3 The extent of progress in individual and civil rights Flashcards
1
Q
4 The extent of progress in individual and civil rights
what inspired it? what did it ensure? what was the opposition to it?
A
- black american demands for equal rights encouraged students to demand greater rights from university authorites and opposed the draft
- ensured the rights of minorities and women remained high on the political agenda in 1973
- in the years 1973-1980 many in Richard Nixons silent majority were tired of demands for rights that seemed to threaten their own
2
Q
abortion before roe v wade
what were abortion laws (or lack of) like before Roe v Wade
A
- before 1973 abortion was a crime in 30 states and legal in certain cases in 20 states
- eg. 1967 Colarado became 1st state to allow abortions in cases of rape, incest, or threat to the woman’s health
3
Q
abortion before roe v wade
what was the result of illegal abortion before Roe v Wade?
A
- many women risked backstreet abortions
- by the 1960s, college students could acquire an abortion from sympathetic doctors but poor women were unlikely to recieve this treatment.
4
Q
abortion before roe v wade
lobbying for abortion? 1971
NARAL
A
- National Abortion Rights Action League lobbied state legislatures for the legalisation of abortion
5
Q
Roe v. Wade ruling
what was the actual ruling origins? what was the broad reaction to it? who supported it?
A
- impoversihed texas women who didn’t want to bear a child who would grow up in poverty
- ruling court said women could abort in the first 13 weeks when a foetus could not sustain life on its own.
- feminists and the NOW were thrilled, conservatives were outraged
6
Q
Opposition to Roe v. Wade
anti abortion activists: main example? how did they campaign?
NRTLC
A
- setup by the Catholic Church to oppose abortion
- National Right to Life Committee
- fundraisers, recruiters, mass mailings with highly emotive language
7
Q
A
8
Q
Opposition to Roe v. Wade
one national right to life committee mailing read….
A
- ‘Stop the baby killers… Abortion means killing a living baby, a tiny human being with a beating heart and little fingers’
9
Q
Opposition to Roe v. Wade
who was the most influential opponent of abortion and women’s rights? what did she campaign for? who was she representative of?
A
- Phyllis Schlafly, ‘Sweetheart of the Silent Majority’
- catholic lawyer and mother of 6
- campaigned for women’s skirts to be 2 inches below the knee.
- representative of a resurgent social conservativism within the republican party
10
Q
Opposition to Roe v. Wade
Henry Hyde: what did he lead congress on? what did the Supreme Court rule about this?
A
- republican, led congress in the passage of a law that banned the use of federal funding for abortion
- 1977: Supreme Court ruled Hyde’s measure constitutional, and extended the ban on federally funded abortions to military and Peace Corps personnel
11
Q
women’s rights
How had women’s rights increased in since the early 1960s?
babies, jobs
A
- women gained greater freedom in their sexual lives and the right to abortion
- attitudes towards women and work changed. eg. 2/3 of female college students agreed ‘the idea that the woman’s place is in the home is nonsense
12
Q
women’s rights
however, what did feminists fail to achieve? what was the average % of salaries of men women recieved? what kind of jobs did they remain in?
A
- the equal rights amendment and economic equality
- 73% of the salaries of men
- low-paid jobs
13
Q
women’s rights
opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment? what was Phyllis Schlafly’s opposition to It?
A
- when 20,000 feminists met in Houston for a National Women’s conference in 1978
- Schlafly’s counter-rally drew 8000 supporters
- she said The American people do not want government-funded abortion, lesbian privileges, or…universal…childcare’
14
Q
opposition to women’s rights
conservative opposition to womens rights: what was the main organisation? what did people donate to them?
A
- National Right to Life Committee
- turned out to vote in congress in 1978 and 50% of them donated at least $25
15
Q
opposition to women’s rights
1980 congressional elections: liberals vs conservatives results?
A
- liberals defeated
- conservatives grew in strength
16
Q
opposition to women’s rights
1979: housewife and bestselling author established which organisation? how many members did it have in the 1980s?
A
- Beverly LaHaye established Concerned Women for America (CWA)
- fought against the ERA and abortion
- 500,000 members by the mid 1980s
17
Q
workers rights
1973: American labour unions had what? gained in which act? what was the difference between union and non-union members?
