Chapter 31: Continuing Divisions and New Limits

1. Chapter 31: Continuing Divisions and New Limits 1969-1980

2. For 5 minutes, talk with a partner about everything you know about the decade of the 70s.

3. The New Politics of Identity • African American Cultural Nationalism • Black activists emphasized distinctiveness of black culture & society – growing hair into “naturals” & “afros” • 1966  Kwanzaa created to offer a celebration of a shared African heritage • Mexican American Activism • 1970  9mil lived in SW – discriminated w/ work, pay, schools, etc. • Migrant workers on strike against CA grape growers – United Farm Workers got attention (paid $0.10 when minimum wage was $1.25) • Customers boycotted & workers rewarded better wages & conditions • Chicano Movement • Fed Alliance of Grants wanted return of land that ancestors owned before US • 1969 National Chicano Liberation Youth Conference adopted manifesto to declare independence • Introduced Chicano studies & culture in schools • La RazaUnida was SW-based political party • Native American Activism • 11/1969 “Indians of All Tribes” went to Alcatraz Island demanding return of land – lasted 19 months, not successful • National Congress of American Indians & Native American Rights Fund asked Congress to govern themselves • Returned lots of land & passed Indian Self-Determinations & Edu Assistance Act • Affirmative Action • In court – hard to prove discrimination was intentional • Philadelphia Plan ordered businesses to hire “minority” people

5. The Women’s Movement and Gay Liberation • Liberal and Radical Feminism • 1966 National Organization for Women wanted to enforce Civil Rights Act • Women treated as 2nd class citizens during war • “Bra-burners” = women who went to the Miss America Pageant to protest • Accomplishments of the Women’s Movement • Worked for: Right of married women to get credit in her own name, right of single women to have birth control, right of women to be on juries, end of sex-segregated “help wanted” ads, dealing with rape victims. • 1973 Roe v. Wade  Privacy rights let women have abortions • Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) no discrimination based on sex • Opposition to the Women’s Movement • Some didn’t want to be equal – Believed it took away from fighting for racial equality • STOP-ERA Movement  Believed there would be gov’t intervention in personal lives, decriminalize rape, use a unisex toilet, & have women in military draft • ERA falls 3 states short of ratification – expires in 1982 • Gay Liberation • Pre-1973  homosexuality labeled as a mental disorder • 6/28/1969  NYPD raided Stonewall Inn b/c more than 3 homosexual men were in the bar at the same time – 1st time someone stood up to the police • By 1973  800 gay organizations in the US

7. Bra-Burners

8. The End in Vietnam • Invasion of Cambodia • “Vietnamization” = building up South Vietnamese forces to replace US: 1969  543k troops, 1972  60k • 3/1969  US bombed Cambodia for 14 months – dropped over 100k tons of bombs from aircrafts • 4/1970  South Vietnam & US invaded Cambodia – after 2 months, US troops withdrew • Protests and Counter Demonstrations • 450 college campuses on strike • May 4th Kent State University National Guardsmen fired & killed 4, wounded 11 • 6/1971 Pentagon Papers – Americans learned leaders lied to them about aims and strategies in Southeast Asia • Morale Problems in Military • Drug addiction, desertion, racial disorder, murder of unpopular officers (fragging) • My Lai Massacre (1968) = Lt William Calley charged with the killing of 300+ unarmed South Vietnamese civilians • Paris Peace Accords • 12/1972 “Christmas Bombing”  After failed peace agreement b/w North & South Vietnam – US launched massive air strike on North • 1/27/1973  Kissinger & Le DucTho signed cease-fire agreement in Paris – both violated and war erupted again • 4/29/1975  South Vietnamese gov’t collapsed & Vietnam reunified under Communist gov’t • Costs of the Vietnam War • 58k+ US & 1.5-2m Vietnamese • 100ks civilians in Cambodia & Laos • Delayed accomodationw/ USSR & China, friction b/w Allies, & alienated 3rd world countries • Debate Over the Lessons of Vietnam • “Vietnam Syndrome” = US suspicion of foreign entanglement – scared of becoming less powerful • Some blamed war on imperial presidency – let them act w/o restraint • 1973 War Powers Act  To limit president’s war-making freedom – Congress had to approve any commitment of US forces to combat action lasting 60+ days • Vietnam Veterans • Post traumatic stress disorder – some killed women, children, & elderly – felt guilty later • 1982 DC  Vietnam Veterans Museum

