The Stonewall Riots, 1969 — A Turning Point in the Struggle for Gay and Lesbian Liberation This incident took place in New York’s Greenwich Village at the Stonewall Inn whereby homosexuals perform violent demostrations against a police raid. It is cited to be one of the first instant in American history for the homosexual community fought back when the government restrict sexual activities being approved, and it has since became the defining event that marked the start of gay rights movement in the United States around the world. Early homosexual groups in the U.S. sought to prove that gay people could be assimilated into society and that they too can be look upon as equal individuals. Not many places accept the presence of gay people, those that did were often bars and pubs. The Stonewall Inn, at that time was run by the Mafia.
Many were accused as being traitors for their beliefs. Americans also became swept up in social conformity causing a new American Dream to take shape. During the 50s, America experienced many new changes in its way of life. New problems arose like The Cold War and new social issues changed American conformist ideals and fortified civil rights. In the 50s, blacks began standing up for their civil rights.
Race in Turn of the Century America Melony R. Hadden HIS 204 American History Since 1865 Prof. Angela Cranon-Charles November 10, 2012 The United States entered the twentieth century still confronting numerous problems such as corruption in business, economic depression, and labor unrest. Among these problems, America also faced the increasing racial tension in its society. Although free from slavery, African-Americans still encountered racial violence, segregation, and isolation from white society (Bowles, 2011). America’s desire to attain “Manifest Destiny”, technological advancement, and support of segregation hindered equality among races in American society. The signing of the Emancipation Proclamation and the addition of the thirteenth through fifteenth amendments to the Constitution freed African-Americans from slavery and granted them equal rights
Both the American Revolution and French Revolution were started in order to fight against their respective political leaders in order to end monarchial rule and start republican governments. The need to set up a stable and balanced government that protected the natural rights of its citizens was the basis of these wars. Following the end of the American Revolution and the failure of the Articles of Confederation, the Americans wrote the modern Constitution of the United States, heavily based off of Montesquieu’s idea of a divided government. The French Revolution began similarly in that some members of its government believed that they were not equally represented. After the French Revolution though, the republic slowly began shifting to a totalitarian regime, first under the Committee of Public Safety and then completely under Napoleon Bonaparte .The facts show that the American Revolution was more successful in establishing a stable and long-lasting republican government that started a precedent for Europe, while the French Revolution’s republic failed to last, being turned into a totalitarian regime.
“1968 was a turning point for the United States.” The decade of the 1960s was a major turning point for the US. 1968 was the year of the Tet Offensive and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. There were major reforms, events, beliefs, and movements that began to strengthen and form. The Civil Rights Movements started to develop and many prominent figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. supported and demanded equal rights regardless of color and race. The Vietnam War and the draft also sparked major protests around the United States specifically from college students who resented The System or The Man.
But Americans had become used to having control over their local government. They objected to the new laws and protested being taxed without their consent. In 1775, Britain's Parliament declared Massachusetts, the center of most of the protests, to be in rebellion. British troops were placed in Boston to take swift action against the rebels. Shortly afterwards, war broke out.
Hippies were vital to American counterculture, fueling a movement to stretch accepted values, increase environmental awareness, and open ears to a generation of new music. A vibrant community of rebellious culture has always existed in America. One of the biggest rebellions was the protests on the Vietnam War, the Civil rights Movement, and the advancement of fashion by hippies. The protests against the stupidity and brutality of war began in Berkley, California in 1965 and were strictly against the accepted values of the time. As the protests continued they eventually put enough pressure on our government influencing them to bring our troops home, thus ending the United States’ involvement in Vietnam and releasing the Vietnamese from foreign colonial occupation.
Cultural Impacts of the Vietnam War on America In the spirit of hippie antipolitics and the all too familiar phrases of “make love not war” and “bring our boys home!” everything from sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll to corrupt politicians, American soldiers dyeing in Vietnam; the period between 1960-1975 forever changed American culture. The Vietnam War had a direct impact on American society, and left a cultural legacy on the country indefinitely. The changes are evident as the United States experienced a second inner revolution creating anti-war protests and demonstrations that helped create a new generation or free loving, expressive, radical “hippies.” The Vietnam War has left legacies in
Sex, drugs, and “rock ‘n’ roll”; the infamous era that had changed the world. The sixties were known to be the “cultural decade” as a result of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe. This decade was the rising of several different measures. The extremely controversial Vietnam War, political disputes, an eruption of new technology and cultures are some of the most impactful. Some main events people tend to forget about are the changes in the status of minorities, women, and homosexuals.
It could be argued that the arrival of the black power movement did hinder the fight for black civil rights in 1960’s because of the negative media attention it gained because of the violent method used. It could also be argued that it helped to speed up the fight for civil rights and make the whites take more notice because the riots were being published throughout America. It can be seen that the black power movement did hinder the black civil rights fight in 1960’s because of the negative view it gave of the African Americans. The violent riots which the black power were behind started in the summers of 1965 to 1968 , first occurring in los angles but soon spreading to other cities. The reason for the riots were because the black powers were getting fed up with the slow change nonviolent protest that Martin Luther King was behind were actually doing for the African Americans.