Civil Rights and the Great Society Notes

Desegregation

  • Montgomery Bus Boycott:
    • Rosa Parks' arrest triggered the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
    • The boycott led to a Supreme Court decision.
  • University of Alabama:
    • Governor George Wallace's stance: "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever."

Election of 1960

  • New Frontier:
    • John F. Kennedy vs. Richard Nixon.
    • Kennedy's "peace corps" initiative.
  • Debate:
    • Kennedy's victory on TV due to appearance vs. Nixon's radio win.
  • Kennedy's Advantages:
    • Utilized family wealth.
    • Won by a narrow margin (1000 votes difference).
  • Greensboro Sit-ins:
    • Sit-in movement at lunch counters.
    • Successful non-violent protest tactic.
    • Led to arrests and repeated sit-ins.

Freedom Summer

  • Objective:
    • College students went to the South to help African Americans register to vote.
  • Context:
    • Mention of "Mississippi Burning" movie.

Civil Rights Figures

  • Jim Clark/Bull Connor:
    • Police officials known for their opposition to civil rights.
    • Involved in events in Selma and Birmingham.

Freedom Riders

  • CORE (Congress of Racial Equality):
    • Freedom Riders rode interstate buses into Southern states.
    • Aimed to challenge segregation.
  • Federal intervention:
    • Congress addressed the issue.

Malcolm X

  • Background:
    • Former criminal.
    • Leader in the Nation of Islam.
  • Ideology:
    • Belief in racial segregation.
  • Death:
    • Assassinated by the Nation of Islam.
    • The Nation of Islam still exists today.

March on Washington

  • "I Have a Dream" speech.

Black Panthers

  • Advocated for violence.

Kennedy's Assassination

  • Lyndon B. Johnson took over the presidency.
  • Lee Harvey Oswald shot Kennedy; Oswald was then shot by Ruby.

Johnson's Great Society

  • Overview:
    • Johnson implemented policies that Kennedy couldn't.
    • Shift from emphasis on the Cold War to domestic issues.
    • "War on Poverty."

Historical Context: Dawes Act and Other Events

  • 1887: Dawes Act passed.
  • 1889: Pan-American Congress.
  • Spanish American War:
    • Sinking of the Maine.
    • Annexation of Hawaii.
  • Hull House:
    • Founded in 1889.
  • 1890s:
    • Jim Crow laws passed.
    • Wounded Knee Massacre.

Civil Rights Legislation

  • 1. Civil Rights Act:
    • Initiated by Kennedy.
    • Made discrimination illegal.
  • 2. Voting Rights Act:
    • Aimed to protect black people's right to vote.
  • 3. 24th Amendment:
    • Abolished poll taxes.

Great Society Programs

  • 4. VISTA:
    • Volunteers in Service to America.
  • 5. Medicare:
    • Healthcare for the elderly.
  • 6. Medicaid:
    • Healthcare for the poor.
  • 7. HUD (Housing and Urban Development):
    • Housing development.
  • 8. Head Start:
    • Pre-school programs for poor children.

Impact of Vietnam War

  • Vietnam War hurt the Great Society financially.

Events of 1968

  • Chicago, the Tet Offensive, Olympics discrimination?

Women's Rights Movement in the 1960s-70s

  • A. Key Figures:
    • Betty Friedan wrote "The Feminine Mystique."
    • Gloria Steinem president.
  • B. NOW (National Organization for Women):
    • Feminist organization.
  • C. ERA (Equal Rights Amendment):
    • Failed to be ratified.
    • The concept of women's equal rights amendment.
  • D. Ms. Magazine:
    • Addressed sexism in sports.
  • E. Title IX:
    • Focused on equal funding for women in sports.
    • Signed by Nixon.
  • F. Phyllis Schlafly:
    • Against the women's rights movement.

Nixon Era

  • A. Gas Shortages:
    • National speed limit set at 55 mph.
  • B. Inflation:
    • Prices increased.
  • C. Watergate Scandal:
    • Break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters.
    • CREEP (Committee to Re-Elect the President).
    • Nixon's involvement in Watergate.
  • D. Spiro Agnew:
    • Nixon's vice president.
    • Resigned due to bribery charges.
  • E. Nixon's Resignation and Ford's Pardon:
    • Nixon resigned.
    • Ford pardoned Nixon.