Women’s Rights, Hispanics, Native Americans

Objective: Describe the Women’s Movement, the Hispanic Movement, and the Native American Movement

during the 1950s and 1960s.Including: Cultural and Environmental issues.

How did people react to Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring?

• READ page 939-942• A controversial book that sold ½ million copies

in six months and was discussed widely. The chemical industry attempted to discredit Ms. Carson and her arguments but American began to see the need to focus on environmental issues.

What were the environmental issues that helped motivate people to make changes and begin an

Environmental movement?

• DDT was affecting birds, fish, and other creatures that might ingest them. Timber companies were cutting down forest with little concern for the effects upon the environment. Smog was developing in cities from both auto emissions and factory emissions causing dirty air and possible lung problems. Oil spills off the coast of California in Santa Barbara due to off shore oil platforms. Stopping the natural flow of water to the Everglades causing the destruction of an ecosystem. Pollution and dumping in Lake Eire that virtually wipes out the fish in the lake.

What government agencies and laws were passed to monitor the environment?

• With the awareness of environmental issues came the creation of government agencies(with pressure from environmental groups such as the Sierra Club) to monitor the environment and the industries that polluted. In 1970 President Nixon signed the National Environmental Policy Act which created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that enforced pollution standards and promoted research. The Clean Air Act became law in 1970 that established emissions standards for factories and automobiles. The Clean Water Act became law in 1972 restricting discharge of pollutants into lakes and rivers. The Endangered Species Act (1973) established methods for saving threatened animal species.

Why were citizens concerned with Nuclear power?

• While supporters of Nuclear energy stated it was cleaner and less expensive to fossil fuels others were concerned with possible leakage of radiation and what to do with the spent radioactive fuel which is dangerous to well over 180,000 years. Because of the accident at three-mile island nuclear power plant and other problems around the world many nuclear plants have been shut down and no new one’s built since 1973.

Go to page 928 – Successes and Failures--Summarize this section (each red subtitle).

• Striving for Equality in Education, Roe v. Wade, The Equal Rights Amendment, The Impact of the Women’s Movement.

When was the Equal Pay Act passed, and what was it?

• In most cases outlawed paying men more than women for the same job.

Where were women protected under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act?

• This was part of the 1964 Civil Rights Act that outlawed job discrimination by private employers.

What was Title IX?

• Prohibited federally funded schools from discriminating against girls and young women in all aspects of operation including athletics. (Now schools will normally have an equal number of women’s athletic programs with men’s programs).

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How was abortion regulated until 1973?

• It was reserved by the States to regulate abortion prior to the decision in Roe v. Wade in 1973.

READ page 935-937 Hispanic and Native American Movements.

• How were Hispanics discriminated against?• They faced prejudice in access to education,

housing, and employment.

Who organized groups to help Hispanics? In what industry? What did they try to do?

• Cesar Chavez (merged both organizations into United Farm Workers- UFW) and Dolores Huerta fought for rights of Hispanics in farm industry jobs by striking for increased wages, union recognition, and better benefits.

What was passed in 1968 to aid immigrants? What was its intent?

• The Bilingual Education Act was passed in 1968 to teach immigrants in their own language as they were learning English. The intent was to teach the content in the language of the learner so that they would not be disadvantaged. Now the movement is away from this approach but instead use total immersion. But the Supreme Court did uphold the Act in 1974.

What were some of the problems faced by Native Americans?

• Native Americans had lower family income than White and African-Americans, unemployment rate was 10 times the national rate, those living off the reservation were confronted with discrimination in jobs and limited access to education and training. In addition, the life expectancy of Native Americans was seven years below the national average.

What was passed in 1968 to Aid Native Americans?

• In 1968 Congress passed the Indian Civil Rights Act which guaranteed reservation residents the protection of the Bill of Rights and recognized the legitimacy of local reservation law.

What happened at Wounded Knee in 1973?

• Members of the American Indian Movement captured the town of Wounded Knee (location of a massacre in 1890 of N.A. by federal troops) and held it for 70 days protesting the administration of reservations and government treaties. The siege ended when the FBI raided the compounded and killed two N.A., and others on both sides were wounded.

Name five “gains” made by Native Americans.

• 1975- Indian Self-Determination and Educational Assistance Act- increased funds for N.A. education and expanded local control Federal money.

• N. A. have moved into policy-making positions at the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

• In Federal Courts N.S. won land and water rights (Pueblo regained property rights to Blue Lake).

Name five “gains” made by Native Americans- continued

• Courts gave N.A. authority to impose taxes on businesses on their reservations and perform other sovereign functions.

• N.A. reservations have improved economically by developing businesses such as electric plants, resorts, cattle ranches, oil and gas wells, and gaming casinos.