Seventies
How the 1970’s Shaped American History The
Nineteen Seventies was a pop
culture decade. From Hippies to Disco and
Saturday Night Fever to The Brady
Bunch, the Seventies were full of
cultural changes that shaped society for years
to come. Although pop culture
was important, many political outcomes also
occurred. The Watergate scandal,
the official end of the Vietnam conflict, and
the United States Bicentennial
all happened during this decade. Oil and nuclear
problems arose, and Abortion
was legalized for the first time. The Nineteen
Seventies are often
tarnished by remembrances of them, but in actuality many
advances did occur
in this ten-year span. When looking back at entertainment,
fashion, and music
history of the nineteen seventies these were probably the
greatest and most
influential events of this decade. Many movie stars such as
Jane Fonda,
Robert Redford, and John Travolta arose in this decade. Movies like
Jaws,
Saturday Night Fever, Rocky and Star Wars were on the movie screens and
were
a new type of uninhibited film that had never before been socially
allowed
before the seventies. Musically, with the exception of Disco of
course, the
seventies will be highly revered. Lynrd Skynrd, Bob Marley, Simon
and Garfunkel,
Led Zeppelin, The Eagles and countless other groups arose
on the rock scene. We
must however also acknowledge Disco and groups such as
the Bee Gee’s and KC
and the Sunshine Band. Clothing was completely free and
bell bottoms, bikini’s
and love beads were commonplace. There were no longer
strict dress codes and the
new free spirit of the seventies definitely
demonstrated that. T.V.’s went to
color, V.C.R.’s were invented, DNA was just
beginning to be unfolded,
technology was beginning to blossom. Atari was
invented, computers enhanced, and
home appliances were rejuvenated. The early
seventies entailed such things as
the Kent State University Massacre in 1970,
which resulted in the deaths of four
innocent students by National Guardsmen,
and The Roe v. Wade Supreme Court
decision in 1973 that helped to spawn the
women’s movement that engrossed the
entire decade. The first Earth Day was
celebrated on April 22, 1970 and launched
a new environmental movement, and
anti war protest were all around until the
official U.S. pullout from the
Vietnam conflict in 1973. Charles Manson planned
the murders of dozens of
people, and it was apparent that society was
drastically changing. The
Richard Nixon Watergate scandal involving Democratic
headquarter information
that implicated the president in illegal cover-ups and
activities with funds
was probably the one thing that most people remember most
about the 1970’s.
Those interviewed, and researchers have both said that it
was the most
significant event of the decade. It caused an intense distrust of
the Federal
Government, and the Democratic party, which has stemmed into
politics today.
This event, which led to the impeachment proceedings and
ultimate resignation
of president Richard Nixon on August 9, 1974 made a lasting
impression on
politics, government, public opinion, and the way democracy is
cared for.
Nuclear testing, resulting in health and environmental problems was
also a
hot topic in this time period. The Nuclear waste spill and radioactive
leak
at The Three Mile Island Nuclear plant in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in
1979.
The new environmental feeling that was being brought about in this
decade helped
to bring about the idea of safe nuclear projects and disposal
of nuclear waste.
Foreign relations, on the whole were not good with
Iran, or Russia. We had a
hostage crisis with Iran, a Grain embargo with
Russia, and an oil embargo
leading to a gas crisis in the United States. The
feminist movement was at
it’s pinnacle in the 1970’s. Because of activists
such as Gloria Steinem and
Bella Apzug, women were getting more
recognition. Women sports stars such as
Billy Jean King were also
becoming famous. Workplace discrimination was
addressed, rallies held, and
"bra burning" commenced. This free time
enabled women to fight for what they
believed in without worrying about what it
would look like to others. The Roe
v. Wade decision by the Supreme Court gave
women more freedom of choice, as
well as the readily available birth control
pill. Along with this women’s
revolution there was a sexual revolution in the
1970’s. Contraception was
accessible and the sexually transmitted diseases of
today were unheard of.
This lead to more promiscuity and curiosity involving
sexual relations. Drugs
were also found everywhere. People were not as afraid of
them as they can be
now, and punishment was not nearly as severe. With the new
free culture came
a revived interest in illegal substances. America celebrated
it’s 200th
birthday in 1976 and a yearlong festival was held in this honor. A
new
quarter was also minted for this bicentennial. The nineteen seventies,
though
not full of wonderful political outcomes, were beneficial. Many
technological
and social advances arose, and people were introduced into an
entirely new
culture that helped to shape the way that we live today. With the
free
spirit, learning from curiosity and new education of the seventies, we
have
grown as a culture, and with the pop culture and entertainment advances,
we have
evolved on the
whole.