United States History from 1877
to the Present Day
An Online United States History Course
The Movement for Human Rights (2 1/2 Weeks)
Fueled by changes brought about in the 1960's, including the death of John F. Kennedy and the Vietnam War, many Americans took to the streets to protest the injustices they saw in race, religion, economic status and the huge excesses in wealth and power. Unit 8 depicts the many groups that perused change and corrections in the American fabric.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is a common name to almost all Americans. He was a very famous leader of the marches and peaceful protests that he and his organizations conducted. He was leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott after the arrest of Rosa Parks. She had dared to not give up her seat on a Montgomery bus and was taken to jail. King formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to work for non-violent protest of inequity in American society. He was most famous for his speech delivered at the March on Washington in 1963 titled “I have a Dream.” See the video. Link to Page
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have a Dream"
Brown v. Board of Education of Topika, KA
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the major legislation dealing with civil rights issues. It outlawed discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It required equal access to public places and employment, and enforced desegregation of schools and the right to vote. It did not end discrimination, but it did provide for improvement in conditions that minorities and women had to deal with.
Dr. King and the Montgomery Bus Boycott
President Johnson and the Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Modern African American Civil Rights Movement
Link to Page: The National Parks Page on the Civil Right Movement
The Modern African American Civil Rights movement has its origins in the past, but the more modern aspects of the movement have their beginning in 1954, when Rosa Parks refused to give her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. The leaders of the movement include such household names as, Martin Luther King, Jr., Ralph Abernathy, Malcom X, Lewis Farrakhan, Julian Bond, Medgar Evers, and many more. The struggle was aimed for the most part at protection of voting right and ending segregation in public accommodation, education, and jobs.
President George H. W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a civil rights legislation centered on helping people with differences, those depending on chairs and walking devices, and those with mental challenges, to become a part of the Civil Rights Act. Reports on the number of people covered by the law vary widely, from some 14 million to as many as 43 million. It has helped many breakdown artificial barrios so they can function more fully in society and have full employment opportunities.
Hispanic Americans
Hispanic Americans have a long history and tradition in America. The original European settlers were pushed off most lands in American by the middle of the 1800's. Hispanics have had a misunderstood background. Hispanics were often called Mexicans whether they were from Mexico, Spain or Cuba; they were confined to the barrios in towns throughout the western states and territories. Once the original cowboys, they found little work on ranches as Anglo, and freed African Americans moved west after the American Civil War. In World War II, when workers were needed for the defense plants and shipyards, as well as the need for soldiers, Central and South Americans were ushered in to help. Bracero , meaning "manual laborer," was a program started by the United States government to eliminate labor shortages during World War II. Thousands of workers were used to supplement labor shortages during the war, along with American women and African Americans who had not traditionally worked at construction and factory jobs. Many of these workers became quite skilled. By 1963, the bracero program was stopped and Hispanics were bused back to Mexico. Strict immigration and border patrols were started to keep people from entering America at the southern border. Immigration policy has been protested ever since by the Latino community. President Barack Obama's issued an executive order granting amnesty to thousands of Hispanic undocumented workers living in the United States. (Ronald Reagan had issued a similar order during his administration.) Very controversial, many in Congress, mostly Republicans, have said that he overstepped his bounds. LULAC and other Hispanic oriented groups have fought stereotypes and poverty among Latinos for decades. Cesar Chavez worked tirelessly for migrant workers rights, mostly Hispanic, until his death in 1993. Most famous during his protests was a 300 mile walk to the California state capital in Sacramento. He was harassed and jailed, held a hunger strike, and still continued his walk. He helped form the United Farm Workers, a union for migrants sponsored by the Teamsters' Union. The fight still continues for improved conditions for migrant labor and day laborers across the nation who face unsafe conditions and low pay.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
Link to Page
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a piece of legislation that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson during the Civil Rights Movement. Congress designed it to enforce the voting rights guaranteed by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. The Voting Rights Act resulted in many racial minorities throughout the country, especially in the South, voting for the first time and without fear. I ended the artificial restrictions to voting such as literacy tests, intimidation and harassment, and brutality. It also placed federal "watchdogs" to police polling places in areas traditionally known for not allowing minorities and the poor to vote.
Civil Rights and the 1950s: Crash Course US History #39 - Fast talking Jon Greeen with yet another history video
Helen Reddy- Composer of "I AM Woman"
Helen Reddy wrote and sang "I Am Woman" became the theme song of the feminist movement during the highly charged 1970s. Helen known for his hair-style and perkie performances, made this song her signature piece. People still decades later remember her for this song, despite the fact she had an abundance of other "top ten" records. Helen Reddy became a favorite on American television even though she is from Australlia.
