TIME Covers Watergate

Aug. 19, 1974: The Healing Begins
It was the first time in American history that a President had resigned his office. The precedent was melancholy, but it was hardly traumatic. All of the damage had been done before in the seemingly interminable spectacle of high officials marched through courtrooms, in the recitation of burglaries, crooked campaign contributions and bribes, enemies lists, powers abused, subpoenas ignored, above all, in the ugly but mesmerizing suspense as the investigations drew closer and closer to the Oval Office.
From: Time for Healing, Aug. 19, 1974

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