A
- collective bargaining rights as a result of the Wagner Act 1935
- union members had benefits such as health insurance, lifeinsurance, paid vacations and pensions
- non-union members didnt have these benefits
18
Q
workers’ rights
strikes in the 1970s that made unions appear powerful?
70PW, 74WD, 77UMWs
A
- 1970 postwal workers strike where 200,000 took part
- 31.8m working days lost in 1974
- 1977 United Mine Workers 109 day strike led to fuel shortage and school closures
19
Q
workers’ rights
however, how were the unions becomign less powerful? when did comon situs picketing become illegal? which act represented anti-union sentiment? what did congress repeatedly reject? Ford example?
A
- 1951 supreme court ruled
- Taft-Hartley Act 1947
- congress rejected successive presidents call for legislation to make it legal
- Ford tried to make it (restricted) but legal in 1975 but opposition was so great he had to veto his own bill to avoid conflict
20
Q
reasons for the decline of unions and workers’ rights
why did unions rights decline? why was the public opinion anti-union?
A
- unions retained the right to strike 1973-1980, but worker’s rights threatned
- public disliked unions due to anticommunism,
- corruption scandals (leader of mob-dominated transportation workers’ Teamsters Union was jailed in 1967
- belief unions and strikes damaged the nations economy
21
Q
reasons for the decline of unions and workers’ rights
Secondly, where were unions traditionally strongest? why did this decline?
A
- traditionally strongest in heavy industry
- manufacturing industries that slowly declined after WW2
- proportion of white collar and service workers in the American labour force increased
22
Q
reasons for the decline of unions and workers’ rights
Between 1973-1980, what % of new private sector jobs were in low-paid service/retail areas?
A
80%
- as these were often part-time, they were harder to unionise.
23
Q
A
23
Q
reasons for the decline of unions and workers’ rights
thirdly, economic growth? where was it? why did it occur?
A
- post-war economic growth was in the south, owing much to the interstate highway system
- when the south’s economy boomed, the unions failed toa ttract large numbers of members
24
# reasons for the decline of unions and workers' rights
fourth, political and economic problems combined?
- buisinesses lowered costs due to high inflation
- jobs were hard to come by, so unions were easier to control
- this aided social conservativism with anti-union politicians such as Ronald Reagan californiai governor
- **2% yearly fall** in worker's real income between **1973-1981**
25
# reasons for the decline of unions and workers' rights
fifth, immigration?
- influx of foreign workers willing to work for lower wages undermined American labour
26
# reasons for the decline of unions and workers' rights
sixth, divisions? 1975 federal judge ruling?
- workers often lacked unity
- **1975** federal judge ruled against the Detroit Police Departments 'last hired, first fired' seniority principle. This protected recently hired black officers
- some white officers took to the streets in protest
27
# non-unionised workers
what was the working environment like for non-unionised workers? what did the **1970s** see? what did this mean for women?
- few rights, part-time employment
- **1970s** saw the revival of sweatshops in the garment industry in NYC and LA where these people were employed
- most female workers suffered discrimination
28
# non-unionised workers
female workers vs men's in **1985**
- 61% of men's in **1960** and still only 65% in **1985**
29
# gay rights
what were attitudes like before Stonewall? what did Stonewall generate? example of an organisation like this?
- homosexuals suffered employment discrimination and public hostility
- homosexuality was consifered a mental illness that could be cured
- **Stonewall** generated growing ay pride and political militancy in the **1970s**
- New York Gay Liberation Front establishd in **1970** urged gays to come out proudly
30
# gay rights
achievements **1973-1980**. San Francisco? NYC? NOW? American Psychiatric Association? Californian voters in **1978**? **1980** Democratic party platform/
- San Francisco passed an ordinance banning employment discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in **1972**
- **1973** the NOW finally endorsed gay rights
- **1974** the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality as a psychological disorder
- **1978** Californian voters defeated propostion 6, which would have rescinded a **1975** law that gave school districts authority to fire gay teachers who publicly endorsed homosexuality
- **1980** Democratic party platform supported equality for all
31
# gay rights
however, setbacks: RR? Baptist ministers national attention?
