the extent of progress in individual and civil rights

Question 1

during the 70’s and 80’s how had attitudes changed regarding desired advances of personal freedom?

Answer 1

• advances were not always admired or attained

- Richard Nixon’s silent majority were tired of demands for rights that seemed to threaten their own,

Question 2

when did the supreme court legalise abortion and was the case that cause this verdict?

Answer 2

1973

• Roe Vs Wade
• one of the most divisive rulings in American History

Question 3

how many states was abortion a crime in before 1973?

Answer 3

• 30
• and legal in 20
• e.g. Colorado 1967 became the first state to allow abortions in cases of rape or threat to a women’s health.
• by 1972 13 other states had a similar law.

Question 4

what did many feminists believe was the most important of women’s rights?

Answer 4

• was the right to abortion as it meant they had rights over their own body.

Question 5

who were the National abortion rights action league?

Answer 5

1971 they lobbied state legislatures for the legislature of abortion.

Question 6

what was the Roe V Wade case?

Answer 6

• impoverished texas women who did not want to bear a child that would grow up in poverty
• led to the supreme court rulling that women could abort in the first 13 weeks when a foetus could not sustain life on its own

Question 7

what conservative organisation was set up during the late 60’s?

Answer 7

• 1967 National rights to life committee set up by the Catholic church to oppose abortion and campaigned against roe in the courts, elections and streets.

Question 8

what methods to the National Rights to life committee use to gain support?

Answer 8

• mass mailing containing highly emotive language and graphic pictures “stop the baby killers”

Question 9

who was the most influential opponent of abortion and women’s rights?

Answer 9

• Phyllis Schlafly “sweet heart of the silent majority”

Question 10

how did the Henry Hyde, republican politician, lead congress into further restricting abortion rights?

Answer 10

• led congress into passing of a law that banned federal funding for abortion
• 1977 the supreme court ruled Hyde’s measure constitutional.

Question 11

how had women’s rights increased since the early 60’s?

Answer 11

• women had gained greater sexual freedom and the right to abortion
• attitudes towards women and work had changed
• e.g. over 2 thirds of women at college thought the idea that women’s place is in the home is nonsense

Question 12

how did feminists fail to achieve economic equality?

Answer 12

• despite 1963 equal pay act
• women still only received on average 75% of a professional man’s salary.
• 62% of adults classified as poor were women.
• failed to obtain the equal rights amendment and encountered increasing conservative opposition.

Question 13

what examples of opposition to women’s rights were there?

Answer 13

• 75% of those contacted by the National rights to life committee turned out to vote in the congressional elections 1978
• cons campaign agaisnt abortion defeated liberals such as George McGovern
• 1979 Beverly LaHaye established concerned women for America (CWA) with 500,000 members by the mid-80’s and encouraged women to stay at home and look after the family.

Question 14

how many people belonged to a union in 1970

Answer 14

• 0ver 19 million and there were many strikes including:
• largest strike in American histroy, 200,000 postal workers went on strike the federal gov approved their collective bargaining rights although not their right to strike

Question 15

what was the reason for the decline in the unions and workers rights?

Answer 15

although unions had retained the right to strike in 1973-80 workers rights were threatened:

• firstly employers naturally disliked unions because they were associated with communism , corruption scandals and belief that they damaged the economy.
• declining in industries where unions were most common e.g. manufacturing industries.
• booming economy of the south = less support from the south
• 1965 immigration legislation led to foreign workers willing to work for poor wages

Question 16

what is meant by non-unionised workers?

Answer 16

those who didnt have the support of union and worked in low waged or part time employments and had few rights?

Question 17

• what was revealed about the garment industry in the 70’s?

Answer 17

• sweatshops
• in NYC ans LA usually women and usually suffering from discrimination
• e.g. their wages were only 65% of a mans in 1985.

Question 18

how were gay people treated in the early 70’s?

Answer 18

• 1973 gays suffered from employment discrimination and public hostility and humiliation
• it was considered an illness that could be cured
• ## authorities harassed bars and restaurants who served homosexual customers

Question 19

what is an example of a organisation for gay rights in the 70’s?

Answer 19

• New York gay liberation front 1970

- urged gays to come out proudly

Question 20

examples of how attitudes were changing and progress was being made towards acceptance of gay rights in 70’s?

Answer 20

• San Francisco 1972 put a ban on employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.
• 1973 Now finally endorsed gay rights
• 1974 American psychiatric unit removed homosexuality from the list of psychological disorders.
• 1978 proposition 6 was defeated which prevented homosexual teachers for being fired for endorsing homosexuality
• 1980 democrat party platforms supported equality for all regardless of sexual orientation.

Question 21

what was life like for half the native American population of 700,000 in 1973?

Answer 21

• they lived short hard lives on reservations with unemployment that ranged from 20-80%
• 44- year life expectancy
• exceptionally high rates of suicide and alcoholism

Question 22

what was life like for Native Americans living in cities?

Answer 22

• had low paying jobs
• poor housing
• poor schooling

Question 23

when had Native Americans been granted US citezenship

Answer 23

after WW1 however most of them wanted tribal self-government - which could regulate taxes, resources and individual behaviour.

Question 24

what movement occurred inspired by the Black power movement for Native Americans?

