Richard M. Nixon :: essays research papers

Richard M. NixonRichard Milhous Nixon came from a family with a strong heritage. Hisfathers side of the family were Methodists originally from Scot territory. Then, inthe untimely 1600s, they migrated to Ireland, and to America in the 1730s. Hisgrandfather, George Nixon, died in the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil war.Richards father, crude(a) Nixon, was born in Ohio. His mother died when he wasonly 7, and he left home when he was only 14. He went from town to town doingodd jobs and eventually made his way to California where he met his future wife,Hannah.Nixons mothers side of the family was originally from Germany. Theythen migrated to England rough 1688, where they became Quakers. From Englandthey migrated to Ireland, and from Ireland to America. During the civil war theywere part of the underground railroad. Richards mother, Hannah Milhous, wasborn in Indiana, but her family moved and she grew up in Whittier, California,where she met Frank Nixon. They fell in love at fi rst sight, and were marriedfour months later in June 1908. Frank converted to Quakerism.Frank and Hannahs first son, Harold, was born in 1909, only a yearafter they were wed. In 1908, Frank bought a lemon ranch in Yorba Linda, CA, andbuilt a small house there. Then, on January 9, 1913, Richard Milhous Nixon wasborn in that very house. Hannah and Frank would have three more children Donald(born in 1914), Arthur (born in 1918), and Edward (born in 1930).The Nixon family lived on the edge of poverty. The lemon ranch didntmake enough money to provide for the family of seven, so Frank started doing oddjobs (namely building houses) AND ran the lemon ranch to provide for his family.In 1922, the Nixons moved back to Whittier, and things took a turn for thebetter. Frank bought a plot of land and built a gas station and a general storeon it. Business was good, but it took much work to keep the store running. The all told family worked hard at the store and the children worked hard at school.B ut tragedy struck in 1925. Arthur died.Richard was always a serious child. By the age of six, he was alreadyreading the newspaper and talking politics with his father. He was a good publicspeaker, and by junior high school, he was a overlord debater. He tried hishardest to get the best grades in school. In 1926, he entered high school. Hewas very busy. He did his schoolwork, he studied, he helped with the store, he