10. My Lai Massacre

11. Christmas Bombing

12. Nixon, Kissinger, and the World • Nixon Doctrine (7/1969) • US would give economic aid to Allies, Allies shouldn’t rely on US troops • Détente • Measured cooperation w/ Soviets thru negotiations – to limit Soviet expansion & arms buildup • Wanted to curb radicalism in 3rd world countries to avoid threats • Soviets wanted détente b/c Cold War drained their resources • 5/1972 ABM Treaty = b/w US & USSR – limit construction & deployment of intercontinental ballistic missiles • Opening to China • US wanted to end Sino-American hostility – China wanted to spur trade & make USSR scared • 1972 trip to “Red China”  Nixon met w/ Mao Zedong & Zhou Enlai – agreed to disagree on a lot except that USSR should not make gains in Asia • Wars in the Middle East • 1967 Arab-Israeli 6-day War – Israel victories against Egypt & Syria – took 28k sq mi • 100ks in Gaza & West Peninsula that Israel took over – all wanted Israel gone • 10/1973 (Yom Kippur)  Egypt & Syria attacked Israel • Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries embargoed shipments of oil to US • Anti-radicalism in Latin America & Africa • 1970 Chile  CIA started secret operation to overthrow pres Salvador Allende • 1973  Installed authoritarian regime under Gen Augusto Pinochet • South America  Nixon supported white rulers who used segregation on blacks, keeping them poor, disenfranchised, & in prison-like towns • US built ties and sent arms to Kenya and Congo

13. Presidential Politics and the Crisis of Leadership • Nixon’s Domestic Agenda • Doubled National Endowment for Arts & Humanities & created Occupational Safety & Health Admin • Republicans = law & order, Democrats = permissiveness, crime, drugs, radicalism, “Hippie Lifestyle” • Proposed minimum wage for all citizens – wanted to get rid of fed welfare system & destroy liberal bureaucracy of social workers • “Southern strategy” = nominated 2 southerners for Supreme Ct – Congress declined • Ct upheld plan that required NC schools to desegregate by bussing children to other county schools • Enemies & Dirty Tricks • Democratic nominee = George McGovern, opposed Vietnam War • 6/17  5 men caught breaking into Democratic National Committee’s Office – associated w/ Committee to Re-elect the President (Nixon won election) • “Enemy lists” = all black members of congress & Ivy League universities • Plumbers = bugged phones, infiltrated campaign staff – wrote & gave letters falsely accusing Democratic candidates of sexual misconduct • Watergate Cover-up & Investigation • Nixon not involved – still made CIA stop investigation b/c of national security • Obstructed justice (an impeachable crime) – investigation stopped • Reporters Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward continued investigation • Nixon recorded conversations in Oval Office – could prove his involvement, but he wouldn’t release them • Impeachment & Resignation • 10/1973  VP Spiro Agnew resigned – accepted bribes while MD gov– Gerald Ford now VP • 10/24/1973  House began impeachment process – Nixon released edited tapes • 7/1974  Supreme Ct made Nixon release all tapes – found reasons to impeach him • 8/9/1974  became 1st president to resign • War Powers Act & 1974 Budget & Impoundment Control Act  impossible for president to disregard congressional spending mandates

16. “I am not a crook”

17. Ford’s Presidency • Nation’s 1st unelected president • Pardoned Nixon – ending criminal charges, lost approval ratings (71%-41%) • Routinely vetoed bills (39 in 1 yr) – Congress often overrode veto • Mocked & made fun of in political cartoons & SNL – portrayed as buffoon & klutz • 1st president to discover how much rules of changed b/c president was not respected & made fun of on national news when he slipped or made a mistake • Carter as “Outsider” President • Jimmy Carter elected in 1976 – committed to racial equality & integration • Religious Christian that lacked political experience – used it to his advantage by promising the truth & emphasizing his distance from political corruption • Proposed to Congress an energy plan that emphasized conservation • Worked to ease gov’t regulations w/o destroying consumer & worker safeguards • Created Depts of Energy & Edu • Established $1.6bil “superfund” to clean up abandoned chemical waste sights – placed more than 100 mil acres of AK land under fed control as national parks & forests

