Chapter 31— An Era of Protest & Change 1960—1980

Early Demands for Equality Main Idea: This Chapter discusses the rise of the counterculture and describes different protest movements that grew during the 1960s and 1970s, such as the women’s rights movement, the Chicano movement, and the environmental movement. Chapter 30 An Era of Protest & Change

Issues Discussed in this Chapter  Interaction with the Environment  Women in American Society  United States Immigration Policy

The Counterculture Rises  Counterculture— Those who belonged to a movement in the 1960s that upheld values different from the national mainstream culture.  The counterculture was rooted in the social and political events of the 1950s and continued the themes of the “Beat Movement” and “Civil Rights Movement” which challenged the traditional views held by society.  The conflict in Vietnam and the involvement of the United States also effected the counterculture.

The Counterculture Rises  Members of the counterculture valued spontaneity, youth, and freedom of expression.  Also known as “Hippies,” these people valued peace, love, and freedom.  The counterculture experimented with new styles of music, the recreational use of drugs, and freer attitudes toward sexual relationships eventually leading to the generation gap (the lack of understanding and communication between older and younger members of society).

Defining the Counterculture  Rock-n-roll of the 1950s shaped the counterculture generation of the 1960s.  The Beatles (a British rock band who toured the United States in 1964) and Bob Dylan defined a new era in music.  Music was used as a weapon to reject the policies of the government.

“ An Era of Protest & Change ” 1.What was the “Counterculture,” and what impact did it have on United States society? The counterculture was a movement among young people that challenged the traditional ideas and customs of society. It changed social and political boundaries and cultural values in the 1960s and 1970s.

 Historians refer to the women’s rights movement of the 1960s as the wave of feminism (the theory of political, social, and economic equality of both men and women). A Women’s Movement Arises

 The civil rights struggle prompted women to look at ways in which society judged and discriminated them as a group.  Betty Freidan— A leader in the feminist movement who wrote The Feminist Mystique (1963) which questioned the “is this all” life of a housewife, and organized the National Organization of Women.

A Women’s Movement Arises  Changes for women and the workforce did exist, but discrimination and the “glass ceiling” prevented many women from climbing the male-dominated corporate ladder.  Facing restrictions, women increasingly demanded equal treatment in the workplace./

A Voice for Women  National Organization of Women (NOW)— Women’s rights organization which dedicated itself to winning “true equality for all women” and to attaining “full and equal partnership of the sexes.”  NOW set out to break down the barriers of discrimination in the workplace and education.

A Voice for Women  Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)— A proposed amendment to the Constitution that would guarantee gender equality under the law.  Some found NOW to be too moderate and rallied behind Gloria Steinem (radical feminist and founder of Ms. magazine to promote radical feminist ideals).

A Voice for Women

 Many Americans, both men and women, began to challenge the women’s movement as too radical.  Phyllis Schlafly— A conservative political activist who denounced women’s liberation as “a total assault on the family, on marriage, and on children” and worked to defeat ERA.

Lasting Effects of the Women’s Movement  Women eventually used the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to gain legal protection.  Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)— Created to enforce the federal prohibition on job discrimination.  The Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974 made it illegal to deny women credit due to gender.

“ An Era of Protest & Change ” 2.What led to the rise of the modern Women’s Rights movement, and what was its impact on society in the United States? The civil rights movement and earlier women’s suffrage movement inspired the women’s movement. Women gained legal rights and more rights and protections in the workplace.

Lasting Effects of the Women’s Movement  Roe v. Wade (1973)— Supreme Court ruling which assured women the right to legal abortions.  Feminists considered this their most important victory.

The Rights Revolution Expands  Success in the civil rights and women’s rights movement signaled a growing rights revolution by the mid-1960s and 1970s.  Latinos (citizens and immigrants from Central and South America) and Native Americans engaged in their own struggle for equality fighting to influence laws and government.

The Rights Revolution Expands  Following World War I, the United States began limiting immigration throughout the 1920s.  Following the start of World War II, the United States faced a growing demand for cheap labor while jobs began to disappear in many nations in Latin America.  Both factors began a steady stream of new immigrants to the United States./

The Rights Revolution Expands  Cesar Chavez— Latino activist who fought for farm laborers and organized the United Farm Workers (UFW) which was committed to non-violent tactics and helped win collective bargaining in 1975 for California farm growers.

Native Americans Push for Equality  Native Americans had a long history of discrimination and suffered high poverty, unemployment, and suicide.  American Indian Movement— Organization formed to 1968 to help Indians in urban areas and then shifted to land reform, legal rights, and self-government for Native Americans.

“ An Era of Protest & Change ” (p. 1) 3.How did rights in the 1960s and 1970s expand for the diverse groups of Americans? Migrant workers won collective bargaining rights in some states. Latinos worked to gain better political representation. Native Americans fought to secure legal rights and regain land.

Consumer Advocacy  During the Progressive Era, reformers had pushed for measures to protect the consumer (e.g. Pure Food & Drug Act of 1906).  Ralph Nader— Lawyer and consumer advocate who pushed for government intervention in the automobile industry and workplace environment.

The Environmental Movement  The Environmental Movement began in the 1960s as a movement focused on the idea of a clean and safe environment.  Rachel Carson— Writer of the famous work Silent Spring (1962) which described the deadly impact that pesticides were having on birds and other animals.

The Environmental Movement  The book raised public awareness of that human activities were harming the environment and humans, as well.  The awareness also called for action at the state and federal level to increase its role in environmental issues.

The Environmental Movement  Toxic Waste— A poisonous byproduct of human activity (e.g. smog, acid rain, etc.).  The movement also led to the nationwide protest of toxic waste and pesticides (e.g. DDT) known as Earth Day (An April 22, 1970 event in which 20 million Americans took part to bring awareness to environmental concerns).

The Environmental Movement  President Nixon’s Presidency was considered the first environmental president as he helped create reforms in the early 1970s.  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)— Federal agency created in 1970 which was to protect the “entire ecological chain” and south to limit or eliminate pollutants that poised a risk to the public’s health.

The Environmental Movement  Clean Air Act of 1970— Combated air pollution by limiting the emissions from factories and automobiles.  Clean Water Act of 1973— Sought to limit the pollution in water by industry and agriculture.  Endangered Species Act of 1973— Promoted the protection of endangered species and plants.

The Environmental Movement

 On March 28, 1979, the core of the nuclear power plant at Three Mile Island began to melt the reactor, but was contained.  Fearful of another disaster, the majority of Americans favored a moratorium on the construction of nuclear reactors (even in the face of energy shortages).

The Environmental Movement  Despite attempts to clean up the environment with more regulation and limits on industry, there was stiff opposition to the movement.  As the 1970s came to a close, Americans remained divided about the role of government in regulating industry and protecting the environment.

“ An Era of Protest & Change ” (p. 1) 4.What forces gave rise to the Environmental Movement, and what impact did it have? Research published in Silent Spring, accidents caused by environmental problems, and awareness events such as Earth Day gave rise to the environmental movement, and led to widespread popular support for protecting the environment.

“ An Era of Protest & Change ” (p. 1) 5.What underlying problem in American society did the “rights movements” of the 1960s and 1970s address? Each of the “rights movements” addressed issues involving the legal and social inequality of the era.