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Period: to
Era of Activism
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Publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring
Silent Spring was Rachel Carson's most influential book. This book caused a senation. Carson spoke out againest the use of chemical pesticides, espeically DDT. After Silent Spring, people also became more concious of poisonous fumes in the air, oil spills on beaches, and toxic wastes buried in the ground. -
Publication of Betty Friedan's Feminine Mystique
Betty Friedan's book was a very important influence. In this book Friedan confronts the stay at home mom role that women had. This book helped change the way that women were perceived in society. -
Publication of Ralph Nader's Unsafe at any Speed
Unsafe at Any Speed drew attention to the dangers of cars. Nader talks about how automobiles have cause many death's and injuries over the years and how unsafe these cars are. Nader shares that the automobile industry knew about these problems but built millions of more cars before confronting the issues. This book led to congress passing the Motor Vehicle Act so people could be safe. -
NOW is Founded
NOW was a National Organization for Women. NOW's goal was to bring American women into full participation in the mainstream of American Society . They also fought for fair pay and equal job oportunities for men and women. -
Woodstock Festival
Many people of the counterculter all came together at the Woodstock Festival which was a three day concert. About 400,000 people gathered in New York to listen to the major rock bands. Police avoided confrontations and the crowd rremained under control. -
First Earth Day celebration
People that helped organize Earth Day stressed the important role that Americans could play in improving awareness for environmental issues and putting an end to damage in the environment. The goal of Earth Day was to heighten concern for our environment, increase awareness, and clean pollution and litter. We continue to celebrate Earth Day April 22nd every year. -
The EPA is established
The efforts of environmental activists and the concern of the public helped spur the federal government to create the Environmental Protection Agency. EPA was a government organization that was set up to enforce national pollution-control standards. -
Congress passes the Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act was passed to regulate the discharge of industrial and municipal wastewater. It also provided for grants to build better sewage-treatment facilities. The EPA was in charge of monitoring and reducing the water pollution. -
Supreme Court rules to legalize abortion in the Roe v. Wade case
Many states outlawed or serevely restricted access to abortion. However, some women were still finding ways to get an abortion. Eventually, it was legalized by the Supreme Court based on the constitutional right to personal privacy. -
Protesters from the AIM take over the reservation at Wounded Knee
AIM took over Wounded Knee and refused to leave until the U.S. Government agreed to investigate the treatment of Indians and review more than 300 treaties. The FBI put the village under seige, and eventually the protesters had no choice but to surrender and leave. Their rights were looked at but during the seige some were injured and even killed.
