Chapter 17
AN ERA OF PROTEST AND CHANGE
I. Culture and Counterculture
Ø Counterculture – a movement made up mostly of white middle-class college youths who had grown disillusioned with the war in Vietnam and injustices in America during the 1960’s.
q They turned their backs on Traditional American society.
The Counterculture
1. “Tune in, Turn on, Drop Out”
§ Members of the counterculture were known as hippies.
§ Did not like the materialism, technology and war of American society.
§ What did many youths attempt to create?
2. Hippie Culture
§ Marked by rock-n-roll music, outrageous clothing, sexual freedom, and illegal drugs. Who promoted LSD?
§ Also rejected conventional home life and joined communes
§ Where was the so-called hippie “capital”?
3. Decline in the Movement
§ After only a few years, the counterculture’s peace and harmony gave way to violence and disillusionment. LIST examples
A Changing Culture
Ø Although short-lived, some aspects of the counterculture left a more lasting imprint on the world.
1. Art
§ The 1960’s saw a rise in pop art (popular art)
§ IDENTIFY Andy Warhol
2. Rock Music
§ The band that, perhaps more than any other, helped propel rock music into the mainstream was the Beatles
§ One example of rock’s popularity occurred in August 1969 on a farm in upstate New York – it was called “Woodstock”
3. Changing Attitudes
§ While the counterculture movement faded, its casual “do your own thing” philosophy left its mark.
§ The prime example of this was the sexual revolution
The Conservative Response
Ø In the late 1960’s, many believed that the country was losing its sense of right and wrong.
1. Conservatives Attack the Counterculture
§ What were some of the arguments of Conservatives?
§ The angry response of mainstream Americans caused a profound change in the political landscape of the United States – a growing conservative movement was taking hold.
II. Women Fight for Equality
Ø Betty Friedan wrote a book, the Feminine Mystique, that talked about how many women were not satisfied with their place in society.
New Women’s Movement Arises
Ø Feminism = the belief that women should have economic, political, and social equality with men.
1. Women in the Workplace
§ The jobs available to women – mostly clerical work, domestic service, retail sales, social work, teaching, and nursing – paid poorly.
§ Were also not paid the same or promoted as frequent.
2. Women and Activism
§ Ironically, where were women discriminated in the 60’s?
§ These experiences led women to organize themselves.
3. The Women’s Movement Emerges
§ The Feminine Mystique became a best seller and helped to galvanize women across the country – by the late 1960’s women were working together for change
The Movement Experiences Gains and Losses
1. The Creation of NOW
§ Betty Friedan created the National Organization for Women in 1966 to pursue women’s goals
§ IDENTIFY some of these goals.
2. A Diverse Movement
§ 175,000 women joined NOW in the first 3 years.
§ One group, New York Radical Women, demonstrated at the Miss America pageant – dressed a sheep up and declared it Miss America.
§ Gloria Steinem founded a liberal group that encouraged women to seek political office
3. Legal and Social Gains
§ Excluding girls from male sports was questioned, gender discrimination in education programs was banned, etc.
4. Roe v. Wade - 1973
§ NOW supported a woman’s choice to have an abortion.
§ The Supreme Court agreed and made abortion legal in 1973.
5. The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
§ Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment in 1972
§ What did this amendment propose?
§ Who was Phyllis Schlafly?
6. The New Right Emerges
§ In order to combat the ERA and pro-abortion supporters, conservatives built what they called a new “pro-family” movement.
§ They were able to block the ERA from passing.
The Movement’s Legacy
Ø Despite ERA’s defeat, the women’s movement altered society in countless ways, such as transforming women’s conventional roles and their attitudes towards career and family.
Ø The movement also succeeded in expanding career opportunities for women
III. Latinos and Native Americans Seek Equality
The Latino Presence Grows
Ø During the 1960’s, the Latino population in the US grew from 3 to 9 million.
1. Latinos of Varied Origins
§ Mexican = largest group; southwest and California
§ Puerto Ricans = began migrating in 1898; east coast cities (New York)
§ Cubans = New York City, New Jersey, Miami; fled Communist rule
v Encountered racism; most lived in segregated barrios or neighborhoods.
Latinos Fight for Change
Ø As the presence of Latinos in the US grew, so too did their demand for greater representation and better treatment.
1. The Farm Worker Movement
§ Key organizer was Caesar Chavez; believed in non-violence and used a nationwide boycott against California grapes to get their union accepted.
§ United Farm Workers Organizing Committee.
2. Cultural Pride
§ “Brown power” movements were started all over the country; demanded bilingual education and money for heritage programs
3. Political Power
§ During the 60’s 8 Hispanic Americans served in the House
§ What was La Raza Unida?