Review Blitz US History Since 1877: Other Civil Rights Movements

In this History Chat Review Blitz, students explore other major civil rights movements that expanded equality in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s, a key part of Post-1877 U.S. History. This episode provides a clear and engaging overview of how different groups fought for rights and recognition. 

Listeners will review the women’s liberation movement, including leaders like Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem, and major reforms such as the Equal Pay Act, Title IX, and key Supreme Court cases that expanded women’s rights.

The episode also covers the Chicano Movement, focusing on efforts to achieve equality for Mexican Americans through labor activism, court cases, and cultural expression. Students will learn about leaders like Dolores Huerta, as well as important events like the Delano Grape Boycott.

In addition, the episode explores the Native American civil rights movement, including the role of the American Indian Movement (AIM), major protests like the occupation of Alcatraz and Wounded Knee, and ongoing efforts to protect tribal rights and sovereignty.

This episode serves as a concise overview—not a deep dive—helping students connect major ideas and understand how multiple groups worked to expand civil rights in the United States.

Listen, review, and understand how diverse movements shaped a broader push for equality in America!

 Want more resources like this? Visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store, Lawshe Education, by Clicking Here, for ready-to-use lessons, review activities, and standards-aligned materials. 

Transcript

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Hey everyone, and welcome back to the History Chat. I'm your host, Miss Lalshi Mullen. If you're new to the podcast, this is a place for history lovers. But this particular series is designed as a review and quick understanding of U.S. history. This series is especially helpful if you're preparing for the APUS history exam, the US History Star Test, or really any U.S. history exam focused on US history since 1877. In the last episode, we talked about the African American civil rights movement, including segregation, protest movements, major court cases, civil rights legislation, and the rise of black power. In this episode, we're going to focus on other civil rights movements that grew during the same general era. Today we'll cover the women's liberation movement, the Chicano movement, important leaders, key court cases, major reforms, labor activism, and cultural identity movements. All right, let's get started. Let's begin with the women's liberation movement, which is also called the feminist movement. Let's begin with the women's liberation movement, which is also called the feminist movement. This movement pushed for greater equality for women in American society. It focused on issues like equal pay, workplace rights, education, privacy, political equality, and freedom from traditional gender roles. To understand this movement, we need to look at some earlier developments. One major foundation was the Nineteenth Amendment. The Nineteenth Amendment, passed in 1920, gave women the right to vote or granted women suffrage. That was a major milestone, and it allowed more women to take part in democracy. But voting rights alone did not create full equality. By the 1960s, many women began pushing for more changes. Many women wanted careers and equal rights instead of being limited to traditional roles as homemakers and housewives. Their growing frustration helped fuel the women's liberation movement. One of the most important leaders in this movement was Betty Fridan. Betty Fridan wrote a famous book called The Feminine Mystique. This book challenged traditional roles for women. Fridan argued that many women were unhappy staying in home as housewives and wanted careers and more independence. Her writing helped inspire many women to become more active in the feminist movement. Betty Fridan also helped co-found the National Organization for Women, or NOW. Another major leader was Gloria Steinem. She became one of the most visible voices of the feminist movement. Gloria Steinem served as the editor of Now magazine and founded Miss Magazine. She helped bring feminist ideas into the national conversation. The National Organization of Women, or NOW, became one of the most important organizations in the movement. Now lobbied Congress for gender equality laws. The organization worked to change laws and attitudes that treated women unfairly. The women's liberation movement pushed for legal and workplace reforms. One of the major goals was equal pay. The Equal Pay Act required equal wages for men and women performing the same job with the same qualifications. This was an important step in challenging wage discrimination. Affirmative action also helped women. These policies opened universities and workplaces to women. That meant more women had access to higher education and professional careers. The women's liberation movement also pushed for more control over medical decisions and privacy. There was increased research into women's health. Several important Supreme Court cases also shaped women's rights. In Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruled that women had the right to an abortion during the first three months of pregnancy. That decision expanded women's reproductive rights. Later in 2022, the decision was overturned and states were given greater power to decide abortion laws within their own states. Another important case was Griswold versus Connecticut. This case recognized women's rights to contraceptives or birth control. It also recognized a right to privacy in marriage. Another major case was Planned Parenthood versus Casey. This case said that women seeking an abortion must give informed consent. It also allowed states to require parental consent for minors. However, wives did not have to inform their husbands. The movement also changed social expectations about how women were viewed. One small but important change involved language. Many women began using Miss, MS dot instead of Miss or Mrs. M ISS or MRS. This rejected titles that focused on a woman's marital status. Women no longer wanted their identity defined by whether or not they were married. Another major reform was Title IX, passed in 1972. Title IX banned gender discrimination and education in schools that accepted federal funding. This output more opportunities for women in sports, scholarships, and advanced college degrees. Because of Title IX, more women were able to attend college and participate in athletics. The movement also pushed for a constitutional amendment called the Equal Rights Amendment, or ERA. The ERA was designed to guarantee equal rights for women under the Constitution. However, the ERA was never ratified by the states, so it never became part of the U.S. Constitution. There was strong opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment. One of the main opponents was Phyllis Schreifley, a conservative activist. Schleifley argued that the ERA would hurt women rather than help them. She claimed it would remove women's legal protections, lead to mixed gender restrooms, require women to be drafted into the military, and mean women would no longer be protected by men. Her campaign helped to stop the ERA from being ratified. Now let's shift to the Chicano movement. This movement is sometimes called El Movimiento. The Chicano movement focused on gaining equal rights for Mexican Americans and other Latinos. It was inspired by other civil rights movements happening in the United States. The movement fought for labor rights, educational quality, legal protections, voting rights, and cultural pride. One major leader was Dolores Huerta. She helped organize farm workers and fought for better working conditions. She also advocated for women's