The Counterculture

& Protest1960 - 1980

Chapter 27

The Youth MovementChallenged:

Political & social system Conventional Middle Class values Inspired by the Beats (of the 1950’s) Originated with “Baby Boomers” By 1970- 58.4% of US 34 years oldor younger. 1960-1965- enrollment in 4 year collegeswent from 3.1 million to 5 million.

* (1959)Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)1962*Port Huron Statement (Tom Hayden)

Anti-Vietnam War Anti-Big Corporation & Big Government Anti-Apathy Also worked against poverty, nuclear power & racism

Free Speech Movement

*Mario Savio (leader) UC Berkley limited student

publications & recruitment for political causes

Dec. 1964- Savio & UC Berkeley students held sit-ins on campus & police arrested 700.

Supreme Court said students have a right to free speech and assembly on campus

The CountercultureMostly white middle classHippies- rejected societyCommunes

Living & working together away from the rest of society

*Haight Ashbury DistrictPopular destination for US hippies (San Francisco)New Religion Unification Church Hare Krishna

Decline & Impact of the Counterculture

After a few years the counterculture declined.Reasons: 1. Hippie communes became dangerous2. Drug addiction =(death & overdoses)3. Many hippies got older & moved on Impact of the Counterculture.4. Fashion- wore cheap surplus clothes from earlier

decades, long hair= rejected consumerism5. Music- made use of folk music & rhythm &

blues. 1969-Woodstock (up state NY)- outdoor music

festival featured singers Bob Dylan, The Who etc.

ArtPop Art

Contained elements of popular culture

Andy Warhol Pop artist Famous people

MusicBeatlesBob Dylan Jimi HendrixAll of these created a

bigger generation gap between old & young

Woodstock Upstate NY August 1969 Festival of music

A Renewed Women’s Movement 19th Amendment (1920)

granted women the right to vote.

Next 40 years, women’s movement had little influence.

WWII- women given greater opportunities for work outside home.

Post WWII- society emphasized a homemaking role.

1960 –1/3 of married women were part of the paid workforce.

Women and the Workplace

Newspaper ads separated jobs by gender.

Banks denied women credit.

Women paid less than men for doing same work.

President’s Commission on the Status of Women (Kennedy)

1963- Equal Pay Act passed.

The Feminist Movement Feminism

belief that men and women should be equal politically, economically and socially

*The Feminine Mystique By *Betty Friedan – best selling

book Exposed sense of dissatisfaction

women had with the traditional role. Title VII: of the Civil Rights Act of

1964 outlawed job discrimination based on gender

National Organization for Women (NOW) Demanded greater educational

opportunities (formed by Friedan & others).

The Feminist MovementGloria Steinem: author & public figure - one of the

movement’s leading figures (editor—Ms. Magazine).

*Title IX: prohibited federally funded schools from discriminating against women

1973- Roe v Wade: ruled that the states could not regulate abortion in the first 3 months of pregnancy because it was a time that would violate the woman’s right to privacy- abortion is legal!

Right to Life: anti-abortion movementEqual Rights Amendment: would have protected

women against discrimination – it failed (3 states refused to ratify) opposition –Phyllis Schlafly

African Americans *Affirmative Action:

companies doing business with federal government should actively recruit African American employees to improve social and economic status

*University of California Regents v Bakke (1978): ruled schools could use racial criteria as part of their

admissions process but couldn’t use fixed quotas

Swan v Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education (1970) : upheld the constitutionality of busing – transporting

minority students to fully integrate schools

White Flight: Whites responded by removing their students from public schools

African AmericansJesse Jackson:

political leader People United to Save Humanity

(PUSH) worked at registering voters,

developing African American businesses and educational opportunities

Congressional Black Caucus: 1971 African American members

of Congress organized to more clearly represent the legislative concerns of blacks

Hispanic Americans*Cesar Chavez:

fought for farm workers for increased wages, union recognition and better benefits

Created United Farm WorkersLa Raza Unida (1969):

political party begun in Texas to represent Hispanics

Bilingualism: teaching in Spanish while also learning English argument - they would be at a competitive

disadvantage with English speakers because difficult to understand in another language

1968 Bilingual Education Act: directed schools to set up classes for

immigrants in their own language as they were learning English

Native AmericansDeclaration of Indian Purpose:

called for policies to create greater economic opportunities on reservations

Instead of wanting assimilation they wanted more independence.

Indian Civil Rights Act: guaranteed reservation residents the

protection of the Bill of Rights

American Indian Movement: a more militant group that made stands at

Alcatraz and Wounded Knee in 1970’s.

Indian Self-Determination and Educational Assistance Act: increased funds for Native American

education expanded local control in administering

federal programs

Save the Earth *Rachel Carson- *“Silent Spring”- book about pesticide’s effect on the

environment. 1970- Earth Day:

Day devoted to addressing nation’s environmental concernsEnvironmental Protection Agency: created in 1970 by Nixon – set and enforced pollution standards, promoted research and

coordinated state activitiesClean Air Act: 1970 Nixon established emissions standards for factories and

automobiles & ordered industries to comply with standards Clean Water Act: 1972

restricted the discharge of pollutants into the nations’ lakes and rivers

Endangered Species Act: 1973 established measures for saving threatened animal species

Three Mile Island: March 28, 1979 nuclear facility outside of Harrisburg Pennsylvania overheated after its

cooling system failed & low levels of radiation escaped National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act:

Ralph Nader in 1966 regulated the automobile industry for the first time in safety