1. America’s History Seventh Edition
James A. Henretta
Rebecca Edwards
Robert O. Self
America’s History Seventh Edition
CHAPTER 29
The Search for Order in an Era of Limits,
Copyright © 2011 by Bedford/St. Martin’s

2. I. An Era of Limits-1970s
Energy Crisis –showed for the first time US heavy dependence on foreign oil
1. OPEC-1960 Cartel of oil producing countries-control oil supply and prices from middle east
2. Conflict in the Middle East-US helps Israel in their 1973 war with Egypt and Syria-OPEC declares oil embargo on US-causing shortages and 40% increase in cost-oil becomes political weapon-Congress passes 55 mph speed limit law-Americans bought foreign fuel efficient cars Detroit damaged price of basic goods go up-inflation
An Era of Limits (Early 1970s every major economic indicator was negative: employment, productivity, growth.)
Energy Crisis
OPEC – by 1970s U.S. heavily dependent on oil imports from the Persian Gulf; American and European companies had discovered and developed the oil in the early 20th century; profit-sharing agreements existed between foreign companies and Persian Gulf nations; Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) formed 1960.
Conflict in the Middle East – conflict between Israel and neighbors Egypt, Syria, Jordan; 1973 Yom Kippur War: Egypt and Syria invaded Israel, Israel won with aid from the U.S.; OPEC declared oil embargo against U.S. in Oct. 1973; Congress created speed limit to conserve fuel; sales of American “gas guzzlers” fell, while sales of small cars increased (Toyotas, Volkswagens, Datsuns/Nissans). 2

4. I. An Era of Limits
B. Environmentalism-began in progressive era Renewed interest after energy crisis 1. Silent Spring-Rachel Carson-muckraker-DDT 2. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA)-bipartisan supported by Nixon(Nixon and Carter best environmental presidents)-p921 led to other regulatory laws ex. Clean Air Act 3. Nuclear Power-clean, efficient,no pollution but possibility of toxic waste and reactor meltdown(Three Mile Island 1979)PA
An Era of Limits (Early 1970s every major economic indicator was negative: employment, productivity, growth.)
Environmentalism
Silent Spring – published by Rachael Carson (biologist) in 1962; analysis of the impact of pesticides on the food chain; first Earth Day, April 22, 1970.
Environmental Protection Agency – National Environmental Policy Act (1970) created the EPA; Clean Air Act (1970), Occupational Health and Safety Act (1970), Water Pollution Act (1972), Endangered Species Act (1973); while Time questioned if this movement could unite the populace, by the 1980s it had become a divisive issue.
Nuclear Power – initially viewed as an alternative to coal and/or oil; environmentalists cautioned the catastrophic ramifications of a meltdown, including radioactive wastes; meltdown at Three Mile Island (Harrisburg, PA, March 1979) led to 100,000 people fleeing their homes.

5. Have your students consider this image and the following image together.
1. What social movement is evidenced by these two photographs?
(Answer: environmentalism)
2. What reaction was sought by publishing a photograph of a family and their trash?
(Answer: environmentalists hoped to encourage Americans to consume less and subsequently produce less waste; the pile is reflective of what a typical-sized family was capable of throwing away in a year if they were not conscious of their impact on the earth.)

6. Have your students consider this image and the previous image together.
1. What social movement is evidenced by these two photographs?
(Answer: environmentalism)
2. What reaction was sought by publishing a photograph of a family and their trash?
(Answer: environmentalists hoped to encourage Americans to consume less and subsequently produce less waste; the pile is reflective of what a typical-sized family was capable of throwing away in a year if they were not conscious of their impact on the earth.)

7. I. An Era of Limits
Economic Transformation-Govt spending on Vietnam and Great Society created a budget deficit-economy in 70s began change from industrial to service p924 continues today
1. Stagflation-unemployment+inflation
2. Deindustrialization-factory closings(steel hardest hit) due to increased foreign competition caused Rust Belt-effect see map and table 29.1
3. Organized Labor in Decline-went from higher wages to keeping jobs
4. Urban Crisis Revisited-population moves to suburbs
5. Tax Revolt and Economic Inequality
An Era of Limits
Economic Transformation
Stagflation – combination of unemployment and inflation; prices rose in a stagnant economy; decline in standard of living for most Americans; income per worker fell 18% in period ; none of the three presidents in this period were able to successfully combat the problem.
Deindustrialization – steel industry worst hit by economic problems as foreign steel flooded U.S. market; economic transformation in this era stripped the nation of its industrial base (manufacturing industries declined significantly).
Organized Labor in Decline – blue-collar workers faced unemployment and fell below the middle class; number of strikes increased but with few results; union membership declined.
Urban Crisis Revisited – flight by the middle class out of the cities continued; nearly every major U.S. city faced economic hardship during the 1970s – worst was New York; federal government loaned the city of NY money and banks provided a three-year moratorium on the city’s debt repayment; services were cut, wages frozen, workers lost jobs; suburb-to-suburb commuting for work became increasingly common.
Tax Revolt and Economic Inequality – “tax revolt”: reversal of postwar spirit of public investment; real estate prices and property tax rates increased dramatically; in California, “Proposition 13”: rolled back property taxes, capped future increases, and required a two-thirds majority for tax measures in the state legislature.

