American History

During the 1960s and 1970s, there were two main revolutions witnessed in the United States. The two revolutions were the civil rights movement and the feminist movement.

The civil rights movement was established with an aim of restoring suffrage and banning racial discrimination against African Americans, especially in the southern states. With time the movement widened its aims to include freedom from oppression, political and economic self-sufficiency, and racial dignity.

The feminists movement was a chain of campaigns for change on matters such as sexual violence, sexual harassment, voting rights, maternity leave, equal pay, domestic violence, and reproductive rights. The publication of the feminine mystique in 1963 triggered a new awareness of the inequality experienced by American women. The book explained how a majority of American house wives felt unfulfilled and trapped, and how the culture in America created the view that women were only keepers of homes, mothers and wives. The book proposed that women were able to perform any job as competently as men could do. (Lancaster, Catton  Fleming, 2004).

Both movements were largely successful. The civil rights movement was successful as it gave Asians, Latinos, and African Americans similar rights to the Americans. Every race was entitled to similar and equal rights. The feminist movement was also largely successful in its efforts to achieve equality in society. Women were able to get equal pay with men. During the 1950s and 1960s, women were fighting to get three quarters of the male pay, and in professions that were considered as women only such as nursing and teaching they got only two thirds of what men got. In addition, women were able to get maternity leaves and the introduction of pills enabled them to take control of their fertility. This was crucial as it enabled them to match men in pursuing serious careers.