Sources for America’s History: Printed Page 729
From the sources in this chapter, what conclusion can you draw about the political culture of the era? How do you assess the mood of the 1970s?
Do you think Americans’ perspective on the 1970s was shaped more by the economic crises they endured or by the cultural conflict over values? How might a historian assess the historical significance of these factors?
Compare Schlafly’s ERA statement to the Redstockings Manifesto (Document 28-3) and Carrie Chapman Catt’s 1918 statement (Document 22-2) to understand historical patterns of change and continuity on the issue of women’s rights. What differences can you identify in how individuals framed the issues at different times and for different audiences?
To what extent is presidential rhetoric — the language presidents use in speeches — reflective of the period? Compare, for example, Carter’s national address to Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points (Document 21-6), Franklin Roosevelt’s inaugural address (Document 23-2), and Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society speech (Document 28-1).