Heimlich's History: Unit 8 - Expansion of Civil Rights (1960-1980)
Overview
Exploration of various movements inspired by the Civil Rights Movement.
Focus on how different groups responded to calls for civil rights expansion.
Women's Movement
Historical Context: Long-standing struggle for equality since Seneca Falls (19th century) and women's suffrage (early 20th century).
1950s Norms: Cultural expectations confined women to homemaking roles.
Key Publication:
Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique" (1963): Highlighted the dissatisfaction of housewives; sold over a million copies by 1964.
National Organization for Women (NOW) 1966:
Founded by Betty Friedan.
Advocated for equal opportunities and pay using civil rights tactics.
Other Publications:
Ms. Magazine by Gloria Steinem.
Key Achievements:
Title IX (1972): Prohibited gender discrimination in education, boosting women's sports funding.
Equal Rights Amendment (ERA):
Failed due to Phyllis Schlafly's "STOP ERA" campaign.
Schlafly argued ERA would remove women's privileges like draft exemption.
Counterculture & Sexual Revolution: Shifted norms about sexuality and control over reproductive rights.
Roe vs. Wade (1973): Legalized abortion in the first two trimesters based on the right to privacy.
Latino Rights Movement
Challenges:
Poor wages for Mexican agricultural workers.
United Farm Workers (1962):
Founded by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta.
Used grape boycotts to secure better wages by 1970.
American Indian Movement
Goals:
Reclaim heritage and tribal traditions.
Achieve self-determination and address systemic poverty.
Key Event:
Occupation of Alcatraz (1968): Symbolic protest based on treaty rights.
Led to the Self-Determination Act (1975); increased control over lands and governance.
Gay Liberation Movement
Catalyst Event:
Stonewall Inn Raid (1969): Sparked resistance and expanded gay rights activism.
Outcomes:
Encouraged openness about identity.
Homosexuality reclassified from mental illness to legitimate sexual orientation in the 1970s.
Conclusion
The Civil Rights Movement inspired parallel movements across various groups, leading to significant legal and cultural changes in the United States between 1960 and 1980.
These movements collectively contributed to the broader expansion of civil rights and equality during this period.