Origins of the 1960s Feminist Movement and Historical Context

Vocabulary flashcards covering the historical origins, key legislation, court cases, early texts, and Paper 1 OPCVL source analysis framework for the 1960s feminist movement in the United States.

Declaration of the Rights of Woman (1791)

A foundational text written by Olympe de Gouges pointing out that the French Revolution's Declaration of the Rights of Man excluded women, rewriting it to demand women's equality.

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman

An early feminist text authored by Mary Wollstonecraft addressing women's rights and educational equality.

On the Equality of the Sexes

An early feminist essay written by Judith Sargent Murray arguing for the intellectual and social equality of women.

Seneca Falls Convention (1848)

The first formal women's rights convention, held in Seneca Falls, New York, which rewrote the Declaration of Independence to state that "all men AND women are created equal" and demanded women's suffrage.

15th Amendment (1870)

Constitutional amendment granting citizens the right to vote regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude, which alienated and frustrated many suffragists because it excluded sex.

Susan B. Anthony's Illegal Vote (1872)

An act of civil disobedience in Rochester, New York, where Susan B. Anthony tested the 15th Amendment by voting, resulting in her arrest and national attention for women's suffrage.

Comstock Act (1873)

A federal law criminalizing the mailing of "obscene" materials, which included contraception and abortion-related items, severely limiting reproductive information and access.

Jeannette Rankin

The first woman elected to federal office in the United States, winning election to Congress from Montana on November 7, 1916, prior to the passage of national women's suffrage.

19th Amendment (1919)

Constitutional amendment prohibiting the United States and any state from denying voting rights on the basis of sex, representing the foremost victory of first-wave feminism.

Birth Control League (1921)

An organization founded by Margaret Sanger in New York City (later renamed Planned Parenthood) that opened clinics, conducted research, and lobbied for reproductive legal reform.

Enovid ("The Pill")

The first commercially produced oral contraceptive approved by the FDA in 1960, giving women reliable reproductive control to pursue higher education and careers.

Estelle Griswold

Executive director of Planned Parenthood in Connecticut who opened an illegal birth control clinic in New Haven in 1961, leading to her arrest and a landmark Supreme Court challenge.

Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)

A 7–2 Supreme Court decision authored by Justice Douglas ruling that the Constitution protects marital privacy, thereby invalidating state laws banning contraceptive use by married couples.

The Feminine Mystique (1963)

A book by Betty Friedan analyzing "the problem that has no name"—the widespread unhappiness of women confined to post-war suburban domesticity—which helped ignite second-wave feminism.

Equal Pay Act (1963)

Federal legislation making it illegal to pay men and women different wages for performing equal work, representing an early legal victory for second-wave workplace equality.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Federal legislation prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin; Title VII specifically provided legal protection against sex-based employment discrimination.

“Mother’s Little Helper” (1966)

A song by the Rolling Stones portraying a suburban housewife overwhelmed by domestic chores and child-rearing who relies on prescription pills to manage societal expectations.

NYC Women’s Strike for Equality (1970)

A nationwide march held on August 26, 1970, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, demanding free abortion on demand, equal employment and education opportunities, and free 24-hour childcare.

Eugenical Sterilization

State-sanctioned sterilization policies rooted in early 20th-century eugenics movements that targeted specific populations, examined alongside historical controversies surrounding reproductive rights.

OPCVL: Origin

A document analysis category determining who created the source, who the author was, and when and where it was produced and published.

OPCVL: Purpose

A document analysis category evaluating why a source was written, why it exists, why a specific format was chosen, and who its intended audience was.

OPCVL: Content

A document analysis category identifying what the source states and contextualizing its claims within historical events.

OPCVL: Value

A document analysis category examining how a source is useful for understanding an era, how it reflects historical circumstances, and what it reveals about author perspectives and controversies.

OPCVL: Limitation

A document analysis category identifying what parts of the historical narrative the source cannot provide, what the author intentionally omitted, and how its claims need verification.