10. I. An Era of Limits
Politics in Flux, Gerald Ford could not end inflation-pardoned Nixon to “spare country” a rerun of Watergate-was highly criticized
1. Watergate Babies
2. Political Realignment
3. Jimmy Carter: The Outsider as President-Christian, peanut farmer, Governor of Georgia elected 1976-deregulated the transportation industry-p930
An Era of Limits
Politics in Flux,
Watergate Babies – President Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon, angering many Americans; 1974 midterm elections in November brought 75 new Democratic members to Congress; press called them “Watergate babies” because many were under 45; eliminated HUAC, reduced number of votes needed for a filibuster from 67 to 60, passed Ethics in Government Act (1978) to force candidates to disclose financial contributions; post-Watergate, government became more transparent but also less efficient and more susceptible to special interests.
Political Realignment – in spite of Watergate, conservatism continued to gain popularity with the general public; political power shifting to West and South; states with historically strong unions (NY, MI, IL) lost power with deindustrialization; CA, FL, TX gained power.
Jimmy Carter: The Outsider as President – former governor of Georgia; pledged to restore “morality” to the White House; won 50% of popular vote, Ford 48%; poor relations with Congress; inexperienced advisors; did not effectively manage economic problems; Iranian Revolution drove gas prices up and lowered Carter’s approval rating below 30%.

11. II. Reform and Reaction in the 1970s
Civil Rights in a New Era
1. Affirmative Action-hiring minorities to counteract years of discrimination-whites called it “reverse discrimination” p933see Bakke vs California
2. Busing-most divisive issue in education in the 70s p933 try to desegregate schools in the North
The Women’s Movement and Gay Rights
1. Women’s Liberation-related in activism to the civil rights movement-became focused on womens bodies-ex abortion rights p934
2. Equal Rights Amendment-ERA-never ratified because of backlash
3. Roe v. Wade-built on “right of privacy”1965 birth control decision(Griswold vs. Conn.) Supreme Court ruling-most polarizing of 1970s Supreme Court decisions-still is p938-inspired protests by evangelicals and Catholics 1973
4. Harvey Milk-openly gay in SF-killed along with mayor by twinkie addicted homophobe
Reform and Reaction in the 1970s
Civil Rights in a New Era
Affirmative Action – procedures meant to account for the historically disadvantaged position of minority groups (work, education); many white Americans felt such measures unfairly created a disadvantage for otherwise qualified whites; 1978 Allan Bakke (white) sued University of California at Davis Medical School for rejecting him in favor of less-qualified minority candidates using a quota system; Supreme Court ruled in Bakke’s favor, but ordered that a more flexible affirmative action program would be acceptable; 1996 California passed Proposition 209 to keep public institutions from using affirmative action to increase diversity in workplaces and education.
Busing – efforts increased in early 1970s to ensure public schools were desegregated; Supreme Court ruled in 1971 that busing plans had to remain within a school district.
The Women’s Movement and Gay Rights
Women’s Liberation – early 1970s saw rise of women’s centers, women-run child care centers, feminist art and poetry movement; challenges to admission polices of all-male colleges (Yale, Columbia); study of women’s history and women’s studies; publication of Our Bodies, Ourselves inspired a growing women’s health movement; anti-rape movement.
Equal Rights Amendment – “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on the basis of sex”; first proposed in 1923; Phyllis Schlafly, lawyer and conservative activist, argued that ERA would create a “unisex society”; ERA failed.
Roe v. Wade – activists pursued legislative and judicial measure to gain abortion rights; 1973 ruling struck down a Texas law that prohibited abortion for any reason; now first trimester abortions were legal; an increasingly polarizing issue.
Harvey Milk – gay rights ordinances increased in American cities throughout the 1970s, as did conservative movement against gay rights; Milk ran as an openly gay candidate for city supervisor (council) in San Francisco twice unsuccessfully before winning a seat in 1977; helped win passage of a gay rights ordinance in the city; assassinated with the mayor by George Moscone.

