A Conservative Era, 1970s-1990s
13 – A Conservative Era, 1970s-1990s
1. Explain an example from one of the assigned primary sources that demonstrates the involvement of the Nixon administration in the Watergate scandal.
2. Explain an example from one of the assigned primary sources that demonstrates the efforts of either the feminist or gay rights movements of the 1970s-1980s.
3. Explain an example from one of the assigned primary sources that demonstrates the conservative political outlook of New Right movement and/or the Reagan administration.
4. Explain an example from one of the assigned primary sources that demonstrates a cultural, economic, political, or foreign policy development between 1988 and 2000.
5. Energy consumption and international politics contributed to the long energy crisis of the 1970s, including the OPEC embargo of 1973-1974. During the 1970s, the United States struggled to deal with fuel shortages and enactment of effective energy policies. Drawing from The American Promise and the supplementary primary sources assigned in this module, what examples illustrate the energy-related challenges the United States faced during the 1970s? What examples demonstrate the efforts that President Jimmy Carter attempted to put into effect?
6. During the early 1970s the Nixon administration undertook a new era of Cold War diplomacy known as detente, which is described in The American Promise. It was an attempt to dampen tensions between the United States and two main Cold War adversaries, the Soviet Union and China. This period of detente was brief, as the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 led to a reinvigoration of Cold War tensions during the Carter administration, as is explained in chapter 29 of The American Promise. When Ronald Reagan campaigned for the presidency in 1980, he characterized Carter as a weak leader, unable even to free American hostages in Iran. He pledged “Peace through Strength” and determined to reassert the United States’ military influence throughout the world—particularly as a rebuttal to the Soviet Union, which he dubbed “an evil empire.” Referring to The American Promise and the assigned primary source evidence, what examples demonstrate the Reagan administration’s perspective on foreign policy? The Reagan administration also engaged in secret dealings that became known as the Iran-Contra scandal, described in chapter 30 of The American Promise. Drawing on The American Promise and the supplementary primary sources, what were the major issues at the heart of this controversy?
Please note: Answer each of the questions. Each answer is worth an equal fraction of 100 points. (For example, when there are four prompts each answer is worth 25 points; when there are five prompts each answer is worth 20 points.) To receive credit, answers must provide full and coherent explanations. Before submitting your assessment, also be certain that your responses are free from spelling and grammatical errors. Submissions that are filled with such errors will not receive full credit. Finally, answers that do not explain examples from the assigned primary sources when required will not receive credit.
Reminder: It is not necessary to read each of the following supplementary primary sources. They are intended to supplement the other assigned primary sources. It is appropriate to utilize the supplementary primary sources in this module’s assignments.
Feminism / Equal Rights Amendment
Gloria Steinem, 1970: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/7025
Georgiana Sellers, 1970: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/7050
Margaret Heckler, 1970: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/7020
Ann Sutherland Harris and Bernice Sandler, 1970: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6462
Liz Carpenter, 1971: https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/letter-from-liz-carpenter-in-support-of-the-equal-rights-amendment
Mrs. Thomas Seko, 1971: https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/letter-to-representative-don-edwards-from-mrs-thomas-zeko-opposed-to-the-equal-rights-amendment
Phyllis Schalfly, 1972: https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/sources/1211
Michigan Women’s Commission, 1973: https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/sources/1203
Phyllis Schlafly, “Stop ERA,” 1978: http://www.smithsoniansource.org/display/primarysource/viewdetails.aspx?PrimarySourceId=1159
Barbara Jordan, 1978: https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/sources/1206
ERA Rally, 1981: https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/sources/1208
Phyllis Schlafly, 1981: http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/29-the-triumph-of-the-right/phyllis-schlafly-on-womens-responsibility-for-sexual-harassment-1981/
Kate Salley Palmer, 1982: https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/sources/1204 and https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/sources/1209
Mary Frances Berry, 1983: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/7023
Robert Gray, 1983: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/7028
Los Angeles Times, 1986: http://articles.latimes.com/1986-11-09/books/bk-24208_1_equal-rights-amendment
Homosexuality and the AIDS Crisis
Jerry Falwell, 1981: http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/29-the-triumph-of-the-right/jerry-falwell-on-the-homosexual-revolution-1981/
House Hearings on AIDS, 1983: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6893 and http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6894
Statements of AIDS Patients, 1983: http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/29-the-triumph-of-the-right/statements-of-aids-patients-1983/
Bobbi Campbell, Newsweek cover, 1983:
Bobbi Campbell speech, National March for Lesbian and Gay Rights, 1984: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR2uMoGO6Xk
Letters to the editor in response to William F. Buckley, 1986: https://www.nytimes.com/1986/03/27/opinion/l-aids-needs-medical-not-emotional-solutions-and-after-tattooing-982786.html
Chicago Tribune, 1986: https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/ps/access/QQBBTZ.pdf
Boston Globe, 1986: https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/ps/access/QQBBVB.pdf
Newsday, 1986: https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/ps/access/QQBBWD.pdf
