President Gerald Ford Essay Example

Gerald Ford served as president without ever being voted into office; he prevailed as America's hope when there seemed to be no trust. Gerald R. Ford served as the 38th President of the United States of America. Ford received the presidency after former President Nixon resigned due to the Watergate Scandal. Before he served as President, he won congressman of Michigan in 1948. Gerald Ford ignited America’s hope after the Watergate scandal; he assisted in lowering inflation and avoided being assassinated twice while handling America's oil crisis. 

Gerald Ford made many domestic changes that helped rebuild America, but some Americans did not seem very happy about the changes made. President Ford chose to pardon former President Nixon for any crimes that may have been committed while in office. Allegations that Nixon extorted Ford's presidency later emerged. When Ford pardoned Richard Nixon, it prevailed as “A move that hung like a shadow over Ford’s long-standing reputation for integrity.” (A&E Television Networks April 2nd, 2014) The Ford administration experienced new problems on the rise with the high rate of inflation which he inherited from former President Nixon. Having this problem resulted in an economic meltdown and cost Americans jobs and raised the unemployment rate to nearly nine percent. Overall Americans did not have faith in President Ford until later on in his presidency.

Gerald Ford made lots of changes to the exterior of America that benefited the United States as a whole. In 1973 the United States, South Vietnam, Viet Cong, and North Vietnam signed the Paris Peace Agreement. This agreement “Restored peace in Vietnam.” This treaty did not last long and the war later resumed the same year. Outside of the US continual theft and an oil crisis caused problems for America. The oil crisis took place from the 1960s to the 1970s. This caused the overconsumption of oil for American citizens. After they realized this, Americans started relying on the Middle East to send over oil. At the time thirty-five percent of America’s oil continued to come from the Middle East. In 1974 the Middle East halted shipments of oil to the US in protest against former President Nixon. A year later a seizure of the Mayaquez took place. The Mayaguez stood as a container ship, and it prevailed most notable for its seizure during the mid-seventies. President Ford declared this as an act of piracy and sent naval services to take the ship back. America successfully took back the ship, but this resulted in forty-one casualties and fifty men wounded. Overall Ford controlled America's foreign perplexities and saved the United States during an oil crisis.

Gerald R. Ford acquired many accomplishments during his presidency and lifetime. Mr. Ford went on to serve as a representative of Michigan for twenty-five years until he served as vice President for Nixon. News reporters and investigators found out that Nixon spied on his democratic opponents during the election. This form of cheating is most commonly known as the Watergate Scandal. The country's trust in the government stood at an all-time low due to the Watergate Scandal ruining Nixon’s reputation. Nixon later resigned which caused Ford to be inaugurated into office. Ford pardoned Nixon, but this pardon that occurred developed into supposed blackmail. The blackmail stated that if he resigned and Ford received the presidency, Nixon would receive a pardon. Ford also served as one of the few presidents to survive not one but two assassination attempts while rebuilding America. As expressed Ford acquired many accomplishments throughout his presidency, living through 2 assassination attempts, and serving as the president of the United States of America. 

In an interview in 2006, Gerald Ford received a question about how he wished to be remembered. Mr. Ford said he wished to be remembered as a “healer and a builder.” As time progressed after Ford's presidency, citizens started to appreciate Ford's work during office. Only a third of Americans supported the pardon, ten years later that number changed to more than half. At the end of his interview, Gerald Ford gave some wisdom about the future of America. “He would want Americans to stop seeing our country as a divided patchwork of blue and red states and start defining it by the values we share at its core.” (A&E Television Networks April 2nd, 2014) That is what he would want his memory to be after his lifetime.