Stephen Feinstein - The 1970s

Published in 2016 by Enslow Publishing, LLC.

101 W. 23rd Street, Suite 240, New York, NY 10011

Copyright 2016 by Enslow Publishing, LLC.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Feinstein, Stephen.

The 1970s / Stephen Feinstein.

pages cm. (Decades of the 20th and 21st centuries)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Summary: Discusses the decade 1970-1979 in the United States in terms of culture, art, science, and politics Provided by publisher.

Audience: Grade 9 to 12.

ISBN 978-0-7660-6934-3

1. United StatesCivilization1945- Juvenile literature. 2. United StatesPolitics and government1969-1974Juvenile literature. 3. United States--Politics and government1974-1977Juvenile literature. 4. United StatesPolitics and government1977-1981Juvenile literature. 5. Nineteen seventiesJuvenile literature. I. Title.

E169.12.F4474 2015

973.924dc23

2015010949

Printed in the United States of America

To Our Readers: We have done our best to make sure all Web sites in this book were active and appropriate when we went to press. However, the author and the publisher have no control over and assume no liability for the material available on those Web sites or on any Web sites they may link to. Any comments or suggestions can be sent by e-mail to .

Photo Credits: Alberto Roveri/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images, p. (bottom).

Cover Credits: David Redfern/Redferns/Getty Images (Jimi Hendrix); Dirck Halstead/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images (Richard Nixon); Focus on Sport/Getty Images (Billie Jean King); Hulton Archive/ Archive Photos/Getty Images (soldiers).

Contents

Introduction

Pop Culture, Lifestyles, and Fashion

Entertainment and the Arts

Sports

National and International Politics

Advances in Science, Technology, and Medicine

Conclusion

Timeline

Glossary

Further Reading

Index

The Vietnam War played a large part in Americas crisis of confidence.

Introduction

The 1970s were a time of struggle and doubt. For three decades, America had been a world leader. Its economy thrived, and its military was strong. By the 1970s, Americans began to sense a change. Suddenly, it seemed as if their country was losing its strength. President Jimmy Carter called it a crisis of confidence.

The Vietnam War played a large role in the crisis. The war was different from past conflicts. US troops found it hard to tell friend from foe. The enemy struck quickly and then vanished. As the death toll grew, many people at home began to oppose the war. They staged protests, some of which led to bloodshed. College students were among the most vocal war protesters. By the mid-1970s, America had managed to get out of the war, but the deep divisions it had caused would take many years to heal.

Another conflict in the world caused many problems during the 1970s, which was the Arab-Israeli conflict. In 1948, Jewish people created the state of Israel in the Middle East. Arab nations there strongly opposed Israel. They fought several wars to destroy it but failed. Some Arab groups turned to terrorism and hijacked airplanes. In 1972, terrorists took hostages at the Olympics. Americas support for Israel angered the Arab countries. In 1973, Arab countries decided to stop selling oil to the United States. The move triggered a US energy crisis. People ran short of gas for their cars and heating oil for their homes. Americas economy was hit hard. Prices for food and other goods climbed. The government urged everyone to save fuel.

Americans were shocked to learn that President Richard Nixon had authorized a cover-up of his administrations involvement in the Watergate affairan illegal break-in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee. The Watergate scandal ended Nixons political career. He became the only president ever to resign from office. Like the Vietnam War, Watergate caused many people to distrust their government.

Bitter and exhausted, many Americans stopped getting involved in politics. They began to focus more on their own problems and needs. Young people who had become hippies in the 1960s looked for ways to rejoin the mainstream. They started to build careers and seek financial success. Writer Tom Wolfe noticed that Americans were becoming preoccupied with their own well-being. They were concerned with eating healthful foods and looking good. In 1976, Wolfe described the 1970s as the Me Decade.

The 1970s saw some uplifting events, as well. An American swimmer named Mark Spitz made Olympic history. Slugger Hank Aaron broke baseballs long-standing record for career home runs. In 1976, America celebrated two hundred years of independence. However, more bad news would follow this celebration. In Jonestown, Guyana, more than nine hundred members of a religious cult took their own lives. An accident at a nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania nearly led to disaster. Such stories added to the sense of gloom many people felt during the 1970s.

As the decade ended, America seemed to reach a new low. Another energy crisis gripped the economy. In Iran, US embassy workers were being held hostage. The Soviet UnionAmericas Cold War rival invaded Afghanistan. Nobody knew how these crises might end, and feelings of doubt ran stronger than ever.

Pop Culture, Lifestyles, and Fashion

Although the 1960s had been marked by upheavalstruggles for civil rights, the anti-Vietnam war movement, and urban riotingthat decade had been a period when many Americans enjoyed financial comfort.

Hippies Return to the Mainstream

Good economic conditions made it easy for young people to put off decisions about careers and marriage. Housing, food, and energy were cheap. A youth counterculture sprang up to protest any limits on personal freedoms. Young people felt free to question the traditional values of their parents, government, and religious leaders. The baby boom that took place after World War II created an enormous youth population. Four out of ten Americans in the mid-1960s were under the age of seventeen. It is no wonder they were able to cause such a stir. Members of the counterculture were often referred to as hippies. The main goal for many was to oppose the war in Vietnam. Others who were not so focused on politics also rejected traditional values. Sex, drugs, and rock n roll were important elements of the hippie lifestyle. Hippies also experimented with communal living arrangements.

American actor LeVar Burton played Kunte Kinte in 1977s Roots.

Many men grew their hair long. The use of drugs, such as marijuana and LSD, increased dramatically. People became much more tolerant of sexual experimentation. It seemed to many that free love could become a part of everyday life. In the 1970s, the economy went through some drastic changes. Life became more difficult. Many people had trouble making ends meet. Dropping out of the mainstream no longer seemed to be a wise option. Young people once again became concerned with making the right career decisions.