19. Jimmy Carter’s Inaugural Speech

21. Economic Crisis • Stagflation & Its Causes • Economy in “stagflation” = high unemployment & out of control inflation • Gov’t tried to increase spending & reduce employment – inflation grew • Tried to cut gov’t spending – recession & unemployment grew • 1971  US imported more than exported • US goods became more expensive & quality of goods declined • Depended on imported oil – when OPEC cut off shipments, prices rose 350% • Attempts to Fix the Economy • Nixon ended gold-standard for $$ - increased price of foreign goods • Ford created 1974 Whip Inflation Now to encourage anti-inflation efforts • Carter’s attempt to lower unemployment prompted a recession in 1980 • Carter’s 1978 economic policies helped later (deregulation of airline, trucking, banking, & communications) • Impacts of the Economic Crisis • 1970s  economy shifted to “service sector” – retail, restaurants, etc. • People moved from North industrial regions to the “Sunbelt” – had aerospace, defense, electronics, transportation, research, banking & finance, & leisure • Population shift caused disaster in north & midwest cities • Tax Revolts • Created as property taxes increased & taxpayers saw gov’t as the problem • 1978 CA Proposition 13  rolled back property taxes & restricted future increases • Caused shortages – states cut schools, libraries, & fire stations • Credit & Investment • High inflation rates meant there were higher declines in purchasing power of a dollar • Began borrowing $ & used credit cards – caused high debt rates • Fidelity Investments = a fund company allowed small investors to get high interest rates

23. An Era of Cultural Transformation • Environmentalism • 1969 Santa Barbara, CA  oil spill caused Cuyahoga River to catch fire • 1979 Harrisburg, PA  nuclear accident • 1980 Love Canal, NY  Carter declared fed emergency b/c 30% of residents suffered from chromosome damage • 4/22/1970  1st Earth Day • Technology • 7/20/1969  Neil Armstrong on moon • Poverty, crime, pollution, & urban decay • 1970  circuit created, 1975  MIT’s Altair 8800 – had 256 bytes of memory • Religion & the Therapeutic Culture • Evangelical & Fundamentalist church membership grew dramatically • Others looked to “New Age” – Zen Buddhism, yoga, & shamanism • “Therapeutic culture” – some believed was self-centered • Sexuality & the Family • Sex became much more visible in American culture • TV programs less strict • Single bars & gay bathhouses • Started marrying later in life & had fewer children • Diversity • Awareness of differences made stronger by new immigrants from Latin America & Asia • 1978 Regents of the University of CA v. Bakke 33 yr old white man denied admission to med school – believed it was b/c he was white • Supreme Ct decided in favor of Allan Bakke

24. Neil Armstrong on the Moon

26. Renewed Cold War and Middle East Crisis • Carter’s Divided Administration • Carter listened to national security advisor more than his secretary of state • 1976 magazine criticized Carter’s relaxed take of the Cold War • Maintained good relations w/ Moscow & other countries around the world • 1977  signed 2 treaties w/ Panama • Camp David Accords • 9/1978  1st mediated peace treaty b/w Israel & an Arab nation • Israel promised to withdraw from the Sinai peninsula • Arab states denounced agreement for not requiring Israel to relinquish all occupied territories • Ended warfare along 1 frontier • Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan • Relations w/ Moscow had deteriorated • Soviets wanted to deploy missiles at western Europe • 12/1979  Soviets invaded Afghanistan b/c of strategic position • Carter suspended shipments of grain & high-tech equipment to USSR • 1980  boycotted Summer Olympics in Moscow • Iranian Hostage Crisis • Shah driven from throne b/c it was trying to modernize culture • 4/1979  Islamic revolutionaries proclaimed Shi’ite Islamic Republic • 11/1979  mobs stormed US Embassy in Teheran & took Americans hostage & demanded that the Shah stood trial • 4/1980  Carter broke diplomatic ties & ordered rescue mission • Rise of Saddam Hussein • 1979  became leader & threatened Teheran gov’t – US thought he would offset Iranian danger • 9/1979  war began & US was neutral, but soon went towards Iraq