1960s Student Movements, Environmental and Political Activism

Student for a Democratic Society (SDS)

A student activist organization in the 1960s that promoted participatory democracy and protested the Vietnam War.

New Left

A movement in the 1960s focused on civil rights, antiwar activism, and social reform, differing from traditional labor-focused liberalism.

Free Speech Movement

A student protest movement at UC Berkeley demanding the right to engage in political speech on campus.

Democratic Convention

Refers to the 1968 Democratic National Convention, marked by protests and violent clashes between demonstrators and police.

Yippies

Members of the Youth International Party, a countercultural group known for theatrical protests and anti-establishment views.

Weather Underground

A radical left-wing group that used bombings and violent protest to oppose the Vietnam War and capitalism.

Counterculture

A movement rejecting mainstream American values, promoting peace, love, and alternative lifestyles.

Folk music

A genre of music associated with social protest and political activism in the 1960s.

Rock music

A popular music genre that became associated with youth culture and rebellion in the 1960s and 1970s.

Woodstock

A famous 1969 music festival symbolizing the peak of counterculture ideals.

Alfred Kinsey

A researcher who studied human sexuality and helped spark more open discussions about sexual behavior.

Sexual revolution

A movement in the 1960s-70s promoting more open attitudes toward sex, contraception, and gender roles.

Rachel Carson

An environmentalist whose work raised awareness about pollution and pesticides.

Silent Spring

A book by Rachel Carson exposing the dangers of pesticides like DDT.

Paul Ehrlich

A biologist who warned about overpopulation and resource depletion.

The Population Bomb

A book predicting widespread famine due to rapid population growth.

Three Mile Island

The site of a 1979 nuclear accident in Pennsylvania, raising concerns about nuclear power safety.

Earth Day

An annual event started in 1970 to promote environmental protection.

Earthrise

A famous photograph of Earth taken from space that increased environmental awareness.

Wilderness Act

A 1964 law protecting large areas of federal land from development.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

A federal agency created to regulate pollution and protect the environment.

Clean Air Act

Legislation aimed at reducing air pollution and regulating emissions.

Clean Water Act

A law focused on reducing water pollution and ensuring safe water quality.

Superfund Act

A law providing funds to clean up hazardous waste sites.

Endangered Species Act

A law protecting threatened and endangered species and their habitats.

Emissions

Pollutants released into the air, often from industrial or vehicle sources.

Greenhouse gases

Gases like carbon dioxide that trap heat in the atmosphere and contribute to global warming.

Climate change

Long-term changes in Earth's climate, largely due to human activities.

Antinuclear movement

A movement opposing nuclear weapons and nuclear power due to safety and environmental concerns.

Richard Nixon

U.S. president (1969-1974) known for détente, opening China relations, and the Watergate scandal.

Silent majority

Nixon's term for Americans who supported his policies but did not publicly protest.

Southern strategy

A Republican political strategy to gain support in the South by appealing to white voters.

Watergate

A political scandal involving a break-in and cover-up that led to Nixon's resignation.

Plumbers

A secret White House unit created to stop leaks of classified information.

Impeachment

The process by which a government official is formally accused of wrongdoing.

Gerald Ford

Vice president who became president after Nixon resigned; pardoned Nixon.

Jimmy Carter

President (1977-1981) known for human rights policies and economic struggles.

Imperial presidency

The idea that the president has become too powerful, especially in foreign policy.

National malaise

A term associated with Carter describing widespread public dissatisfaction.

Burger Court

The Supreme Court under Chief Justice Warren Burger, known for some conservative shifts but also key liberal rulings.

United States v. Nixon

A Supreme Court case that forced Nixon to release Watergate tapes.

Roe v. Wade

A Supreme Court case that legalized abortion nationwide.

Televangelists

Religious leaders who gained large audiences through television broadcasts.

Moral Majority

A conservative Christian political organization founded by Jerry Falwell.

Religious fundamentalism

A belief in strict adherence to traditional religious doctrines.

Think tanks

Organizations that conduct research and provide policy ideas.

Reverse discrimination

Claims that policies like affirmative action unfairly disadvantage majority groups.

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke

A Supreme Court case that limited affirmative action but allowed race as one factor in admissions.

Proposition 13

A California law that cut property taxes and limited future increases.

Arthur Laffer

An economist known for the Laffer Curve, arguing lower taxes can increase revenue.