rights, immigrant rights, and environmental issues. She played a key role in labor organizing and later received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Another important leader was Dr. Hector Perez Garcia. He founded the American GI Forum to address discrimination against Latino veterans. One major event connected to his work was the Longoria incident. A Mexican-American World War II veteran named Felix Longoria was denied funeral services at a local funeral home because of his heritage. Dr. Garcia organized a public funeral for Longoria. This event brought national attention to discrimination against Mexican Americans. The movement also promoted the idea of Chicano power. This emphasized racial equality, cultural pride, and unity among Mexican Americans and Latinos. It encouraged people to embrace their identity and demand equal treatment. Another important part of the movement was the Chicano mural movement. Murals became a way to express culture, identity, and political messages. Artists painted murals in barrios, schools, and community spaces. These murals showed Mexican and Indigenous history, civil rights struggles, and pride in Chicano culture. They helped to build community unity. They often told stories left out of textbooks and media. Cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Antonio became major centers for mural art. The Chicano movement also used the courts to fight discrimination. Mendez versus Westminster. This case ruled that Mexican American children could not be segregated in schools. It helped to set the stage for Brown versus Board of Education. Delago vs. Bashrop ISD. This case ruled that Mexican American students who did not speak English could not be segregated past first grade. It was based on the 14th Amendment in equal protection. Hernandez vs Texas. This case ruled that Mexican Americans could serve on juries. It was the first case to recognize Mexican Americans as a protected class under the Constitution. White versus Register. This case ruled that Texas redistricting violated minority rights. Districts had to reflect the population and not weaken minority voting power. The movement also heavily focused on economic justice, especially for farm workers. The United Farm Workers, or UFW, became a major labor organization. The group fought for better conditions for farm workers using nonviolent protests, strikes, and boycotts. Their goal was to improve wages, working conditions, and treatment of migrant workers. One of the most important actions was the Delano Grape Boycott. This boycott lasted from 1965 to 1970. It was a nationwide effort to stop buying California grapes. The goal was to demand better wages, safer working conditions, and fair treatment for migrant farm workers. The boycott was successful. It brought national attention to the struggle of farm workers. The Chicano movement helped expand civil rights in the United States. It led to greater political representation, legal protections, cultural recognition, and economic improvements. It also helped Mexican Americans and Latinos take pride in their identity and demand equality. Now let's talk about another important civil rights movement that developed during the same time period. This was the Native American Civil Rights Movement, and one of the most important groups involved was the American Indian Movement, often called AIM. AIM formed during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The movement was inspired by other civil rights movements, especially the African American Civil Rights Movement and the Chicano Movement. Native American activists saw other groups fighting for equality and began organizing to demand the same rights and recognition. The goal of AIM was to increase respect for Native American heritage and culture. Activists wanted Americans to better understand Native history and traditions. They also protested anti-Native American bias in TV shows, movies, and textbooks. For many years, Native Americans had been portrayed unfairly or inaccurately in popular culture and education. Activists wanted those stereotypes and misrepresentations to stop. One of the most famous demonstrations was the occupation of Alcatraz Island. This protest lasted from 1969 to 1971. Native activists occupied the abandoned prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. They used the occupation to demand the U.S. government honor past treaties and Native American tribes. They used the occupation to demand that the U.S. government honor past treaties with Native American tribes. The protests brought national attention to Native American issues and helped raise awareness about treaty rights and tribal sovereignty. Another major protest occurred in 1973 at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. This protest is known as the Occupation of Wounded Knee. Activists protested what they believed was the mistreatment of Native Americans by the federal government. They also drew attention to broken treaties and violations of Native sovereignty. The protest lasted for a few weeks and became one of the most well-known Native American protests in U.S. history. During this time, many Native Americans also began emphasizing their cultural identity and political pride. This movement was often called the Red Power Movement. The Red Power Movement focused on Native American pride, cultural revival, and equal rights. Activists encouraged Native Americans to celebrate their traditions, language, and heritage. Another part of the movement involved reclaiming identity. Many Native Americans rejected the term Indians. They believed it was inaccurate and imposed by outsiders. Instead, they pushed for recognition of their tribal identities and cultures. To understand these protests, we have to look at earlier government policies toward Native Americans. One important policy was the termination policy from the 1930s through the 1960s. This policy aimed to dissolve Native American reservations and end federal recognition of Native American tribes. The government also cut funding for Native American programs. Because of these changes, many Native Americans were forced to move to inner city areas where they often faced poverty and discrimination. However, this policy eventually faced strong criticism. In the 1960s, the federal government began reversing parts of the termination policy and restoring some support for Native American tribes. Another important law affecting Native Americans was the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924. This law granted unconditional U.S. citizenship to Native Americans. However, the law did not require Native Americans to give up their tribal culture or traditions. Native Americans could still maintain their tribal identities while also being citizens of the United States. The Native American Civil Rights Movement helped raise awareness about treaty rights, tribal sovereignty, cultural recognition, and fair treatment for Native Americans. Like other civil rights movements of the 1960s and 1970s, it pushed the United States to reconsider how it treated minority groups. And it helped Native Americans gain a stronger voice in American politics and society. And that's a wrap for this episode of the History Chat. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to like, subscribe, follow the podcast, leave a review, and share with someone who loves history. You can also comment and join the conversation, because history is always better when we talk about it together. And if you're a teacher and you found this episode helpful, check the episode description. You'll find a link to my Teachers Pay Teacher store for more classroom resources. You can also visit historychathub.com for more materials and history content. Thanks again for listening. I'm Miss Lashay Mullen, and this has been the History Chat. And remember, history isn't just about the past, it helps us understand the world we live in today.