Other Protest Movements

Question 1

What does FSM stand for?

Answer 1

FSM stands for the Free Speech Movement.

Question 2

What did FSM campaign for?

Answer 2

The Free Speech Movement (FSM) campaigned for the right to free speech and political activism on university campuses. Specifically, it sought to remove restrictions on students staging political protests and meetings, focusing initially on the University of California, Berkeley.

Question 3

What is important to understand about FSM?

Answer 3

It is important to understand that the FSM’s core members were students who had been involved in civil rights activism, particularly in the South. Their participation in voter registration drives in Mississippi led them to push for similar rights to free speech and political engagement on their university campus. The FSM initially began as a struggle over free speech but expanded into a broader protest against university policies and the political establishment.

Question 4

What was the result of the FSM?

Answer 4

The FSM succeeded in forcing the University of California, Berkeley, to allow political activity on campus. However, the university imposed restrictions on when and where political activities could take place. While the protestors faced setbacks, like fines and jail time, the movement was ultimately successful in establishing political activism as a right for students.

Question 5

What was the significance of FSM?

Answer 5

The FSM is historically significant because it was the first campus-wide protest activity of its kind. Its tactics, like sit-ins and mass rallies, were adopted by student movements on campuses across the United States and internationally. The FSM laid the groundwork for later protests on campuses related to civil rights, Vietnam War opposition, and other political issues.

Question 6

What were the impacts/achievements/significance of the Hippy Movement?

Answer 6

The achievements and impacts of the Hippy movement are difficult to quantify but can be divided into political impact and broader societal impact. Politically, the Hippy movement had limited direct impact on government policy but contributed to the broader counterculture movement that influenced attitudes towards war, race, and social norms. Societally, the movement promoted ideals of tolerance, individuality, and freedom of expression, challenging traditional norms and emphasising peace, love, and communal living

Question 7

What is the lasting impact of the Hippy Movement?

Answer 7

The Hippy movement had a lasting impact on societal attitudes, particularly regarding individuality, sexual liberation, gender equality, and the acceptance of diverse lifestyles. It helped lay the foundation for future social movements in the 1970s and beyond, including those focused on environmentalism, LGBTQ+ rights, and personal freedom.

Question 8

How did the Hippy Movement negate its own gains?

Answer 8

promoted ideals of peace, love, and freedom, its association with drug use, non-conformity, and law-breaking alienated conservative segments of society. The backlash from mainstream America, particularly from conservative political figures, undermined some of the gains of the movement. The cultural shift toward conservatism, epitomised by figures like Ronald Reagan, can be seen as a reaction against the perceived excesses of the Hippy movement.

Question 9

What were features of the Hippy Movement?

Answer 9

The Hippy movement was characterised by nonconformity, peace activism, and an embrace of alternative lifestyles. Hippies were known for rejecting mainstream materialism, promoting sexual liberation, and advocating for environmental awareness. The movement often involved communes, psychedelic music, anti-establishment views, and experimentation with drugs.

Question 10

When was Atlantic city Miss America beauty pageant and significant?

Answer 10

1968, Very powerful feeling that women were being objectified
And liberation movement crowned sheep winner

Question 11

What was women liberation movement?

Answer 11

A diverse movement that was made up of many different groups, that emerged from the mid-1960s. It campaigned similar issues to NOW, but was more radical in outlook, more critical of male dominance in society, and included representation of lesbian and bisexual interest groups.

Question 12

Who was Phyllis Schlafly?

Answer 12

Phyllis Schlafly was a conservative political activist and lawyer who strongly opposed the feminist movement, especially the push for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). She was a staunch anti-abortion advocate and was known for her role in organising opposition to the women’s rights movement in the 1960s and 1970s.

Question 13

What was Roe vs Wade?

Answer 13

Roe v. Wade was a landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalised abortion in the United States, making it a constitutionally protected right for women. This ruling became a focal point for both pro-choice and pro-life activists.

Question 14

What is the ERA?

Answer 14

Equal Rights Amendment, proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution designed to ensure that rights under the law were not abridged on account of sex. It aimed to provide legal equality for women. Schlafly strongly opposed the ERA, arguing that it would dismantle traditional gender roles and ultimately harm women by removing legal protections.

Question 15

When was the Watergate Scandal?

Answer 15

The Watergate Scandal took place between 1971 and 1974. Its culmination was the resignation of President Richard Nixon in August 1974.

Question 16

How did the scandal begin?