- rise of the religious right
- Baptist ministers Jerry Falwell and Tim LaHaye gained national attention in a successful battle against a miami pro-gay rights ordinance
32
# gay rights
what was san francisco's response to this?
- castro area becoming a homosexual community, with bars, restaurants, political organisations and public celebrations for gay men and lesbian women
33
# gay rights
overall, what was the extent of progress?
- slow
- millions of homosexuals remained in the closet
- politicans fearful of promoting gay rights
- media portrayed them unsympathetically
- homosexual was illegal in many states
34
# Native Americans in **1973**
what were Native American's lives like in **1973**? what were unemployment rates like? what was their life expectancy?
- short, and hard, living on reservations
- unemployment ranged 20-80%
- 44 year life expectancy vs 64 national average
35
# Native Americans in **1973**
why were Native Americans in such poverty?
- dislocation due to land loss over the centuries
- historic land treaty rights also frequently ignored.
- most of them wanted the tribal self government in order to preserve their culture and identity, so they could regulate everything under self government
36
# Native Americans in **1973**
what developed after being inspired by black power? What did the National Indian Youth Council's president say? What were their tactics?
- red power
- '*we do not want to be pushed into the mainstream of American life*
- organisations, occupations, litigation.
37
# Native Americans in **1973**
*Organisations*: what was the most militant organisation? what was its aim?
- the American Indian Movement
- established in **1968** in Minneapolis-St Paul, the largest Native American ghetto
- aims were to improve housing, education, and employment
38
# Native Americans in **1973**
*Organisation*: what were their methods?
**positive imagery
**
**monitoring police racism
**
**establishing survival schools
organising marches
39
# Native Americans in **1973**
*occupations*: examples of each?
1. stressing positive imagery - opposing namnes such as the 'washington redskins'
2. monitoring police racism - native american population in minneapolis jails fell by 60%
3. establishing survival schools - Heart of teh Earth Survival School in Minneapolis, which from **1972** instructed urban children in native langauges
4. organising marches - to publicise the ned for compensation for US government violations of 19th century native americans
40
# Native Americans in **1973**
*occupations*: occupation of PR RV O W K
- occupation of pine ridge reservation village of wounded knee **1973**
- where members of the Sioux tribe had been massacred in **1980**
41
# Native Americans in **1973**
**feb 1973**: sioux occupation of Wounded Knee. Why? what triggered it?
- 300 sioux occupied wounded knee to publicise reservation problems
- 50% unemployment, high suicide and alcogolism rates and a 46 year life expectancy
- triggered by: indicement of manslaughter of the white murderer of Wesley Bad Heart Bull
- wesley's mother protested and was arrested with a charge that could have led to 30 years incarceration
42
# Native Americans in **1973**
what did the occupation demand?
- free elections of tribal leaders
- review of all treaties that cocnerned tribe's land rights.
43
# Native Americans in **1973**
what was the outcome of the wounded knee incident?
- heavily armed federal forces beseiged Wounded Knee
- 2 native americans were killed
- after 71 days peace was agreed and the gov promised an investigatory commission, which ultimately failed, but the occupation generated some government sympathy
44
# Native Americans in **1973**
litigation: successes in the law courts? 2 main examples?
- government traditionally leased mining rights on reservations to private companies and Native Americans gained little
- **1973**: Northern Cheyenne of Montana won a federal court victory enabling them to renegotiate mineral contracts
- **2005**: coal mining on Navajo and Hopi reservation lands ceased.
45
# Federal government and native americans
What was the main act? what did it do?
- Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Acts **1975**
- gave tribes control over federal aid programmes and reservation education
- but it was insufficiently funded
- others said it increased influence, and the educational provisions were successful in the growth of community colleges.
46
# Federal government and native americans
what was the next helpful law?
