ways in which people were not entirely free in the United States
Question 1
The 1960’s had a lot of intrigues all around the world. Thus using the word “freer” held a relative meaning depending on who you were, how the society held you and what the word meant to you. This is the time during which people from all walks of life were fighting for different kinds of freedom. After the old form of slavery was abolished, a new form of slavery cropped up in the name of segregation. Racial segregation defined the United States in the 1960s to an extent where it was considered a normal way of life. Although the people were free from slavery, they were not free from segregation and thus they were not totally free. Yes, people considered themselves to be “freer” than they were decades before, however, they had not yet attained the total freedom to do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted to, hence they were not “freer”.
There are many ways in which people were not entirely free in the United States. As a result of segregation, there was no equal access to social amenities to all Americans and a good example is the transport system. To protest this, a group of people known as freedom riders organized a ride in buses to the South. Their main intention was to protest against Jim Crow laws that allowed segregation on interstate trains and buses. As a result, in 1961, segregation was abolished on interstate terminals and buses. The following year, the Supreme Court, ensured total freedom in travel when it ordered for an immediate end of segregation in all public transport facilities.
Yes, in the 1960s, there was no slavery in the United States but African Americans were still slaves of segregation. African Americans could not access the same amenities as the whites, be it restaurants, or water fountains, African Americans were not allowed near what was considered to be a white people’s place. Yes, the nation was ‘freer’ than it was before, but the country had an uphill task to attain an equally free nation.
Question 2
In the early 1970s, the United States faced what will go down as history’s largest women movement. From 1971-72, when the 92nd Congress was in session, the women championed for the passage of more bills that were centred on women rights. In essence, this 92nd session passed more bills than any other legislative before, in fact, more bills were passed than all the other legislative sessions combined. The most significant bill of this session was the Title IX section of the Education Amendments. The women movement was so vibrant such that President Nixon who was known to be avowedly anti-feminist ended up supporting a republic platform that championed for feminist goals such as federal childcare programs.
During these movements, there emerged two women groups one being a feminist group and the other a conservative group. The feminist group defined the freedom of women as the ability to get equal treatment like men and have a say over what happens to them. The movement’s capstone was the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) which would give men and women equality in all the spheres of life. This group was about to be successful in 1972 after both the Senate and the House supported the quest overwhelmingly.
However, in the same year, Phyllis Schlafly, a leader of the conservative movement launched a parallel platform that aimed to weaken the feminist movement. Her movement’s goals were to protect the women’s place as homeworkers, fight against abortion and limiting the government welfare and social support. These issues have shaped the current debate on women’s rights and the government’s involvement in their empowerment. Schlafly campaigned very hard against the ERA and her supporters helped her weaken the feminist movement painting its issues as partisan.