Americans Fight for
Their Rights
Americans living through the 1960’s saw the power of protests, as the Civil
Rights Movement and Anti-War Movement both caused dramatic changes in
America. Inspired by these examples and unhappy with their own status, other
groups began to organize and push for change in the late 1960’s and 70’s.
THE WOMEN’S RIGHTS MOVEMENT
The Women’s Rights Movement traced back to the mid 1800’s, and had peaked in
1919 when women won the right to vote. Since then, women had experienced bursts
of independence, such as flappers during the 1920’s or factory workers during World
War II, but for the most part, women were expected to stay home and raise the
children. If they were single, they were allowed to work only specific jobs such as
being secretaries or teachers, where they were paid less than men, were often talked
down to or sexually harassed, and had to quit if they got married or pregnant. Largely
inspired by the Civil Rights Movement, the Women’s Rights Movements was
re-energized during the 1960’s. The idea of “feminism” took hold – the belief that
women deserved the same political, economic, and social opportunities as men.
What was it like for women leading up to The Women’s Rights Movement?
They were talked down to and sexually harassed often.
N.O.W. (NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF WOMEN)
Launched in 1966, NOW quickly became a powerful and prominent voice for women’s rights. Modeling its
goals and actions off the African American Civil Rights Movement, NOW organized protests, boycotts, and
speeches, and pressured lawmakers to grant women the same opportunities as men. NOW’s official
‘Statement of Purpose’, reads: “The purpose of NOW is to take action to bring women into full participation
in the mainstream of American society, exercising all the privileges and responsibilities thereof in truly equal
partnership with men.” Early NOW members were often laughed at, insulted, and harassed by most men,
though just as more and more white people joined the Civil Rights Movement as the 60’s progressed, more
and more men began to publicly support NOW by the 1970’s. NOW still exists today.
Definition / Description What changed as a result?
How does it affect us today?
N.O.W. For women’s equal rights. It is still active today and more
men have joined.
TITLE IX (9)
In 1972, a new Education Law was passed. In it, Title IX (section 9) required that any institution receiving tax
dollars (such as public schools) had to spend their money fairly between men and women. The most famous
example of this is seen today in school sports. Before 1972, most schools did not provide any sports programs for
girls. Now, rules require that an equal number of sports be offered to both genders, and everything – equipment,
training facilities, practice times, locker rooms, coaches’ salaries, etc. – be of equal quality as well. As it was
implemented (put in place), Title IX was controversial because many schools had to cut some male sports in order
to add female sports and still stay within their budget.
Definition / Description What changed as a result?
How does it affect us today?
Title IX (9)
ROE VS. WADE
Roe v. Wade, was the controversial legal case in which the U.S. Supreme Court on January 22, 1973, ruled (7–2) that
unduly restrictive state regulation of abortion is unconstitutional. In a majority opinion written by Justice Harry A.
Blackmun, the Court held that a set of Texas statutes criminalizing abortion in most instances violated a woman’s
constitutional right of privacy, which it found to be implicit in the liberty guarantee of the due process clause of the
Fourteenth Amendment (“…nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of
law”). Many women fought for this right in the 1960’s and 70’s. They had many arguments, such as how unfair it
would be to require a woman who was violently raped to carry her attacker’s baby for 9 months, possibly lose her job
for being pregnant, then have to endure the physical pain of childbirth for an unwanted baby. Prior to this ruling
abortions were dangerous and done with out the aid of medical attention. Opponents of abortion argued that it was
never okay to kill another person, and that an unborn baby is still a person who deserves a chance to live. Both sides
make good points, and abortion is a very controversial topic today. Democrats tend to support “freedom of choice” or
allowing a woman to decide for herself, while Republicans tend to support the “right to life” and want government
laws against abortion. In 1973, many women cheered this decision as a victory for their right to make their own
personal decisions about their own mental and physical health.
Definition / Description What changed as a result?
How does it affect us today?
Roe V. Wade Right to abortion. They got rid of it and now it’s
restricted. People are still very
passionate about it, though.
THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT (E.R.A.)
During the 1970’s, support built for adding a new amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would ensure women
were always treated equally to men. It read: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the
United States or by any State on account of sex.” In order to add another amendment to the Constitution, it must
not only pass both houses of Congress with 2/3’s of the votes, but then be approved by 3/4’s of all the states.
Conservative Americans rallied to block the Amendment, claiming it was unnecessary and could lead to gay
marriage, women drafted into the army, and single-sex public bathrooms. To the shock of many, the Equal Rights
Amendment came 3 states short of passing in 1982. Today there is still strong support for adding the Amendment, as
many cite how the average man still earns more money than the average woman, and fears of gay marriage, female
soldiers, and single-sex bathrooms no longer worry as many citizens.