Avram Finkelstein and the “Silence = Death” poster, 1986 (2013): https://www.nypl.org/blog/2013/11/22/silence-equals-death-poster
“AIDSGATE” poster, ca. 1986: https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e3-53aa-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99
San Francisco Chronicle, 1987: https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/ps/access/QQBBWN.pdf
House Hearings on AIDS, 1987: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6895
Ryan White, 1988: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Ryan_White’s_Testimony_before_the_President’s_Commission_on_AIDS
Vito Russo, 1988: https://actupny.org/documents/whfight.html
William F. Buckley, 1986: http://movies2.nytimes.com/books/00/07/16/specials/buckley-aids.html
Bruce Priebe, 1980s: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6910
Bruce Springsteen, “Streets of Philadelphia,” 1993: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z2DtNW79sQ
Employment Discrimination against Gay Men and Lesbians, 1994: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6463
Faith Robinson, 1995: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6917
New York Times, 1993: https://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/20/us/gay-rights-th-military-chiefs-back-clinton-gay-troop-plan-president-admits.html
Michael Gordon, 1993: http://www.nytimes.com/1993/12/23/us/pentagon-spells-out-rules-for-ousting-homosexuals-rights-groups-vow-a-fight.html?pagewanted=all
Politics and Society
White House tape “Smoking Gun” transcripts, 1972: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/app/uploads/2013/11/Smoking-Gun-Transcript-v-2.pdf
“Sign of the Energy Crisis,” May 1973: https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/sign-of-energy-crisis
Oil crisis political cartoons, 1973-1974: http://hti.osu.edu/opper/lesson-plans/energy-crisis
Time cover, 1973: http://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19731231,00.html
“Gas Rationing System (Odd-Even Plan) is Announced,” 1974: https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/gas-rationing-system-oddeven-plan-is-announced
Department of Justice Watergate Memorandum, 1974: https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/watergate-constitution/memo-transcript.html
Richard Nixon, Resignation Speech, 1974: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/spc/character/links/nixon_speech.html
Gerald Ford, Pardon of Richard Nixon, 1974: https://www.gilderlehrman.org/content/proclamation-pardoning-richard-nixon-1974
Gerald Ford, State of the Union Address, 1975: https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-before-joint-session-the-congress-reporting-the-state-the-union-1
Jimmy Carter election ad, 1976: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ujaix6ya54
Jimmy Carter, 1977: https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/november-8-1977-address-nation-energy
Jimmy Carter, 1979: https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jimmycartercrisisofconfidence.htm
Jerry Falwell, 1980: http://www.wwnorton.com/college/history/archive/resources/documents/ch36_02.htm
Ronald Reagan campaign ad, “Door Slam,” 1980: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VgrDmLC26c
Ronald Reagan campaign ad, “Strength Through Peace,” 1980: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VXXwyl5G0A
Ronald Reagan, Inaugural Address, 1981: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=43130
“A Warning,” 1981: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6776
“Photo-op,” 1980s: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6774
Ronald Reagan, State of the Union Address, 1982: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=42687
Bruce Springsteen, “Johnny 99,” 1982: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAjhHbtZyQU
Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the USA,” 1984: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPhWR4d3FJQ
Ronald Reagan, 1985: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/reagan2.asp
Ronald Reagan campaign ad, “It’s Morning Again in America,” 1984: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU-IBF8nwSY&feature=related
Ronald Reagan campaign ad, “The Bear,” 1984: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpwdcmjBgNA&feature=related
National Security Planning Group Meeting, 1984: https://herb.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/1578
Robert Gates, 1984: https://herb.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/780
CIA, The Freedom Fighter’s Manual, 1985: https://herb.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/1579
Caspar Weinberger, 1985: https://herb.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/1580
Daniel Ortega, 1985: https://herb.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/899
Bush campaign ad, “Weekend Passes,” 1988: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io9KMSSEZ0Y
George H.W. Bush, August 1990: https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/august-8-1990-address-iraqs-invasion-kuwait
George H.W. Bush, September 1990: http://millercenter.org/president/bush/speeches/speech-3425
George H.W. Bush, January 1991: https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/january-29-1991-state-union-address
Gulf War protest interviews, 1991: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/7037
Los Angeles riots photographs, 1992: http://framework.latimes.com/2012/04/19/photos-from-los-angeles-riots/#/0
Dan Quayle, 1992: http://www.vicepresidentdanquayle.com/speeches_StandingFirm_CCC_1.html
Pat Buchanan, 1992: http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/29-the-triumph-of-the-right/pat-buchanan-on-the-culture-war-1992/
Bill Clinton, acceptance speech, 1992: http://articles.latimes.com/1992-07-17/news/mn-3671_1_place-called-hope
Bill Clinton, inaugural address, 1993: http://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/january-20-1993-first-inaugural
Bill Clinton, 1993-2000: http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/30-the-recent-past/bill-clinton-on-free-trade-and-financial-deregulation-1993-2000/
Contract with America, 1994: http://www.blackpast.org/primary/republican-partys-contract-america-1994
Bill Clinton campaign ad, “America Back,” 1996: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt-LDpxS5iQ
