progress in individual and civil rights Flashcards
what was the nature of abortion before roe v wade?
- 1967 colorado allowed abortion in the event of rape or threat to womens health
- many women risked backstreet abortions - often poor women
- students can sometimes get safe abortions by sympathetic doctors
- national rights action league lobbied for pro-abortion legislation
what were the oppositions to roev wade 1973?
- national right to life committee - 1967, fundraising and mass mailing graphic images with provoctive slogans relating abortion to child murder
- phyllis shafley - sweetheart of the silent mjority anti-feminist campaigner, representative of the growing conservatism
- henry hyde - campaigned agaisnt federally funded abortions
- 1977 - supreme court ruled hydes decisons as constritutional extending the ban to the miltary and peace corps
feminist economic failures of the 1960s?
- womens till paed onyl 73% as much as male counterparts
- 1963 equal oay act isufficient
- 66% of poor adults were women
- no equal rights mendment due to rising conservatism
what was the wagner act 1935
- afforded albour unions collective barganing rights
- allowed mostly agricultural and domestic labourers to unionise
exampkes of the power of unions by 1970s?
- aroud 19 million workers
- 31.8 illion days lsot to strikes 1974
- 1977 united mine workers strike - 109 days led to fuel shortages and school closures
- union members enjoyed heal/life insurance paid vactions and pensions
examples of the decline of unions in the 70s?
- unionised americans only constituted 27.4% of the workforce (less than average industrialised nation)
- 1951 common situs pciketting was illegalised
- proposed bill to relegalise it ws met with viament opposition from the right
whwy did american union power decline?
6 points
- employers and public disliekd unions (anti-communist sentiment, believed union action harmed hte economy, previosu scandals of union corruption)
- unions mostly in heavy manufacturing industries which declined post war - ( by 1980 80% f new jobs were low paid servie industry)
- much of the economic growth was in the south so with a booming economy it was difficult to atrract members
- businesses wanted to cut costs to fight foreign competitions so were able to threaten to move obs to lower cost areas and fire union memebers (38 million jobs lost in the rust belt 70s)
- 1965 immigration legislation -willing to work more for less
- workers alcked unity - ethnicity and afirrmative action often divided the workforce
what was the experience of non-unionised workers in the 70s?
- few rights and open to employer abuse
- fist-gen or illegal immigrants often employed for low wages and high hours
- revitalisation of sweat shops in LA and NYC
- women mostly employed in sweatshops
- women faced finacial discrimination (65% of mens wages 1985) and sexist abuse (cigarette ad “cigarettes are like women - the best ones are thin and rich)
examples of progress in gay rights?
- 1974 american psychiatric association
- 1972 - san francisco banned employment discrimination
- 1978 - dfeat of proposition 6 ( would allow th efiring of gay and gay supporting teachers )
- 1980 democrats endorsed equality for all
examples of setback in gay rights ?
- 1980s religious right
- falwell and LaHaye dfeated miami pro gay ordinance ( however led to greater gay assertivness in some cities eg the castro area san francisco)
- portayed unsympathetically in the media
- same se remained illegal in many states (rarely legally prosecuted) texas remianed illgal until 2003
examplesof native american hardships in the 70s-80s?
- 1/2 population lived on reservations 1973
- unemployemnt 20-80%
- high sucide and alcoholism rates
- 44 year life expectancy
- historic land treaties often ignored and family displaced
what was red power and what did they want?
- inspired by the balck power movement
- campaigning for self government and control of taxation and resources
- they did not want to be pushed into mainstream american life
what was the anerican indian movement and what did they want?
AIM most militant native american group
* campaigned for positive imagery (agaisnt eg. washington redskins)
* control of police racism - NA jail population fell by 60%
* survival schools to reentrench NA culture and language
* trail of broken treaties march - sna fransisco to washngton dc 1972
example of native american occuption protests?
what triggered it? what was outcome?
wounded knee, pine wood reservation
* site of historical massacre of sioux tribe
* demanded recognisiton of 50% unemployment and short lfe expectancies
* AIM inspired demands of free triabl elections and review of all treaties
* hostages held at gunpoint and federal government responded killing 2
leanient charge of white killer of wesley bad heart bull and harsh charge of his mother when she protested.
governement ultimatley dismissed triabl treaties for the federal power to claim land
what significant legislation was passed regaring NA in 1975?
- the Indian sle-determination and education assistance act
- allowed triabl control over federal aid and reservation education
- some argued didnt live up to promises as it was not funded enough
- others argued it gave NA increased influence over federal policies
- paved the way for the Indian Healthcare Imporvement act which gave $1.6 billion for improvment