Definition / Description What changed as a result?
How does it affect us today?
E.R.A. The equal rights amendment Still strong support, and more
people are no longer jerks about
female soldiers, gay marriage, and
single sex bathrooms
Latinos
Latinos, or people from the Spanish-speaking Latin American nations south of the United States, faced significant
discrimination of their own in America before the 1960’s. They also faced segregation and high rates of
unemployment and poverty, especially in the American southwest (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California). Many
could only find work picking fruit and vegetables on large farms, whose owners often took advantage of their
poverty and weak English skills to work them long hours for less than minimum wage.
What was life like for most Latinos leading up to the 1960’s and 1970’s?
They worked for less than minimum wage and it was really, really hard labor.
CESAR CHAVEZ
Cesar Chavez emerged in the 1960’s as a leader of the Latino Civil Rights Movement. Chavez pushed for the right to
form a Union, meaning all farm workers would work together to demand better pay and working conditions from
their employers. He faced strong resistance, but fought back using non-violence. For example, Chavez organized a
boycott of grapes when grape companies refused to treat their farm workers fairly. The boycott lasted for 5 years until
grape companies, losing money, agreed to allow their workers to Unionize. Chavez also went on a 25-day hunger
strike, refusing to eat until workers were treated more fairly. He lost 35 pounds and brought national attention to his
cause. Chavez also led a farm workers march to Sacramento, the capital of California. The United Farm Workers
(UFW), a Union that works for fair treatment of America’s farm workers, was a result of Cesar Chavez’s efforts and
still exists today. Cesar Chavez Day is celebrated every March 31st in California and 7 other states.
Describe Chavez’s role in the Latino’s rights movement?
He made the UFW and stood up for farmers rights. He striked until he got what he knew
the people deserved.
THE IMMIGRATION & NATIONALITY ACT OF 1965
America has had a long and complicated history with immigration. In response to the surge of immigration in
the 1920’s after WWI, America passed the Quota Acts, which gave each foreign country a different specific
number of immigrants we would allow in each year. Nations with non-white populations (such as those in
Africa, Asia, and Latin America) were given low numbers or even “zeros”. This law remained in effect until
1965, when the Civil Rights Movement and President Johnson’s “Great Society” efforts made the Quota Acts
look embarrassingly racist. As part of his “Great Society”, Lyndon Johnson and Congress passed the
Immigration & Nationality Act of 1965. This new law abolished (ended) immigration quotas and instead used
the immigrants’ work skills, education, and family ties to America as the primary reasons to accept new
immigrants. One of the most notable effects of this more open immigration policy was the increase in Asian and
Latino immigration to America. Latino immigration increased dramatically during the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s.
BILINGUAL EDUCATION ACT
Other successes included the 1968 Bilingual Education Act, which required that schools make efforts to provide
English-language assistance to immigrants, rather than segregating them or ignoring them. Today this program is
called ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages). This was part of a broader push to make sure that all
students had equal access to the best education possible, and were not ignored or discriminated against.
Definition / Description What changed as a result?
How does it affect us today?
The Abolished immigration quotas. Used the individuals
Immigration & skills,education, and family ties to
Nationality Act open immigration.There was a
of 1965 increase in asian and latino
americans.
Bilingual Required schools to provide It’s now called ESOL, and is more
Education Act language assistance to equal access so kids can actually
non-native speakers. learn better.
Gay Rights Movement
THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT
In the 1950’s being gay was widely thought to be a mental illness similar to being insane or an alcoholic. National and
state laws were passed to outlaw public and private displays of affection between gay people and requiring gays to be
fired from their jobs for being “mentally unstable” and “security risks”. In 1953 President Dwight Eisenhower signed
Executive Order 10450, banning gay people from holding government jobs or serving in the military. Most gay people
chose to hide their true feelings and forced themselves to live a lie by acting straight (often referred to as being “in the
closet”). However, inspired by the Civil Rights Movement, the 1960’s saw the rise of the Gay Rights Movement, which
is still very much active today and gaining increased support for gay rights and gay marriage.
What was life like for most queer / gay Americans leading up to the 1960’s and 1970’s?
Banned from holding government jobs and enlisting. Very deprecating and embarrassing
back then, seen as an illness.
