Watergate and Herblock

Herbert Block was a powerful political cartoonist for the Washington Post from 1946 until 2001. Herblock, Block’s pen name, covered many political issues during his tenure but none more notorious than his coverage of the Watergate affair. With full discretion to criticize at any length, Herblock’s take on the Washington scandal and cover up held nothing back.
When examining the Herblock cartoons, there is no lack of symbolism. Each item in the drawing is carefully placed with purpose and meaning. The Watergate cartoons depict a greedy and angry President Nixon with strong facial features and a protruding nose. This serves to not only enhance a physical feature but to, no doubt, also symbolize the Pinocchio effect of Nixon’s lies and cover-up. Some may say Block occasionally went too far with his obvious dislike of Nixon. However, Block refused to back down not resting until the scandal eventually ruined the President.
Herblock cartoons can be a valuable resource for teachers to use when covering the scandal with students. First, cartoons can be engaging and visual for some students. Second, symbolism is a difficult concept for many students. By using political cartoons, history teachers can help students practice the skill.
The following activity analyzes a Herblock cartoon and gives students the opportunity to relate the Watergate scandal to America today.

Student Activity

Oral History: 1968

The oral histories contained in the site, The Whole Word was Watching: An Oral History of 1968, are an amazing glimpse into the 1960s. As a child born in the mid 1970s, the decade before me seems an anomaly. I really cannot connect with many of the ‘mysterious’ ways of that generation. My own mother, who graduated from high school in 1968, was sheltered from much of the chaos by her parents. She went off to college but quickly married and began having children. She never really experienced the 60’s lifestyle. I suppose that is why I do not understand much of the thinking behind the actions. While reading ‘Making a Revolution’ by an anonymous female interviewee, I really began to understand why many 60s young adults think they way they do. The big news stories of my life (attempted assassination of Reagan, end of Cold War, Challenger Disaster, 911) have impacted me and the way I think. It is hard to imagine having so many major political figures assassinated in such a small amount of time. I am beginning to see the 60s as a crossroads. In a way, it is Americas’ teenage years when she is trying to figure things out, find her identity.
This is an analogy teenage students today could understand. Perhaps teachers could use stories like this to get kids to really understand this era. I imagine an assignment where students connect what is happening in their own lives to the events of the 1960s in America or perhaps using the oral histories to write and perform hisotrical monologues. Regardless, this site is an example for oral history sites that can be constructed through a partnership between a high school and its community. Perhaps putting this together was the ultimate learning experience for those kids.