Postwar, Civil Rights, & Activism

Postwar, Civil Rights, & Activism TAKS Review of chapters 20, 21, and 23

Cause/Effect of Prosperity after the war – chapter 21 Conglomerates Chains Franchises Americans learned their lesson from the 1920s and diversified business interests to maximize profits.

Computers impact our culture Invention of trasistors → creation of computers → technology industry

Vaccines To improve the quality of life, vaccines made common diseases a thing of the past.

G.I. BILL • GI Bill provided the following: • Money for college • Money for housing

Automobiles • Became a necessity • Status symbol • Created changes in auto industry • Created more roads and highways

Betty Friedan • Provided critique of the “ideal of womanhood” in book • Challenged -> woman choose between family and work Got people thinking and questioning

Rock and Roll • Immediately attracted teens • Crossed ethnic boundaries • Received backlash from adults -> fear immortality/mixing of races

Truman Fair Deal Supported FDR’s “New Deal” 1). Created 31 pt program to promote employment, higher wages and unemployment compensation 2). Control atomic energy

Truman Civil Rights • Prejudice • Congress and him -> not eye to eye • Banned discrimination in hiring fed. employees

Checkers speech • Falsely accused by Democrats of having a secret fund • Eisenhower threatened to drop from ticket • Nixon goes on TV to plead case • He did receive a gift – Checkers, the cocker spaniel Richard Nixon

National Aeronautics & Space Administration • To answer the challenge of Soviet’s Sputnik • Created space exploration • Led to National Defense Education Act (improve • math and science in schools)

Chapter 21 Civil Rights Movement

Migration • Many African Americans move north • Large cities provide job opportunities • Creation of black communities • Gain social and political prominence

Brown vs. Board of Education(of Topeka Kansas) • Unanimous decision • Landmark Supreme Court Case • Reverses Plessy vs. Ferguson • SEPARATE IS NOT EQUAL! • Most accepted unless in deep South

Montgomery Bus Boycott • Began when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus • MLK becomes vocal leader • Movement boycotted all public transportation • Bus company eventually changed segregation policy

NAACP moves towards changes in segregation • National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples • Worked in courts to fight segregation and discrimination • Legal Defense headed by Thurgood Marshall • Successes included: • Higher pay • Equality in educational facilities

Non-violent Protests • Movement headed by Martin Luther King • Used Ghandi as his example • Protest in love – show Christian morals and love to all • Do not retaliate out of fear or hate

SNCC & SCLC • Student-non violent Coordinating Committee • Began at Raleigh, NC • For students to take an active role to play than SNCC or NAACP • South Christian Leadership Conference • Advocated non-violent protests • Concentrated in the South

Sit-ins • Started by 4 black college students • To protest the all-white lunch counters • Did this in all Southern states EXCEPT Mississippi • Forced businesses to make a decision about serving them or leaving them and a disruption would evolve • Many were taunted, punched, beaten, and called names during these protests

Television & effects on Civil Rights • TV became an avenue for all of America to witness the problems of violence in the South • Every home in America could see police officers and citizens as they reacted violently towards peaceful demonstrators • It changed America’s perception of how things were handled in the South

March on Washington • Aug 1963 – more than 200,000 people from all walks of life from all over the country met in DC • Religious leaders, writers, entertainers, sports stars – all united to show their support • Martin Luther King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech

Civil Rights Act of 1964 • JFK is assassinated 3 months after the March on Washington • Johnson wanted to pass this bill in memory of JFK’s legacy for change • After much debate, the bill was finally passed

24th Amendment and its impact • The poll tax had been used in the South in many states since right after the Civil War • Now, almost 100 years later, it was finally banned • African Americans could now cast their vote without having to pay to do so

Malcolm X • Over time, there was the emergence of more militant political leaders • Malcolm X – “By any means necessary” • Became militant after joining Black Muslims • Spread dreams of Black nationalism • Disagreed with early tactics of the Civil Rights movement • Was assassinated in 1965

Black Panthers • Were taught to know the enemy – all whites • Wanted blacks to lead their own communities • Wanted federal gov’t to rebuild the ghettos • Extremely militant – most times they were in clashes with police so they did not get as much accomplished as they would have liked

Robert Kennedy • Brother to JFK • Was Attorney General to US • Crusader for Civil Rights • Wanted to run for the Democratic nomination for Pres, but was assassinated in 1968

Shirley Chisholm • First black woman elected to Congress • Worked to sponsor programs for the urban poor and child welfare programs • Overcame many obstacles herself to win the election from New York • Served many terms in Congress

Chapter 23 – Era of Activism

Impact of Civil Rights on Women • Civil rights provided women with a model for action • It taught them legal tactics to use to fight for rights in the courts • Worked to amend the Civil Rights Act to include no discrimination based on gender

Feminists • Began to meet in groups from students and on up in age • Began looking at roles of women – how society views them • Led to founding of N.O.W. (Nat’l Organization for Women • Pressured Congress for equal pay for equal work

Roe vs. Wade • Landmark Supreme Court decision • Based on personal privacy • Struck down regulation of abortion in first 3 months

Cesar Chavez & United Farms Workers • Hero to Latinos and Anglos • Helped improve life of all migrant farmers • Moved to bring them more opportunities and better pay as well as better education

American Indian Movement • Begun by 2 Chippewa activists • Fight for Indian Treaty Rights – better conditions & opportunities • Wanted autonomy in government & to control their own natural resources

Environmental Movement • Begun by Rachel Carson • Wrote Silent Spring • Made consumers aware of things like DDT that was used to kill insects but poisoned people and animals • Led to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Government’s response to environmental problems • Creation of the EPA – nation’s watchdog on environmental issues • Also led to the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act to regulate toxins and pollutants in our environment – businesses now were held accountable

50’s - Conservatism • Fathers went off to work, usually in a suit • Mom stayed home in the suburbs and cooked, cleaned, and raised the children • Life was comfortable, convenient, and safe • Very patriotic • Traditional marriages • religious

60’s - change • Beginning of the drug culture • LSD and marijuana become drugs of choice • Many lived in communes rather than traditional marriages • Shared responsibilites • Music – loud rock and roll • Woodstock • Departure from classical and Big Band • Dress was casual and loose

Postwar, Civil Rights, & Activism