- Healthcare Improvement Act **1976**
- congress granted $1.6b to help improve the availability ofg healthcare for native americans
47
# Federal government and native americans
*US v. Wheeler* **1978**
- supreme court affirmed the right of the federal court to try a Native American who had already been tried by his tribe
- the court recognised the tribe's 'unique' sovereignty, but they said it was 'limited'
48
# Federal government and native americans
*Ophiliant* **1978**
- supreme court limited tribal authority over non-indians and indians of other tribes on reservations
49
# Federal government and native americans
what did the American Indian Religous Freedom Act **1978** recognise? how was it weakened?
- the right to practise Native American cultural traditions, such as the hallucinatory drug peyote
- supreme court greatly weakened the act in **1990**
50
# Federal government and native americans
what did decisions in **1979** result in?
- restoration of 1800 acres to Narrangansetts in Rhode Island
- $100m compensation to the Sioux for 'dishonourable dealing' in the acquisition of the Black Hills in South Dakota
51
# Native American rights in **1980**
**positives** and *negatives*
- **greater awareness of Native Americans rights to self-determination and land**
- *treaty rights still frequently ignored*
- **reservation Native Americnas had greater self government**
- *most remained economically disadvantaged*
- *Land rights lost over the centuries would not be restored*
- *half NAtive American population remained on unproductive rservation land*
- *economic status of native americans was greatly inferior to white people*
52
# the status of black Americans, **1973-1980**
economic status: poverty line? infant mortality rate? low status workers?
- 1/3 of black americans and 1/2 of black amiercan children lived below the poverty lune
- infant mortality rate of 19% was higher than that in some developing nations
- 1/3 of black workers had low status, low skiled jobs in low wage occupations
53
# the status of black Americans, **1973-1980**
economic status: positive side...What happened to welfare payments under Nixon? what did he promote?
- welfare patments doubled during his presidency
- and he promoted affirmative action with the supreme court to end economic inequality
54
# the status of black Americans, **1973-1980**
what did Nixon ensure? what did his support for affiramtive action encourage? what did affiramtive action help do?
- 250,000 companies with federal contracts employed a fair proportion of minority workers
- his support encouraged universities to use positive discrimination on behalf of minority applicants
- affirmative action helped make 1/3 of black americans middle class by **1980**
55
# the status of black Americans, **1973-1980**
white backlash...Who protested (uni of cali)
- Marine veteran Alan Bakke said cali uni was rejecting his application to med school but accepting minority candidates with lower grades
- In *Bakke v. Regents of the University of California* **1978** supreme court qualified universitys affiramtive action on the grounds of the importance of diversity in the community rather than as a remedy for past discrimination
56
# the status of black Americans, **1973-1980**
educational status: *Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg*
- US courts endorsed the bussing of black and white children to eachothers schools to achieve racially mixed schools
- nixon spoke out against wrenching children away from their community
57
# the status of black americans, **1973-1980**
% of southern black americvan children in segregated schools fell?
68% to 8% during Nixon's presidency
58
# the status of black americans, **1973-1980**
white backlash against bussing in Boston?
- Irish-Americans staged protest marches and sit ins to demonstrate their opposition to school intergration in **1974**
- Irish American senator Ted Kennedy had to flee after endorsing bussing
- pro-bussing *Boston Globe* employed sharpshooters to defend its building
59
# the status of black americans, **1973-1980**
what happened to private schools as a result? white flight?
- Boston's public schools contained 45,000 white people in **1974** but only 16,000 by **1987**
- white flight accelerated, with 6% moving to surburbs in the **1970s**
60
# the status of black americans, **1973-1980**
*Millliken v. Bradley* **1974**
- detroit school children should not be intergrated through bussing
- democrats also legislated against bussing in Education Act in **1975**
61
# the status of black americans, **1973-1980**
political status: *Beer v. United States* **1976**
- no redrawing of political boundaries should leave ethnic minorities worse off in termso f political representation
62
# the status of black americans, **1973-1980**
black american mayors, congressmen/women?
- Detroit **1973** LA **1973** Washington DC **1974** Birmingham **1979**
- 20 black americans representing congressional districts with predominantly black populations sat in the US House of Representatives **1973-1980**
63
# the status of black americans, **1973-1980**
limitations?
- black candidates rarely won white votes
- 1% of elected officials were black in **1980**
- sole black american senator in US congress was Edward William Brooke II, who represented liberal Massachusetts from **1967-1979**
