Untitled Flashcards Set

Overview of the 1960s

• Significant decade with major social and political changes.

• Key themes: Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War, rise of conservatism, counterculture, Cold War tensions.

• Notable figures: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Cesar Chavez.

The Civil Rights Movement

• Early Activism:

  • 1960: Sit-ins in Greensboro, NC, led by Black university students.

  • 1961: Freedom Rides organized by Congress On Racial Equality (CORE) to integrate interstate buses; faced violent resistance but led to ICC desegregating buses.

  • Over 70,000 people participated in demonstrations by the end of the 1960s.

• Key Events:

  • 1963: Birmingham protests, where MLK was jailed and wrote Letter from Birmingham Jail.

  • 1963: March on Washington, where MLK delivered I Have a Dream speech.

  • 1964: Civil Rights Act passed under LBJ, banning discrimination in public places and employment.

  • 1965: Voting Rights Act passed, allowing federal oversight in discriminatory states.

  • 1965: Hart-Cellar Act ended national origin quotas but imposed limits on Western Hemisphere immigration.

Political Developments

• John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)

  • Initially hesitant on civil rights due to Cold War concerns.

  • Assassinated in 1963; succeeded by Lyndon B. Johnson.

• Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)

  • Great Society programs aimed at reducing poverty and increasing civil rights protections.

  • Established Medicare and Medicaid.

  • Declared a "War on Poverty," focusing on education and training but overlooked economic shifts.

Inequality and Urban Struggles

• Continued discrimination in housing, jobs, education, and criminal justice.

• Major Riots: Watts (1965), Newark and Detroit (1967).

• 1968 Kerner Report blamed segregation, poverty, and white racism for urban unrest.

Black Power Movement

• Shift from integration to self-reliance and empowerment.

• Malcolm X emphasized self-defense and Black nationalism; assassinated in 1965.

• CORE abandoned integration goals post-1965.

• Black Panther Party (Oakland) provided community services but faced scrutiny for militancy.

Anti-War and Other Civil Rights Movements

• Vietnam War protests gained traction, especially among students.

• Latino Activism:

  • Led by Cesar Chavez and United Farm Workers, focused on labor rights.

• American Indian Movement (AIM):

  • 1968: Occupied Alcatraz to demand land rights.

• LGBTQ+ Movement:

  • 1969: Stonewall Riots in NYC sparked modern gay rights activism.

Environmental Movement

• 1962: Silent Spring by Rachel Carson raised awareness about environmental issues and led to regulations on pesticides.

Summary

• The 1960s was a decade of activism, social change, and political tension.

• The Civil Rights Movement achieved legislative victories but did not eliminate systemic inequality.

• The Vietnam War and social movements shaped political discourse, leading to shifts in national priorities by the 1970s.