NEW YORK CITY “SIP-INS”
In New York, it was illegal to serve alcohol to gay people (yes, you read that correctly). Imitating the success of the
Civil Rights Sit-Ins, members of the gay community staged a “Sip-In” at a New York City bar. They sat down at the
bar, identified themselves as gay, and politely asked to be served a drink. When they were denied service and kicked
out, they sued the bar. Though no laws were immediately changed, the Sip-In brought attention to discriminatory laws
and the emerging Gay Rights Movement. Today this law no longer exists.
STONEWALL INN
Stonewall Inn was an underground gay bar in Greenwich Village, Connecticut. In 1969, police raided the bar at 1 am,
destroying property and trying to arrest all the customers in an effort to “clean up the city”. The customers fought
back, leading to 3-days of fights and arrests on the streets of Greenwich Village. The media chose to give very little
attention to the Stonewall Inn raid and rebellion, as they did not sympathize with the gay community like they did with
the Black community. However, the unfair and unconstitutional Stonewall Inn raids are now credited with truly
inspiring the beginning of the organized Gay Rights Movement in America.
Definition / Description What changed as a result?
How does it affect us today?
Stonewall Inn Raid done by police to “clean up” the city Credited with really inspiring the beginning of
in an underground gay bar. gay rights in america.
POLITICAL ACTION & BREAKTHROUGHS
In 1979, imitating the success of Martin Luther King’s 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the Gay
Rights Movement organized the March on Washington for Gay Rights. Responding to the March and trying to stay
true to their reputation as the party of Civil Rights, in 1980, the Democrats became the first (and still only) political
party to officially support equal rights for gay Americans.
Definition / Description What changed as a result?
How does it affect us today?
Political Action and Organized march on washington for gay The democrats became the only party to offer
Breakthroughs rights. support to the gay community offically.
Native American Movement
NATIVE AMERICANS
Perhaps no group has been more ignored throughout U.S. history than Native Americans. While most school children
learn that Native Americans were forced onto reservations in the 1800’s, few realize that these reservations still exist
today, and that Native Americans living there struggle with extreme poverty, unemployment, depression, high
dropout rates, and alcoholism. The spirit of the 1960’s inspired some Native Americans to organize and demand
changes.
What was life like for most Native Americans leading up to the 1960’s and 1970’s?
Filled with poverty, depression, alcoholism, unemployment, and really high drop-out rates.
AMERICAN INDIAN MOVEMENT (AIM)
In the 1960’s, some Native Americans formed the American Indian Movement (AIM) to protest their treatment by the
U.S. government. They organized protests and marches to bring attention to the fact that the U.S. had violated every
single treaty ever signed with Native Americans since America had become a nation in 1776. AIM wanted the original
terms of those violated treaties recognized, with all of the promised lands returned to them. However, America had
evolved so much that it was essentially impossible to honor all the terms of old treaties. As a result, some Native
American protests turned ugly, and their Movement did not experience much success.
● In 1969, 79 Native Americans took over Alcatraz Island off of the coast of San Francisco, California. The
island, which used to serve as a prison, was not currently in use, so the Native Americans chose to use it to
make a statement about land rights. The U.S. government demanded that they leave, but they refused. By late
May, the government had cut off all electrical power and telephone service to the island. In 1971, a large force
of government officers raided Alcatraz and removed the Native Americans from the island.
● In 1972, AIM leaders organized a March on Washington D.C. to protest the U.S. government’s violation of
treaties with Native Americans. Upset with the lack of results, 500 AIM members took over the Bureau of
Indian Affairs building and destroyed property and treaties. Millions of dollars of damage was done before the
protestors were removed or arrested.
● In 1973, AIM members took over the town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota. The town was chosen due to its
symbolic importance as the sight of the terrible Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890, when U.S. troops had fired
on hundreds of Native Americans performing a religious “ghost dance” on their reservation. The FBI
surrounded the AIM members, and a 71-day standoff ensued. Shots were fired from both sides, and 2 Native
Americans were killed. The standoff ended when the U.S. government promised to revisit old treaties to see if
Natives could receive a more fair deal. Nothing of significance was ever agreed to.
Definition / Description What changed as a result?
How does it affect us today?
Alcatraz Native Americans began to stay there to make a Nothing changed, but they got publicity.
statement about land rights. They refused to
leave and eventually were forced off.
March on Protest the violation of treaties made by the US. Nothing happened.
Washington Organized by Native Americans, some AIM
members attacked property. Had to be forcefully
removed.
Wounded AIM took over the town for its historical Nothing except a promise that was never
Knee importance as the site of the wounded knee fulfilled.
massacre. A shootout occured and 2 men were
killed.