13. II. Reform and Reaction in the 1970s
The Supreme Court and the Rights Revolution
1. Law and Order and the Warren Court (seen as very liberal)-ruled in favor of the rights of the accused(ex.Miranda rights) also ruled that bible readings in schools violated the separation of church and state
2. The Burger Court-appointed by Nixon to be conservative however ruled in favor of abortion rights Roe vs Wade
Reform and Reaction in the 1970s
The Supreme Court and the Rights Revolution
Law and Order and the Warren Court – Earl Warren appointed by Eisenhower in 1953; court lasted ; right-wing activists accused the court of “legislating on the bench”; key rulings: Miranda v. Arizona (1966), arrestees must be informed by police of their right to remain silent; Roth v. United States (1957), obscene material had to be “without redeeming social importance” to be banned; critics blamed the court for rising crime rates.
The Burger Court – Nixon promised a more conservative court; appointed four judges, including new chief justice Warren Burger; conservatives thought the court would scale back liberal rulings, but it did not; instead remained centrist or confirmed previous liberal decisions; in 1986 ruled that sexual harassment violated the Civil Rights Act; 1986 court upheld Georgia sodomy statute that had criminalized same-sex sexual acts; this ruling stood until Lawrence v. Texas (2003), which recognized the right to sexual privacy.

14. III. The American Family on Trial
Working Families in the Age of Deindustrialization
1. Wage-earning Families-blue collar workers lost jobs or had pay cuts leading to the rise of working women p941
2. Workers in the National Spotlight-mass media spotlighted the problems of deindustrialization and the blue collar worker-SPRINGSTEEN!
The American Family on Trial
Working Families in the Age of Deindustrialization
Wage-earning Families – divorce rate doubled; Americans believed in the concept of the “family wage” (husband’s earnings being enough to support a family) but after 1973 this was a luxury few had; increasingly families required two incomes.
Workers in the National Spotlight – 1970s saw an increase in plant closings and strikes; television shows in the mid-70s reflected blue-collar “blues”: All in the Family, The Waltons, Good Times, Welcome Back Kotter, Sanford and Son; voices from the music industry heard voices of blue-collar America: Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Paycheck, John Cougar (Mellencamp). 14

16. III. The American Family on Trial
Navigating the Sexual Revolution
1. Changing Attitudes Toward Sex-”the sexual revolution-birth control feminism”
2. Sex and Popular Culture-mass market books about sex-popular-Hollywood movie ratings
3. Middle-Class Marriage-divorce rate doubled between
The American Family on Trial
Navigating the Sexual Revolution
Changing Attitudes Toward Sex – since 1920s Americans had viewed sex as a component of personal happiness; this perspective continued to flourish 1940s-1960s with Kinsey studies; sex before marriage more acceptable in 1960s; birth control, counterculture, feminism all impacted Americans’ views of sex; 6 million+ women were on the “pill” by 1965.
Sex and Popular Culture – evidence of public discussion of sex in mass-market books: Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex, Human Sexual Response, The Joy of Sex; films: Midnight Cowboy (1969), Carnal Knowledge (1971), Shampoo (1974); TV: Charlie’s Angels, Three’s Company, The Love Boat.
Middle-Class Marriage – therapeutic industry developed to deal with strains and stresses within marriages.

17. III. The American Family on Trial
Religion in the 1970s: The Fourth Great Awakening
1. Evangelical Resurgence-”born agains” a backlash of permissive 70s they were anti-feminism, counterculture, sexual freedom, homosexuality, pornography ,divorce, and abortion-Televangelists
2. Religion and Family-primary concern of evangelicals-wanted “traditional” family structures-no sex ed in schools!
The American Family on Trial
Religion in the 1970s: The Fourth Great Awakening
Evangelical Resurgence – emphasis on personal salvation or being “born again,” literal interpretation of the Bible, death and resurrection of Jesus as the central message of Christianity; Rev. Billy Graham had risen to fame in late 1940s with a radio show and tent revivals; week crusade in NYC; Fourth Great Awakening: signs of moral decay in America included feminism, homosexuality, divorce, pornography, legalized abortion; evangelical church membership grew; “televangelists” created media empires through Christian broadcasting.
Religion and Family – evangelists focused on the nuclear family as the fundamental unit of society, organized along paternalist lines; Fascinating Womanhood by Helen B. Andelin sold more than 2 million copies and spawned a workshop of the same name; evangelical response to the women’s movement, which encouraged women to defer/submit to men.