Social Movements: Feminist, Labor, and Environmental

Grade 11 · Social Studies · Study Guide

An exploration of major American social movements including second-wave feminism, organized labor, and environmentalism, examining their goals, strategies, achievements, and lasting impact.

American democracy has been shaped by mass movements demanding rights and protections for those left behind by existing laws and institutions. Three of the most consequential movements of the 20th century were feminism, organized labor, and environmentalism.

The second-wave feminist movement (1960s-1980s) built on the suffrage movement and pushed for legal equality in the workplace, reproductive rights, and an end to gender discrimination. Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique (1963) ignited the movement; Congress passed the Equal Pay Act (1963), Title IX (1972) prohibiting sex discrimination in education, and Roe v. Wade (1973) established abortion rights. The Equal Rights Amendment passed Congress in 1972 but fell three states short of ratification.

The labor movement had earlier roots but achieved its greatest gains in the 1930s. The Wagner Act (1935) guaranteed workers' rights to organize and bargain collectively. At its peak in the 1950s, about 35% of American workers belonged to unions. Union membership has since declined to roughly 10% amid automation, globalization, and legislative changes.

The environmental movement emerged from the 1960s counter-culture and concerns about pollution and ecological damage. Rachel Carson's Silent Spring (1962) exposed pesticide dangers; the Cuyahoga River catching fire in 1969 symbolized the crisis. The first Earth Day (April 22, 1970) drew 20 million participants. Congress created the Environmental Protection Agency (1970) and passed the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act.

Key terms

Second-Wave Feminism: The feminist movement of the 1960s-1980s that expanded goals beyond voting rights to include workplace equality, reproductive rights, and challenging gender roles and discrimination.
Title IX (1972): Federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in any educational program receiving federal funding; transformed women's participation in high school and college athletics and academics.
Wagner Act (National Labor Relations Act, 1935): Law that guaranteed private-sector workers the right to organize unions, bargain collectively, and strike; established the National Labor Relations Board.
EPA (Environmental Protection Agency): Federal agency created by executive order in 1970 to enforce environmental laws and regulations, conduct research, and set environmental standards.
Equal Rights Amendment (ERA): Proposed constitutional amendment stating that rights could not be denied on the basis of sex; passed Congress in 1972 but fell three states short of the 38 needed for ratification.
Silent Spring (1962): Rachel Carson's landmark book documenting the environmental damage caused by pesticides, particularly DDT; widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement.

Flashcards

NOW (National Organization for Women): Founded in 1966 by Betty Friedan and others; largest U.S. feminist organization; advocated for legal equality, reproductive rights, and ending gender discrimination.
Roe v. Wade (1973): Supreme Court ruled women have a constitutional right to abortion under the right to privacy; overturned by Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in 2022.
AFL-CIO: Major U.S. labor federation formed by the 1955 merger of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations; represents millions of union workers.
Cuyahoga River Fire (1969): The Cuyahoga River in Cleveland caught fire due to industrial pollution; became a symbol of environmental destruction and helped galvanize support for clean water legislation.
Clean Air Act (1970): Landmark environmental law establishing federal standards for air quality and regulating emissions from industrial facilities and vehicles.
César Chávez: Labor activist who co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) and organized California agricultural laborers, using strikes and boycotts to win better wages and conditions.
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration): Federal agency created in 1970 to set and enforce workplace safety standards, reducing injuries and deaths in American workplaces.
Third-Wave Feminism: 1990s-2000s feminist movement that embraced intersectionality, emphasized diversity within feminism, and challenged second-wave assumptions about gender and identity.

Questions

Which 1963 book by Betty Friedan is widely credited with igniting the second-wave feminist movement?
1. The Female Eunuch
2. The Women's Room
3. The Feminine Mystique
4. A Room of One's Own
Show answer
Answer: The Feminine Mystique
Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique (1963) described 'the problem that has no name' — the dissatisfaction of educated housewives — and is widely credited with sparking the second-wave feminist movement.
The Equal Rights Amendment was ratified by the required 38 states and became part of the U.S. Constitution in 1977.
Show answer
Answer: False
The ERA passed Congress in 1972 and was ratified by 35 states, but fell three states short of the 38 needed. The deadline passed in 1982. Ratification debates have continued into the 21st century.
The first Earth Day was held on April 22, _______, drawing approximately 20 million participants across the United States.
Show answer
Answer: 1970
Earth Day was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson and organized by Denis Hayes; the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970 led directly to the creation of the EPA and passage of major environmental laws.
The Taft-Hartley Act (1947) was significant because it:
1. Expanded union membership rights to government workers
2. Restricted certain union activities and allowed states to pass right-to-work laws
3. Created the minimum wage and 40-hour work week
4. Merged the AFL and CIO into a single labor federation
Show answer
Answer: Restricted certain union activities and allowed states to pass right-to-work laws
The Taft-Hartley Act restricted union practices such as jurisdictional strikes and secondary boycotts, allowed the president to seek injunctions against strikes threatening national security, and permitted states to pass right-to-work laws prohibiting union shop agreements.
Rachel Carson's Silent Spring primarily focused on the dangers of nuclear power plant emissions.
Show answer
Answer: False
Silent Spring (1962) documented the harmful effects of pesticides, especially DDT, on birds, wildlife, and humans. Its publication led to a ban on DDT and helped launch the modern environmental movement.

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