the free shuttle back to the Foggy Bottom Metro station.
Post-Event: Optional socializing/discussion afterwards at TBD inexpensive/moderate priced location in Foggy Bottom - additional expense on your own.
Registration: The cost is $10.00 per person with proceeds going to support our programs – including 20% towards our Fall 2016 scholarship program. The registration fee also helps reduce the number of people that RSVP and then “no show.” The registration fee is 100% refundable if the event is cancelled or rescheduled, if a member cancels their RSVP at last 7 days beforehand, or if a member attends the event and is not completely satisfied with their experience (although we’ve never had a single refund request).
Miscellaneous: We’ll be entering several portions of the Watergate complex during our tour. Unfortunately we won’t be seeing the exact office where the actual break-in took place as that specific area has since been completely renovated and is not open to the public.
Please note, a video crew from Yelp will potentially be on hand to film a portion of the tour:
https://www.yelp.com/biz/washington-dc-history-and-culture-washington-2
Additional Questions: Anything that can’t be answered by the above event description, Google, or common sense please let me know.
Meet People * See Places * Learn Things * Have Fun!
Washington, DC History & Culture
“Bringing people together to experience the history and culture of Washington, DC”
We look forward to seeing you. Thanks!
Robert Kelleman
202-821-6325
All The President's Men / Watergate Scandal Guided Walking Tour & Dinner After