The USA By 1975
Foreign Policy Domestic Policy
Impact of Watergate: African Americans:
➢ Watergate left the positiion of the presidency much ➢ Political progress by the end of the 1970s with the
weakened by 1975. increased representation for AAs.
➢ Americans felt that the president had too much power and ○ E.g. no AA mayors in 1960s, but a black mayor
no longer had respect for their own politicians or elected in LA, Detroit, and Cleveland in the
government. 1970s.
○ The number of AAs in Congress increased from
The Economy: 11 in 1970 to 18 by 1980.
➢ USA experienced a prolonged economic boom after WWII ➢ Some social improvements
and was still the most advanced economy in the world by ○ The proportion of AAs earning over $10,000 a
the 1970s. year was 3% in 1960 and 31% by 1970.
➢ 1974 - Ford inherited high inflation ➢ AA male teenage unemployment was at 50% and half
➢ 1976 - inflation at 9%, unemployment at 5.4% of black teenagers dropped out fo high school.
➢ Experiencing stagfaltion. ➢ An AA child was 2x as likely to die for the age of 1 as a
➢ Ford also inherited an energy crisis due to OPEC. white child, and 2x as likely to drop out of school.
➢ 1973 - OPEC imposed an oil embargo on the US, caused
New York stock exchange prices to plummet. Native Americans:
➢ Dec 1973 - OPEC quadruples the price of oil. ➢ Out of all minority groups, NAs were the worst off.
➢ Many libed on reservations.
Position in World Affairs: ➢ Unemployment amongst NAs was 10x higher than
➢ USA one of the 2 superpowers, and assumed a global Americans.
role of the ‘champion of democracy’ against communism. ➢ On average they lived 20 years less than everyone
➢ Detente and Helsinki in 1975. else.
➢ Conflict in Vietnam meant that the public and Congress ○ Suicide rate 100x higher than whites.
were far more likely to monitor any future crisis that looked ➢ March 1973 - Wounded Knee occupied by many NAs.
likely to lead to ‘another Vietnam’. ○ Protestors presented the government with a list
○ E.g. when USSR intervented Angola in 1974, of grievances that included broken treaties.
Nixon and Kissinger failed to persuade Congress ○ The siege encouraged public support.
to vote for US military intervention. ○ Gov agreed to look at the grievances.
➢ USA increasingly involved in the Middle East - USSR on
the side of the defeated Arab states, and USA on the side Women:
of Israel during Yom-Kippur War. - New attitudes to work, sex, family, and personal
freedom.
- Over 2/3rds of female college students rejected the idea
that a woman’s place was at home.
- Most women now expected to work for most of their
lives, even if they had young families.
- More women entering traditionally male occupations
e.g. medicine and law.
- Women only received 73% of men’s wages.
- Dominated low paid jobs.
- 66% of adults that were classified as poor were women.
Foreign Policy Domestic Policy
Impact of Watergate: African Americans:
➢ Watergate left the positiion of the presidency much ➢ Political progress by the end of the 1970s with the
weakened by 1975. increased representation for AAs.
➢ Americans felt that the president had too much power and ○ E.g. no AA mayors in 1960s, but a black mayor
no longer had respect for their own politicians or elected in LA, Detroit, and Cleveland in the
government. 1970s.
○ The number of AAs in Congress increased from
The Economy: 11 in 1970 to 18 by 1980.
➢ USA experienced a prolonged economic boom after WWII ➢ Some social improvements
and was still the most advanced economy in the world by ○ The proportion of AAs earning over $10,000 a
the 1970s. year was 3% in 1960 and 31% by 1970.
➢ 1974 - Ford inherited high inflation ➢ AA male teenage unemployment was at 50% and half
➢ 1976 - inflation at 9%, unemployment at 5.4% of black teenagers dropped out fo high school.
➢ Experiencing stagfaltion. ➢ An AA child was 2x as likely to die for the age of 1 as a
➢ Ford also inherited an energy crisis due to OPEC. white child, and 2x as likely to drop out of school.
➢ 1973 - OPEC imposed an oil embargo on the US, caused
New York stock exchange prices to plummet. Native Americans:
➢ Dec 1973 - OPEC quadruples the price of oil. ➢ Out of all minority groups, NAs were the worst off.
➢ Many libed on reservations.
Position in World Affairs: ➢ Unemployment amongst NAs was 10x higher than
➢ USA one of the 2 superpowers, and assumed a global Americans.
role of the ‘champion of democracy’ against communism. ➢ On average they lived 20 years less than everyone
➢ Detente and Helsinki in 1975. else.
➢ Conflict in Vietnam meant that the public and Congress ○ Suicide rate 100x higher than whites.
were far more likely to monitor any future crisis that looked ➢ March 1973 - Wounded Knee occupied by many NAs.
likely to lead to ‘another Vietnam’. ○ Protestors presented the government with a list
○ E.g. when USSR intervented Angola in 1974, of grievances that included broken treaties.
Nixon and Kissinger failed to persuade Congress ○ The siege encouraged public support.
to vote for US military intervention. ○ Gov agreed to look at the grievances.
➢ USA increasingly involved in the Middle East - USSR on
the side of the defeated Arab states, and USA on the side Women:
of Israel during Yom-Kippur War. - New attitudes to work, sex, family, and personal
freedom.
- Over 2/3rds of female college students rejected the idea
that a woman’s place was at home.
- Most women now expected to work for most of their
lives, even if they had young families.
- More women entering traditionally male occupations
e.g. medicine and law.
- Women only received 73% of men’s wages.
- Dominated low paid jobs.
- 66% of adults that were classified as poor were women.