Answer 16

The scandal began with a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Complex in Washington D.C. in June 1972. The burglars were linked to Nixon’s re-election campaign, and their goal was to wiretap the offices of political opponents. Although Nixon did not know about the break-in initially, the subsequent cover-up became the core issue.

Question 17

What is the context of the Watergate Scandal?

Answer 17

The scandal occurred during Nixon’s re-election campaign in 1972, amidst a highly contentious political climate. Nixon’s administration was heavily focused on winning the Vietnam War and dealing with the domestic unrest that came with it. His determination to win at all costs, combined with a political culture he had helped create, led to the illegal actions associated with the Watergate scandal.

Question 18

What did Nixon do? Dates and events?

Answer 18

Nixon’s involvement in Watergate became clear after two Washington Post journalists, Woodward and Bernstein, uncovered links between the burglars and Nixon’s re-election campaign. Nixon initially denied any involvement but later attempted to stop an FBI investigation. In 1972, he defeated Democratic candidate George McGovern in a landslide, but the Watergate revelations began to surface shortly after. In 1973, a Senate committee began investigating the break-in, and it was revealed that Nixon had ordered a cover-up. In 1974, the Supreme Court forced Nixon to release White House tapes that discredited him further.

Question 19

What did the Senate demand that Nixon refused?

Answer 19

The Senate demanded that Nixon hand over the White House tapes, which he initially refused to do. The Supreme Court later ruled that he had to release them, which ultimately led to his downfall.

Question 20

When did Nixon resign?

Answer 20

Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, to avoid impending impeachment over his involvement in the Watergate cover-up.

Question 21

What was the main impact of Nixon and what did he become synonymous with?

Answer 21

Nixon’s resignation marked a significant moment in U.S. history, leading to a lasting erosion of public trust in the presidency. Nixon became synonymous with political corruption, dishonesty, and scandal, with the term “Nixonian” coming to represent political deception and abuse of power.

Question 22

What was the long-term impact of the Watergate Scandal on U.S. politics?

Answer 22

The Watergate scandal fundamentally damaged the prestige of the presidency and led to greater public skepticism toward politicians. The scandal also contributed to the Democrats’ victories in the 1974 mid-term elections and the defeat of President Gerald Ford in the 1976 presidential election.

Question 23

What was the immediate impact of Nixon on U.S. politics?

Answer 23

The immediate impact was that it weakened the Republican Party’s standing and led to significant Democratic gains in the 1974 mid-term elections. It also contributed to the defeat of Gerald Ford in the 1976 presidential election.

Question 24

What new laws were designed to prevent such scandals?

Answer 24

The War Powers Act (1973)
The Federal Election Campaign Act Amendments (1974)
The Privacy Act (1974)
The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act (1974)

Question 25

When was the War Powers Act introduced and what was it designed to do?

Answer 25

1974
prevent future presidents from unilaterally engaging in military actions without Congressional approval. It required presidents to notify Congress within 48 hours if they committed U.S. troops abroad and to withdraw them within 60 days unless Congress approved further action.

Question 26

What was the War Powers Act provoked by?

Answer 26

The War Powers Act was provoked by Nixon’s unauthorized military actions in Cambodia during the Vietnam War, which he had publicly denied but was later revealed to have ordered.

Question 27

When was the Federal Election Campaign Act Amendment introduced and what was it designed to do?

Answer 27

The Federal Election Campaign Act Amendments were introduced in 1974 in response to the illegal campaign financing revealed during the Watergate scandal. The amendments created the Federal Election Commission to oversee election campaign financing, ensuring greater transparency and limiting secret donations.

Question 28

When was the Privacy Act introduced and what was it a direct response to?

Answer 28

1974
direct response to the illegal surveillance of political opponents during the Watergate scandal, including the break-in at Daniel Ellsberg’s psychiatrist’s office
It limited the ability of government agencies to store personal information on citizens.

Question 29

What were the key provisions of the Privacy Act?

Answer 29

The key provisions of the Privacy Act included restrictions on federal agencies’ ability to store personal data, citizens’ right to access and correct their information
requirement for agencies to inform citizens if their data was being collected

Question 30

When was the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act introduced and why?

Answer 30

1974
response to Nixon’s abuse of presidential power to withhold funds approved by Congress. The law required presidents to get Congressional approval to delay or reduce government spending

Question 31

What did the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act require presidents to do?

Answer 31

The law required presidents to obtain Congressional approval if they wanted to delay or reduce government spending.