Conservative America

Colton Barkley

Conservative America

From 1968 to 1990 is commonly referred to as the conservative era of America. Due to a large amount of people believing that we didn't need government intervention. Or foreign countries help. Also during this era human rights was a huge movement, everything from women's rights to gay and lesbian rights. They believed that we could become great if we were to stick to traditional moral views instead of new world policies.

President Nixon had a big role in the conservatism as well.Where Kennedy had pushed Americans to contribute to the common good, Nixon changed that to more of a help yourself type of view. As he says “ask- not just what will government do for me, but what can i do for myself. This invoked many individuals and also private enterprises. Urging people to restore traditional moral values.However his major abuse of power and multiple crimes that he committed ruined his image and led to the first presidential resignation in history.

NIxon had enforced the court orders to highly integrate southern schools but resisted the efforts to put a handle on segregation outside of the South in Northern and Western cities. In this area segregation boiled down to housing discrimination and the drawing of school districts as well. Keeping blacks in one location and whites in the other. White people eventually became more keen on the idea of integration after the creation of schools with specialized programs and other things for desegregation offered a greater choice.

The gay and lesbian rights movements that began in the 1980’s as gay and lesbian rights activism grew.since the 1970’s attempts at protecting the rights of homosexuals have been made in drastic measures. However most are almost always unsuccessful. In 1982 Wisconsin became the first state to ban the discrimination of sexual orientation. Doing so only after many cities had already passed gay rights ordinances in the 1970’s.

In 1964 Barry Goldwater had a conservation movement as well. He states “enlarging your freedom at home and safeguarding it from the forces of the tranny abroad.” He argues that the government interfering with our economic lives is hindering prosperity, stifling personal responsibility, and interfering with individuals rights for determining their own values.