Protest Movements Flashcards
Why were students against the Vietnam war?
Many young Americans were being called to fight
Casualties increased
Methods of war
First televised war
Why did students protest?
Songs influenced people with their lyrics
Legacy of the 50s
Vietnam war
Influenced by other students over the world
JFK’s assassination angered many people
Influenced by civil rights movement
What was the SDS?
Students for a Democratic Society
Set up to give students a greater say in how courses and universities were run
What did the SDS do?
Denounced Cold War
Demanded disarmament to reduce chance of nuclear war
Help poor and disadvantaged
Formed groups in universities
Organised sit-ins
Staged draft card burnings
Democratic Convention in Chicago organised riot to destroy election chances for Hubert Humphrey
What happened at Kent State University?
1970
Students holding peaceful protest against nixon’s decision to bomb Cambodia
National Guardsmen used tear gas to disperse them but it didn’t work
Shots were fired (4 killed, 11 injured)
400 colleagues closed because 2 million students went on strike in protest
Who were the ‘Weathermen’?
Part of the hippy movement who used violence to support aims
What did the Weathermen do?
Bombed army recruitment centres and government buildings
What did people who were part of the hippy movement do (not the Weathermen)?
‘Dropped out’ of society by growing long hair and developing an alternative lifestyle
Refused to work and experimented with drugs
Handed out flowers to police men
How was the student movement important?
Influenced government policy on the Vietnam war
Influenced Nixon not to seek re-election
Showed that American youth would no longer tolerate discrimination so helped civil rights movement
Shocked many conservative older generation because many students were middle class
Teenagers demanded greater say in what they wore and did
What did the women’s movement achieve?
Equal Pay Act but did not address discrimination from initial employment
Civil Rights Act stopped gender discrimination
Educational Amendment Act banned discrimination in schools so they were taught the same curriculum as boys
Supreme Court gave men and women equal rights in the Constitution
What was the case if Roe v Wade about?
Norma McCorvey (named Jane Roe to protect her identity)
Wanted an abortion as she had already had 3 kids who were taken into care
She won the right
Led to abortions becoming more available
What argument did feminists use for abortion?
It was wrong to force women to have children if they didn’t want them
What was the Women’s Liberation Movement?
Had more extreme views than NOW
Believed in not wearing makeup
Determined to gain a lot of publicity for cause
Argued that the Miss America contest degraded women
Why did some women oppose the women’s protest movement?
Believed that NOW was dominated by middle class females who didn’t do a lot to help poorer women
Some accepted traditional role
Others disagreed with extremist demands
Who was Phyllis Schafly?
AGAINST WOMEN'S RIGHTS An author who had been active in politics Worked as researcher for US politicians Stood for congress on several occasions Set up STOP ERA
