8.11 Expansion of Civil Rights Movements (1960-1980)

Women's Movement

• Historical Context:
  • Women have strived for equality since the beginning of the U.S.
  • Key milestones:
    • Seneca Falls Convention (19th century).
    • Women's suffrage (early 20th century).
• Post-World War II Discontent:
  • Despite contributions during both World Wars, women lacked equality.
  • 1950s cultural norms confined women to the home, prioritizing their husband's and children's needs.
• The Feminine Mystique:
  • Betty Friedan's 1963 book challenged the notion that women were content with domestic life.
  • Friedan's research highlighted the boredom and dissatisfaction of suburban housewives.
  • The book questioned the cultural assumption that women were not interested in work, education, or politics.
  • By 1964, it sold over a million copies.
• National Organization for Women (NOW):
  • Founded in 1966 with Betty Friedan's involvement.
  • Advocated for women's rights using civil rights movement tactics.
  • Aimed to achieve equal opportunity and pay for women in careers.
• Ms. Magazine:
  • Created by Gloria Steinem as another significant publication for women's rights.
• Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972:
  • Banned gender discrimination in education.
  • Significantly impacted funding for women's sports teams at high school and college levels.
• Equal Rights Amendment (ERA):
  • Sought to add a constitutional amendment preventing discrimination based on sex.
• Opposition to ERA:
  • Phyllis Schlafly led the STOP ERA campaign.
  • STOP ERA argued that the ERA would eliminate privileges women enjoyed.
    • Dependent wife benefits for social security.
    • Separate bathrooms.
    • Exemption from the military draft.
  • Due to Schlafly's efforts, the ERA failed to gain ratification.
• Women's Rights Movement and Counterculture:
  • Feminists participated in the counterculture movement of the 1960s.
  • The sexual revolution brought widespread use of birth control and antibiotics for STDs.
  • Casual sex became more common.
• Roe versus Wade (1973):
  • Supreme Court decision that states could not prohibit abortions in the first two trimesters.
  • Based on a woman's right to privacy found in the Fourteenth Amendment's due process clause.

Latino Movement

• Background:
  • Mexican agricultural workers in the 1950s and 1960s faced low wages.
• United Farm Workers:
  • Founded in 1962 by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta.
  • Aimed to protect migrant farm workers' interests.
  • Staged a nationwide boycott of grapes to pressure farm owners for higher pay.
  • By 1970, their efforts resulted in increased wages.

American Indian Movement

• Foundation and Goals:
  • Founded in 1968.
  • Goals included reclaiming heritage and tribal traditions, achieving self-determination, and addressing systemic poverty.
• Occupation of Alcatraz Island:
  • In 1968, activists occupied Alcatraz Island, citing a treaty that stipulated abandoned federal land would return to the original Indian inhabitants.
  • The occupation lasted 19 months.
  • The federal government made living conditions difficult, leading to the end of the occupation.
  • Became a symbolic cornerstone for American Indian activism.
• Self-Determination Act of 1975:
  • Gave American Indians greater control over their land, education, and law enforcement.

Gay Liberation Movement

• Stonewall Inn Raid (1969):
  • A raid on a New York bar (Stonewall Inn) known as a gathering place for gay people.
  • Gathering broke anti-gay laws.
  • The raid sparked spontaneous resistance against unjust laws.
• Post-Stonewall Activism:
  • Organized protests for the expansion of gay rights.
  • Activists encouraged gay Americans to be open about their identity and to work for the end of discriminatory practices.
• Outcomes:
  • In the 1970s, homosexuality was officially changed from being a mental illness to a legitimate sexual orientation.