Alcatraz - Indian Occupation/Protest - 1969
The American Indian Movement
A brief Overview of the American Indian Movement
Alcatraz island Prison Native American Occupation
The American Indian Movement (AIM) was formed in July of 1968 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. AIM was initially formed to address American Indian tribes and had researched treaty issues and found countless examples of where the U. S. government had broken teary requirements without retribution to Native members. AIM addressed respect, spirituality, leadership, police harassment, and racism against Native Americans. They wished to clean up reservation land and restore tribal culture reverse the U.S. federal government policy of Indian Termination Policies originally created in the 1930s. "As independent citizens and taxpayers, without good education or experience, most relocated Native Americans were reduced within a few years to widespread illness and devastation, and few educational opportunities on the reservations. The numerous Native Americans living with severe poverty, domestic violence, and substandard housing, drug addiction and alcoholism, were major issues AIM sought to eliminate. In the 1970's Native American tribes would open casinos and clubs, smoke shops, package liquor stores, and made their own license plates for raising revenue.
Rock 'n' Roll Music
In 1951, Disc Jockey Alan Freed began playing a new kind of music in a Cleveland, Ohio radio station. He had played a song titled, "My Baby Rocks Me with a Steady Roll," which was a cover of Trixie Smith's song from the 1920's. From the song title, Freed said that this record sure rocks and rolls. It became rock ‘n’ roll and went on to become the most popular music of any time period sell more records and making more money than any other. Rock ‘n’ roll was characterized by the use of electric guitars, a strong drum set with a heavy offbeat, and lyrics aimed at teenagers and preteens. The music was popular on 45 RPM records that sold for about 50 cents and often three for a dollar. They were called 45’s because they ran on a speed of 45 revolutions per minute rather than 78 which was standard, and were much thinner than the old thick vinyl records that broke easily. They required a center plug (distinctively yellow or red ) to fit on the spindle of a record player. Artists were largely African American which many white people disliked. Many young people loved listening to "race" music, which helped ease the color barrios in America. The kids just wanted to listen to hip popular music no matter what the race of the artist was. Many white artists “covered” race records with slower and less wild renditions. Many African Americans wrote their own music and were forced to sell cheaply the rights to their music for only pennies. Many in all races called it the “Devil’s Music.” Record smashing, record burning and record tosses were held at churches by ministers who claimed the music was causing juvenile delinquency and crime. Rock ‘n’ roll change to rock, hard rock, punk and other versions of the original rock ‘n’ roll. Some claimed that Little Ricard started it. Bo Diddly claimed to have started it playing on the streets of Detroit playing for handouts. His "beat" influenced musicians through our current time. Others say Big Mamma Thornton started it when she recorded her song “Hound dog” later covered by Elvis Presley. Later folk music evolved into rock ‘n’ roll along with country music and message songs and protest songs emerged led by Bob Dylan.
Link to Page
The United Nations
The United States joined the United Nations as a charter member in 1945 and is part of the Security Council. The idea for a “united group of countries” was born from Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points in which he wrote of a "firm league of friendship." His proposal of a League of Nations, was never entered into by the United States and it quickly disbanded in spite of the U. S. giving land in San Francisco, California for such a group to meet. After World War II, nations wishing to never again experience what the Nazis had done to the Jewish (and other people) met to avert war by passing resolutions and sanctions against human right’s violations. They wished to avert war.
In 1950, however, the U. N. went on a mission to keep peace in Korea, spearheaded by President Harry S Truman and the American Military, including General Douglas MacArthur. While it was a peace mission, it involved heaving fighting on both sides. It ended in a stalemate and U. N. (mostly American) troops still are present over 60 years later. The U. N. had sponsored food relief, medical care, building projects, water treatment plants, and many other humanitarian aid projects throughout the world. The UNICEF aid for children’s missions is one of the best known U. N. projects.
