The Hostages' Release

The Iran Hostage Crisis had constant media coverage which featured yellow ribbons showing the support for the American hostages and footage of Iranian mobs. This crisis was heavily televised. The presidential election was happening at the same time as all this media coverage which did not help Carter to get re-elected. As Carter's adviser put it, "Because people felt that Carter had not been tough enough in foreign policy, this kind of symbolized for them that  a bunch of Iranian students could seize Americans and hold them prisoner and thumb their nose at the United States."

President Carter went up against Republican candidate, Ronald Reagan won by a landslide

Finally, in September, Khomeini's government decided it was time to end the matter. There was nothing more to be gained and the trade limits America had put on Iran had continued to hurt the Iranian economy. Carter tried to get the hostages home before the end of his term but it did not work. The Iranians released the American hostages minutes after Reagan was inaugurated and became President on January 21, 1981.

On January 21, 1981, now-former President Carter went to Germany to meet the freed hostages on behalf of the new president. It was a difficult moment, fraught with emotion. A person recalled that Carter "looked as old and tired as I had ever seen him."

On your assignment document, answer questions #16-20