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The Resurgence of Conservatism and the New Millennium

Unit 7 – 1969-2001. The Resurgence of Conservatism and the New Millennium. The New Politics of Identity. Civil Rights Movement led to “identity” movements among other minorities “ Identity Politics” Emphasize cultural differences and significance in recognizing these

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The Resurgence of Conservatism and the New Millennium

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  1. Unit 7 – 1969-2001 The Resurgence of Conservatism and the New Millennium

  2. The New Politics of Identity • Civil Rights Movement led to “identity” movements among other minorities • “Identity Politics” • Emphasize cultural differences and significance in recognizing these • Primarily among 3 distinct groups: • African Americans • Native Americans • Latinos

  3. African Americans Redefine the Movement • Many rejected the early Civil Rights mantra that “we are all the same” • Found faith in a distinct African American culture • Created black studies departments at colleges • Kwanzaa (1966) • Celebration of African cultural heritage

  4. Mexican American Activism • Many lived in poverty • 1974: only 21% of Mexican American men graduate high school • Cesar Chavez • Head of the United Farm Workers (UFW) • Fought for better wages for migrant laborers • La Raza • Youths proclaimed their own heritage, formed La RazaUnida • Political organization working to get Mexican Americans elected to representative parties

  5. Native American Activism • “Red Power” Movement • American Indian Movement (radical) • Occupied Bureau of Indian Affair in 1972 and Wounded Knee in 1973 • National Congress of American Indians (moderate) • Worked for legislation; Congress returned millions of acres of land to N.A.’s • Native Americans still live in worse conditions than most Americans

  6. Women’s Movement • The Feminine Mystique (1963) • Women were plagued by “the problem with no name” • Signaled the beginning of a new women’s movement • Accomplishments • Awareness of issues dealing with women’s health and rights, rape crisis centers, access to birth control • Roe v. Wade (1973) • Passage of ERA by Congress (was not ratified, 1982) • Opposition • Came from women who argued that feminists were trying to destroy traditional gender role, family unit • Phyllis Schlafly

  7. End in Vietnam • Nixon runs on platform: “peace with honor” • “Vietnamization” – build-up of S. Vietnamese forces to fight the war • Bombing/Invasion of Cambodia • Anti-war protests surged across the nation • Pentagon Papers – published by NY Times in June 1971 • Showed that administration officials (LBJ and Nixon) had repeatedly lied to the American public • January 27, 1973 – cease-fire agreement between U.S. and North Vietnamese • April 29, 1975 – Saigon overrun by North Vietnamese troops

  8. Nixon’s Foreign Policy • Recognized that American power was waning • Nixon Doctrine – economic aid to countries, but no longer military aid • Essentially an end to containment, and the Truman Doc. (1947) • Détente – relaxation of tensions between U.S. and Soviets • Both nations were struggling to fight the Cold War economically • Détente made sense to both

  9. Nixon’s Foreign Policy • Opening of China • America recognized Communist China (1979) • Nixon visited in 1972 • Perhaps his greatest achievement was the Opening of China • Middle East • Deteriorating relations between the Israelis and the Palestinians after the Six Day War (1967) • Yom Kippur War (1973) • OPEC embargoed oil to U.S. and Israel’s allies • Led to oil crisis in America

  10. Economic Crisis • Stagflation = high unemployment and high inflation • Causes? • Vietnam War and Great Society increased spending • Trade deficits (1971 first time in history for U.S.) • Energy Crisis of 1973 • Oil shot up 350% (OPEC cut off oil) • Attempts to fix the economy • Went off the gold standard (Nixon), curbed federal spending and urged the Fed to tighten credit (Ford), Stimulate the economy (Carter) • None worked

  11. Economic Crisis • Impact? • America began to “deindustrialize” in the 1970s • Became a service economy • Outsourcing • More married women joined the workforce • Migration to the Sunbelt • Government had invested heavily in the region, defense jobs • Lower taxes (37 cut property tax, 28 cut income tax) • Consumer debt skyrocketed

  12. Era of Cultural Transformation • Environmentalism • Natural disasters • Cuyahoga River Fire (1970), Three Mile Island (1979), Love Canal (1980) • EPA created in 1970 • Family roles and the acceptance of sexuality were becoming more liberal • Racial diversity • Seen as a good thing, instead of something to overcome (think C.R. movement of the 1950s)

  13. Watergate and Beyond The Crisis of Leadership

  14. Domestic Agenda • In many ways, very liberal • Affirmative action, expanded National Endowment for Humanities and Arts, supported the ERA, signed major environmental legislation, etc. • Also conservative • State’s rights, federal revenue sharing with states • Used Agnew to paint democrats as supporters of hippies, crime, and drugs

  15. Paranoia • Saw enemies everywhere • Made a list of enemies hundreds of names long • The Plumbers • Secret group authorized by the president to engage in illegal activities • Example: broke into the psychiatrist’s office treating Daniel Ellsberg (released the Pentagon Papers) to find information to discredit him • Worked to get Nixon reelected in 1972 Charles Colson, one of the “Watergate Seven”; originally in charge of the White House Plumbers

  16. Watergate • Plumbers bugged the DNC office in Watergate Hotel in 1972 • Caught by police • Nixon did not know of the break-in before it happened… • …but once he learned of it, he tried to cover it up • Had CIA stop the FBI’s investigation • This was obstruction of justice – an impeachable offense

  17. “Who Would Think of Doing Such a Thing?” - Washington Post, June 20, 1972

  18. Watergate • The tapes • Nixon recorded every conversation he had in the Oval Office • …for his memoirs • Congress fought to get them released • October 1973 – Spiro Agnew resigns • Accepted brides while governor of Maryland • House began impeachment proceedings; tapes were eventually released (edited) • Nixon constantly cursed, used racist slurs • Shocked the nation • He resigned the presidency on August 9, 1974

  19. Ford and Carter • Gerald Ford (1974-1977) • Took over when Nixon resigned • Immediately pardoned Nixon • Approval ratings plummeted • Accomplished little due to a Democratic Congress which was willing to flex its muscles • Jimmy Carter (D – 1977-1980) • Peanut farmer, sold himself as an honest outsider to Washington • By most accounts he was; also refused much of the deal-making necessary to pass legislation

  20. Carter’s Foreign Policy • Carter’s Administration would be dominated by foreign events • Gave Panama Canal back to Panama (1977; 2000) • Camp David Accords (HUGE accomplishment; peace between Egypt, an Arab nation, and Israel) • Ultimately his administration was shaped by foreign failures • Cold War deepened for a time • Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan • Iranian Hostage Crisis • He lost in 1980 to Ronald Reagan, in large part due to his mixed success with foreign policy

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