Music and Protest
Link to Page: Women's History Timeline LINK
Link to Page: Scholatic Magazine's History of the Women's Movement
The Women's Movement
Women have long been considered by many to be less than equal to men in the world. Throughout history women have been seen a less intelligent and unable to endure hardships such as working in fields, factories, and universities. In many societies women could not attend schools and colleges and could not do anything other than the household tasks of the day. Women in 1848 gathered with their husbands and male friends to hold a women’s rights convention. At Seneca Falls, New York, they gathered to draw up the women’s declaration of independence based on Jefferson’s work. The group’s efforts were somewhat fruitless because soon after the American Civil War was taking shape and in 1861 north was fighting south. The effort to gain the right to vote was foremost on the agenda, but would not happen until 1919 with the 19th amendment. These women who pushed for the right to vote were called suffragettes because they wished for universal suffrage or the franchise to vote legally in all elections. When the women did get the right to vote, it seemed the movement was over. Many women, however, felt that other issues were not being addressed such as equal pay, sexual harassment, and work place conditions. Title IX was also on the forefront. Women wished to have the same educational and sports opportunities as men. With the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 1968 and Title IX, women could receive scholarships and awards, have their own practice fields and courts, and gain admittance to programs and contracts previously open only to men. Today women are still fighting for equal pay.
The biggest and most controversial issue in the women’s movement has been child birth and marriage. Roe v. Wade and similar cases fought for a woman’s right to privacy, but had the effect of making abortions legal during certain parts of a woman’s pregnancy. This case has prompted protests from right-to-life groups and militant groups who have bombed clinics who practice abortion and have killed doctors.
Many women like Phyllis McAlpin Schlafly organized moves to champion stay-at-home mothers and wives. Schafly wrote books, appeared on talk shows, and wrote newspaper columns that said women should serve their husbands and treat them as the head of the house following their decisions.
The move has opened up the options women have in the world today. Women are choosing to marry later in life. Women have taken jobs traditionally not available to them. Females now serve on the board of directors for all major corporations, institutions and universities. Women comprise the majority of heads of households in the world. More women have money and financial stability and do not depend on men or fathers to feed and cloth them, today.
The Little Rock Nine
Nine African American students became the first to integrate the all-white Little Rock Central High School in 1957. The original number had been higher, but when NAACP Representative, Daisy Bates, whet to enroll the students, the principal refused. She then came back with nine students who were finally given admission because of a court ruling. The only original member of the nine students, Ernest Green, was the first African American graduate of Central High School. Ernest Green is interviewed in this video.
Ernest Green, first African American to Graduate From Little Rock Central High School Part of the Little Rock Nine
Women were not allowed basic rights and privileges granted to men and even boys throughout much of history. Equal pay, ownership of property, voting, negotiation of contracts, and access to public buildings and education have been but a few of the issues women have protested against. Once women had the right to vote with the 19th Amendment, many assumed that the women's movement was over for the most part. But after World War II women were no longer content to be merely mothers and wives. They had greatly helped in the war effort by making military parts, welding, riveting, building, and completing major work on engines and vehicle designs. So, while women gave up jobs to marry returning soldiers, they did not forget what they had achieved. In the 1960's, post-war women wanted greater opportunities. Many women who were involved in the defense plants went back to work to buy necessities and luxuries. Baby boomer daughters had heard the stories of their gallant mothers working to win the war. They wanted to experience the life of an educated, working woman. Many women delayed marriage and childbirth. The educational opportunities for women were lacking. Many women were accused of going to college to get a "Mrs." Degree. They were just going to college to play and get a man. This was not the case for most women, but yet scholarships, research grants, athletics, dormitory facilities, and laboratory spaces were lacking. Title IX was brought in to allow more opportunities for women along with other programs that made it illegal to exclude women from sports, and scholarships. It also made it illegal to not provide practice facilities and gym facilities for women if they were provided for men. It paved the way for females to become trainers and gain jobs working in the college sports world. It also applied to high schools and the sports and facilities available to women.
Title IX at age 40: The View From the Field
Administration on Aging (OAA): Older Americans Act
Congress passed the Older Americans Act (OAA) in 1965. Most older Americans face low incomes, poverty, and a lack of social services. A wide variety of people have been helped with the act. Native American, Hawaiians, and the handicapped have all formed charitable organization from the funds provided by the act. Service centers, gyms, cafeterias, and housing projects have come from the funds. A host of other laws have been enacted that deal with issue faced by older American adults. States have enacted major reform of clinics, nursing homes, housing projects, and others that deal with serving American seniors.
Board of Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
The Bakke Case is important to the discussion of civil rights and affirmative action in the past 50 years. Alan Bakke, a Caucasian American, sued because he was denied admission to medical school because of lower test scores, only to find out that a group of minority students were granted admission even with lower test scores than his own.
