Topic 3 - C4 - The Extent of Progress in Individual and Civil Rights Flashcards
How did people obtain abortions before RVW?
Backstreet abortions or if college students could have safe abortions in 1960s by sympathetic doctors but difficult for poor women
How did the government feel towards abortion before 1973?
- A crime in 30 states and legal in 20 states for certain circumstances
- 1967 Colorado - first state to allow abortions in the case of rape, incest or threat to the women’s health
- 1972 - 13 other states had similar laws e.g California, Oregon
What was Roe V Wade, 1973?
Texas women living in poverty who didn’t want to have a child grow up in poverty
Court said that women could abort in the first 13 weeks
Who opposed RVW?
National Right to Life Committee - set up in 1967 by the Catholic Church to oppose abortion - campaigned against RVW, Phyllis Schlafly,
What methods did anti abortion activists use?
1978 anti abortion mailing contained graphic pictures and pleaded ‘Stop the baby killers… Abortion means killings a living baby’
Who was Phyllis Schlafly?
Key opposer, ‘Sweetheart of the Silent Majority’ - campaigned for women’s skirts to be 2 inches below the knee. Closely associated with republican party
Who was Henry Hyde?
Henry Hyde led Congress in the passage of a bill banning federal funding for abortion. 1977 SC ruled Hyde’s measure constitutional
How had women’s rights progressed?
Women had greater freedom in their sexual lives and the right to abortion. Attitudes towards women and work changed - ⅔ female college students agreed that the women’s place was not in the home.
Why was the 1963 Equal Pay Act ineffective?
Professional women still received 73% of the salaries paid to men. 66% of US adults classified as poor were women
Why wasn’t the ERA passed until 1972?
Fears of gay marriage, women in combat, unisex toilets, end of the nuclear family
Activists like PS campaigned against it “STOP ERA” - 50,000 members
What impact did opposers to women’s rights have?
70% of those contacted by NRTLC turned out to vote in congressional elections in 1978 (2X national average), 50% donated at least $25
What did Beverley La Haye establish in 1979?
Concerned Women for America (CWA) to fight against ERA and abortion. Had 500,000 members by mid 1980s. Wanted women to stay at home, look after the family and not deprive men of possible employment.
What rights did union members and non union members have in the 1970s?
1973 - TUs had collective bargaining rights. They won health insurance, life insurance, paid vacations and pensions. Non union members had few rights but a minimum wage and maximum working hours.
How many people belonged to a trade union in 1970?
19 million
How many people were affected by strikes in 1974?
1.8 million employees affected by strikes and lockouts. 31.8 million working days lost
What strikes occurred in the 1970s?
- 1970 - largest public employees strike - 200,000 postal workers went on strike, gov approved their collective bargaining rights but not their right to strike
- 1977 - United Mine Workers 109 day strike led to a fuel shortage that caused layoffs and school closures
What legal factor caused decline of unions?
Common site picketing was illegal after 1951.
Less membership than other industrialised nations
Why were unions in decline?
- Anti communism - associated TUs with communism
- Corruption scandals - the leader of the transportation workers’ union was jailed in 1967
- Thought TUs and strikes damaged the economy
Where were unions the strongest?
- In heavy manufacturing industries
- 1973-1980: 80% of new private sector jobs were in low paid service/retail areas. These workers often part time and harder to unionise
Why were there less union members in the South?
PW economic boom in the South. Owed to interstate highway system, growing use of air conditioning and anti union traditions in the South. Made it hard to attract members.