Answer 24

• red power
  they basically wanted to live their own lives and preserve their culture without being pushed into mainstream American life.

Question 25

what was the most militant native American organisation?

Answer 25

American Indian movement (AIM) established in 1968 in Minneapolis st. Paul the largest native American ghetto
- AIM worked to improve ghetto housing education and employment opportuinities.

Question 26

what methods did AIM use to attract members?

Answer 26

• stressing positive imagery = e.g. opposing names such as Washington Redskins
• monitoring police racism (subsequently the rate of Native Americans in Minneapolis prisons fell by 60%)
• establishing survival schools = heart of the earth school 1972 educated urban kids on language and culture.
• organising marches - e.g. 1972 “trail of broken treaties”

Question 27

what gained publicity for the native Americans reservations?

Answer 27

• Pine Ridge reservation villiage where members of the Sioux tribe were massacred in 1980.
• 1973 feb 300 Sioux tribe members occupied Wounded knee to publicise the reservations problems.

Question 28

what were the problems felt by Wounded Knee reservations

Answer 28

• 50% unemployment
• exceptionally high suicide rates and alcoholism
• 46 years life expectancy

Question 29

what was the reason for the occupation of Wounded knee?

Answer 29

• inequality in legal rights
• White killer of Wesley bad heart Bull could of been released after 10 years
• but when Wesley’s mother protested she could of been incarcerated for 30 years.

Question 30

what did AIM and their occupation force demand?

Answer 30

• free elections of tribal leaders

- review of all treaties especially the 1868 that concerned the tribes land rights

Question 31

how did authorities begin to become involved at the events at wounded knee?

Answer 31

• hostages were held at gun point and federal forces quickly besieged wounded knee and two native Americans were killed.
• after 71 days peace was agreed and the federal government promised an investigatory commission

Question 32

how did the government respond to Native American activism?

Answer 32

• Indian self-determination and education assistance act 1975
  = this gave tribes control over federal aid programmes and reservation education

Question 33

how did some NA feel about the Indian self-determination and education assistance act?

Answer 33

• promised more than it delivered
• this was primarially because it was under funded
• some however thought it increased NA influence over federal actions and NA financial and organisational resources

Question 34

how did some NA feel about the educational provisions/

Answer 34

felt that they were successful especially the growth in community colleges and the educational assistance act paved the way for other helpful laws such as the Indian health care improvement act

Question 35

what was the Indian health care improvement act?

Answer 35

• 1976 congress granted $1.6 billion to help improve the availability and delivery of healthcare for NA

Question 36

how did NA litigants have mixed feelings about the supreme court decisions?

Answer 36

• US vs Wheeler case 1978 supreme court affirmed the right for the federal court to try a NA who had already been tried by their
• oliphant 1978 supreme court limited tribal authority over non-Indians and Indians of other tribes on reservations

Question 37

what had red power achieved by 1980?

Answer 37

• contributed to a greated awareness of NA rights to self-determination and land
• however treaty rights were still frequently ignored
• although NA had more self government rights they mostly remained economically disadvantaged
• they were still greatly economically inferior to whites.

Question 38

what still indicated black Americans were still disadvantages politically, economically and within education by the 70’s and 80’s?

Answer 38

de Jure segregation had ended however de facto segregation was still around

Question 39

during the 70’s how many blacks lived below the poverty line?

Answer 39

• 1/2 of black american children

- 1/3 of black Americans

Question 40

what was the infant mortality rate for blacks ?

Answer 40

• 19% higher than that in some developing nations

Question 41

what are statistics of crime for black Americans?

Answer 41

• they made up 12% of the population
• 43% of arrested rapes
• 55% of accused of murder
• 69% robbery
  these statistics owed much to poor economic an social status.

Question 42

how did Black Americans benefit from great society programmes and that of Nixon ?

Answer 42

• Nixons affirmative action meant that 250,000 federal contractors had to employ more ethnic minorities
• this encouraged universities to show more positive discrimination to blacks and minorities
• affirmative action helped make one third of blacks middle class by 1980

Question 43

when did the supreme court rule that it was time for full-implemented desegregation in schools?

Answer 43

1971 suggesting bussing to be the way to achieve this

Question 44

how much did children in segregated schools fall by in hte South?

Answer 44

68% to 8% during Nixon’s presidency

Question 45

what example of white backlash against bussing where there?

Answer 45

• Irish-American staged protest marches and sit-ins to demonstrate their opposition in 1974
• Irish-American senator Ted Kennedy had to flee and hide from and Irish-American anti-bussing mob because he had advocated bussing whilst sending his own kids to a private school.

Question 46

what did the opposition to intergrated schools cause?

Answer 46

• private schools numbers to increase across America

- white flight to suburbs increased 6% moved in 70’s

Question 47

examples of blacks excelling in politics?

Answer 47

• more black mayor’s
• e.g. in Detroit 1973 and LA in 1973
• 20 blacks representing congressional districts

Question 48

examples of how black influence in politics was limited?

Answer 48

• black candidates rarely won white votes

- as a result of this only 1% of elected officials were black in 1980

Question 49

who was the sole black American senator in US congress during this period?

Answer 49

• Edward William Brooke III who represented the liberal state of Massachusetts from 1967-79.