II. Reform Movements: 1950-1980

A. Youth Movement The Birth of Rock and Roll: A new music form in the early 1950s -- blended country, gospel, and rhythm and blues. King of Rock and Roll – Elvis Presley Became the soundtrack of a growing “youth culture” and divided entertainment by generation. Also led to folk music and Motown soul being created. Became the backdrop for the massive social and political changes of the chaotic 1960s. The Youth Movement (1960s): challenged American politics, its social system, and the values of the time. Led by the “baby boomers”. Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) - concerned about injustices in political and social issues formed; would be active in the Anti-War Movement of the 1960s, inspiring many draftees to burn their draft cards. Fought against universities imposing curfews and supervising the personal lives of their students.

B. Counterculture Movement Separated from the youth movement to create their “own” society – hippies. Lifestyle: flamboyant dress, rock music, free and independent living – “love, not war” Famous events or places: Woodstock Festival – giant concert (500,000 people) to celebrate this type of culture. Haight-Ashbury Neighborhood – in San Francisco, where many hippies moved to live; famous for the “Jam Band” concept. Communes – “dropping out” from society; place where everyone lives and works together and shares everything.

C. Feminist Movement The Rise of Feminism: many women in the late 1950s and early 1960s had become frustrated by the limited options they faced in life. The goal of Feminism was to create a society in which women would be equal to men in all affairs, including education, employment, and politics. Betty Friedan - published her book “The Feminine Mystique” (1963) to expose the isolation and frustration that many women experienced while fulfilling traditional female roles of mother and housewife. This book detailed how they wanted more opportunities to be part of the public sphere of American life. Roe v. Wade (1973): the right to an abortion is a woman’s right to privacy, and so no state can limit access to abortion during the first trimester. Big win for the Feminist Movement (felt that women should have the right to choose), but it has caused major political and social tension since.

D. Latino Movement Latino Americans were inspired by the Civil Rights Movement in the early 1960s began to improve their own educational and employment opportunities. Cesar Chavez – created the National Farm Workers Association and then later the United Farm Workers (UFW) to help Latino farm workers in California. Organized a boycott of grapes, a very profitable crop produced in California. Led to an agreement on the part of the grape growers to increase the wages of agricultural workers and improve working conditions. The most controversial achievement of Latino activism was the passage of the Bilingual Education Act (1968), a federal law that directed school districts with significant Latino populations to provide education to the children of immigrants in Spanish while they learned English.

E. Environmental Movement Rachel Carson – wrote the book “Silent Spring” in 1962, a work that examined the effects of pesticides, especially DDT, on the environment. Message: pesticides don’t just kill mosquitoes – they kill the other animals, too. Impact: the book led to a greater concern for environment and began the Environmental Movement. Changes as a result: many new laws. Among the achievements of the Environmental Movement of the 1960s and 1970s were: Clean Air Acts - designed to reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere Clean Water Act (1972) - designed to prevent the contamination of water sources by industries Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970, an agency whose mission is to oversee American environmental policy and standards.

Independent Practice Create a pamphlet for a reform movement. Your pamphlet should explain what group of people you represent, what problems they are facing and what changes they would like to see.

Exit Ticket 1) Who is credited with reviving the feminist movement in the early 1960s? a. Gertrude Stein b. Betty Friedan c. Susan B. Anthony d. Lucretia Mott

Exit Ticket 2) What is the most likely reason for the existence of the 1960s counterculture? a. Teenagers did not want to be like their parents. b. McCarthyism had become a way of life in the U.S. c. The British Invasion got everyone listening to rock music. d. World War II had been over for fifteen years.

Exit Ticket 3) Pick two reform movements and explain what their purpose was and their accomplishments.