The Bakke case brought into question contracts reserved for women and minority owned companies and adding women and minority men to staff positions to bring about more racial equality. Many believed that affirmative action was no longer necessary. Others questioned qualifications of those hired under affirmative action. While The Supreme Court's decision favored Bakke, affirmative action still exists.
Link to Page
Affirmative Action
Affirmative action is the process and policies of the government to help make-up for the lack of opportunity that many women and minorities faced in the past, such as educational opportunities, government and private contracts, and career fields that often were seen as for white men only. According to the Department of Labor, “For federal contractors and subcontractors, affirmative action must be taken by covered employers to recruit and advance qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. Affirmative actions include training programs, outreach efforts, and other positive steps. These procedures should be incorporated into the company’s written personnel policies. Employers with written affirmative action programs must implement them, keep them on file and update them annually.”
Link to Page
June 24, 1979 Vietnamese Boat People - The Price of Freedom - 60 Minutes CBS
Asian Americans
Asian immigration to North America over the last fifty years has greatly increased. During and after the Vietnam War, many refugees came to America using whatever they could find to cross the Pacific Ocean to The West Coast of the United States and Canada. The "Boat People" as they were branded, come to America as the prospects of winning the Vietnam War were looking grim. Many took barges or small boats which were crowed and had few supplies. Other countries, such as Cambodia and Laos, were under tyrannical regimes from dictators who were abusing and killing citizens. The Camargue had killed thousands of Cambodians. Thailand was also under a dictatorship which abused human rights. Asian people walked and took bicycles to the coastal areas and escaped as best they could. Host families in America sponsored the refugees and helped them settle and find work. As China and India made travel to the west easier and with less restriction, many families and single high school age students came to America in hopes of gaining admission to U. S. colleges and universities. Many Asian women and children have unfortunately been victims of human trafficking and the drug trade. Overall, Asian families have fared better than European and South American immigrants in the standard of living. Many Asians run stores, teach in the nations universities, and serve as engineers for major companies. Many doctors and lawyers have come from the Asian community. Asian women have a higher income on average than most American women. Still, Asian Americans fight gang activity that is rampent in their communities and prejudice that occurs in all aspects of their life.
Humans Push Animal Rights
Animal rights have been in existence for many years, but in the last 50 years have taken on new meaning and debate. Groups such as the SPCA, PETA, and anti-animal testing groups (and over 1000 other animal rights groups around the world) have publicized the harm done to animals. Spay and neuter advocats have tried to control animal overpopulation by offering low cost or even free clinics. Vegetarian and vegan groups have protested human consumption of meat and fish. Rescue groups have saved animals from kill shelters (places where animals are disposed of it not adopted in a set time frame) and cleaned up areas where oil and tars have been spilled such as the Gulf Coast and Alaska.
Link to Page
The Environmental Movement: Earth Day
Link to Page: Rachel Carson, Silent Spring
Link to Page: Earth Day, Read More
Link to Page: The First Earth Day
Earth Day is celebrated every April 22. The day marks the events in 1970 when people across the nation and other parts of the world attempted to publicize and educate people about the serious problems humans were creating in the environment. The day was used to clean up areas, repaint, build parks, and even went as far as burring automobile motors, protest polluting corporations, and to hold demonstrations at city halls in major cities. Each year, Earth Day has progress to be more about solving problems, finding alternative energy sources, and make the public aware of renewable and sustainable resources. The EPA, with the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, were a direct result of the movement by concerned citizens. Areas such as Love Canal, Times Beach, and Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant explosion further added to the concern of many people and the federal government was forced to clean-up and make companies clean-up the messes made. When the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground in the north Pacific Ocean, and The BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico due to faulty equipment, the government and the courts headed down huge fines and restriction to be placed on these companies.
Link to Page: CBS news report on the Exxon Valdez
Study Guide Questions for Unit Eight Evaluation
-
Why was the N. O. W. formed? What has it achieved?
-
Who was Cesar Chavez? What cause did he spend his life working for?
-
What struggles have Asian Americans had when coming to America? What do problems do they face today?
-
What did the song, I Am Woman, accomplish for the women’s movement?
-
What did separate but equal mean and why was it enforced in the last century?
-
How did Title IX change women’s rights in America?
-
What is affirmative action? Why and how has it been used?
-
What has been done to bring about respect older adult’s rights and privileges?
-
What has happened to the rights of Spanish-descendant Americans and Latinos?
-
What people and other areas of society still need help in gaining their rights and issues that concern them?
