Winning civil rights and freedoms

1
Winning civil rights and freedoms
2
Laws in the 21st Century

• Laws in Western societies guarantee the same
  rights to all persons, whatever their sex, race,
  ethnic origin, religion or sexual orientation.
• These groups had to struggle to win equal rights.
• Some groups are still struggling today to win
  full rights.

3
Events which led to decolonization and civil
rights movements

• The economic crisis
• The stock market crash of 1929 began a severe
  economic crisis known as the Great Depression.
• This crisis lasted for 10 years (throughout the
  1930s)
• What led to this crisis?
• Share prices fall on the New York Stock Exchange
• Investors panic and want to sell their shares.
• No buyers causes value of shares to drop
• Companies go bankrupt
• Workers lose their jobs
• Unemployed people no longer buy goods
• More businesses go bankrupt and close
• More workers lose their jobs
• Because all countries traded with one another,
  the Depression spread to the entire world.

4
The end of the Depression

• The end of the Depression coincided with the
  beginning of the Second World War in 1939.
• To happen at the same time or during the same
  period
• WWII revitalized (boosted) the economies of all
  the countries that had been affected by the
  Depression.

5
The Second World War

• After WW1(1914-18), Germany was forced to sign a
  treaty at Versailles, near paris, in 1919.
• A treaty is a written agreement between 2 or more
  countries.
• The Treaty of Versailles forced the Germans to
  pay for damages and to do away with military
  service.
• They also had to give up territory in Europe
  along with all of its colonies.

6
Consequences of the Depression and the Treaty of
Versailles on Germany

• The Depression had hit Germany hard because their
  economy was dependent on the United States.
• Germany felt humilitated by the harsh conditions
  of the Treaty of Versailles which had been set by
  the Allies.
• Germans voted Adolf Hitler into power.
• By doing so, they got rid of democracy and voted
  in an authoritarian government.

7
What lead to the Second World War?

• Hitler decided to rearm his country.
• Rearming his army violated the Treaty of
  Versailles!
• Hitler also invaded Poland in 1939.
• As a result, France and the United Kingdom
  declared war on Germany.

8
Two opposing camps the Axis and the Allies

• Axis powers Germany, Italy, Japan (Authoritarian
  Governments)
• Allied powers France, UK, USSR (Russia) U.S.A.
  (All democratic governments except USSR)
• British colonies or former British colonies were
  forced to support the UK and joined the Allies in
  defeating the Axis.
• Canada, Australia, India, New Zealand and South
  Africa were former British colonies.

9
The End of the Second World War

• On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped the
  world?s first atomic bomb on the city of
  Hiroshima, Japan.
• Hundreds of thousands were killed and the city
  was leveled.
• Why did the Americans do this?
• In response to Japan?s surprise and unjustified
  attack on Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. (Japan had sunk
  or damaged many U.S. Navy battleships, cruisers,
  destroyers, had destroyed 188 U.S. Aircraft, had
  killed 2,402 men and had wounded 1,282 others.)
• An excuse to simply test the Atomic bomb

10
The creation of the United Nations

• Between 50-60 million people were killed in the
  Second World War (Mostly civilian).
• Cities and a great deal of infrastructure were
  destroyed (Bridges, railways, roads etc.)
• The United Nations is an organization that was
  set up, in 1945, by nations throughout the world
  to ensure that a new world war would not occur
  again.

11
The UN Charter

• A charter is a document that states a fundamental
  law.
• It reflects the basic values of the democratic
  world.
• What was the role or task of the UN Charter?
• Its mandate was to encourage peace, security and
  cooperation throughout the world
• To promote respect of human rights
• To improve peoples living conditions

12
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948,
see page 180)

• Article 1
• Everyone is born free and equal
• Article 2
• People should not be discriminated against based
  on their race, colour, sex, language, religion,
  political or other opinion etc.
• Article 23
• Everyone has the right to equal pay for equal
  work.

13
How did decolonization happen? (See page 184 for
more details)

• CAUSES
• The Great Depression weakened European countries.
• The Second World War cause so much damage in
  Europe that they had to focus on recontructing
  their cities and infrastructure.
• As a result, they began to loss interest in
  their countries.
• Concurrently, people living in the colonies
  demanded independence from their mother
  countries.
• They felt it was only fair since they helped out
  their mother countries in the war effort.

14

• The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights
  inspired these colonies to demand for
  independence (We all have the same rights)
• Finally, there was the domino effect The
  independence of other colonies encouraged others
  to demand for independence.

15
Indian Independence

• India was once a British colony since the early
  19th century.
• In the 1920s, J. Nehru and M. Gandhi led the
  struggle for independence.
• During WW2, the UK promised India independence in
  exchange for Indias support in the war effort.
• India became an independent country after WW2
  with Nehru as Prime Minister.

16
The decolonization of Africa

• After WW2, France did not tolerate any form of
  nationist movements (Pro-independence) in its
  African colonies.
• In some regions in Africa, some activists were
  put in jail or expelled from their countries.
• Frances attitude to Madagascars attempts to
  gain independence led to bloodshed.

17
United Nations position on colonization

• The UN believed that colonization had to be
  brought to an end.
• It felt that all people had the right to govern
  (rule) themselves . This is called
  self-determination.
• In 1945, 750 million people lived in colonized
  countries. This dropped to under 2 million by
  2006.

18
How did the movement to end racial discrimination
arise?

• The civil rights movement in the United States
• Although slavery was abolished in 1865, blacks
  continued to be discriminated against by whites.
• Up until the 1950s, the United States still had
  discriminatory laws
• Blacks could not attend the same schools as
  whites etc.
• Blacks could not marry whites either.

19
Black Americans were at a disadvantage

• Infant mortality was higher than whites.
• Blacks were more likely to drop out of high
  school than whites.
• The unemployment rate for black was much higher.
• Most blacks could not get a loan to buy a house.

20
Martin Luther King (1929-1968)

• He was a Baptist minister.
• He was inspired by Gandhis non-violence
  approached to winning civil rights.
• He fought for the right to vote, to high-quality
  jobs and to equality with whites.
• He was assassinated in 1968.

21
Malcolm X and the Black Panthers

• Although people such as Martin Luther preached
  about gaining civil rights peacefully, other like
  Malcolm X took violence as a route.
• Malcolm X, along with other Black Muslims, did
  more harm to the civil rights movement than good.
• He was shot to death by three black gunmen in
  1965.

22
Creation of Ghettos in CitiesThe reality of
things

• Although people of different races may work
  together, they are still very unlikely to live in
  the same neighbourhoods.
• What is a ghetto?
• An impoverished (poor), neglected, or otherwise
  disadvantaged residential area of a city, usually
  troubled by a large amount of crime.
• A part of a city, esp. a slum area, occupied by a
  minority group or groups.
• Depending on your race and skin color, you may
  not be welcomed in that ghetto.

23
Anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa

• In 1948 a non-white party came into power.
• Non-whites could not vote.
• This party passed 2 discriminatory laws
• Population Registration Act This act classified
  people into racial groups. People had to walk
  around with ID cards specifying their race.
• Group Area Act Non-whites could had no access to
  white neighbourhoods. Whites and non-whites could
  not attend the same schools, hospitals, beaches
  etc.
• This is known as segregation.

24
Gay rights
25
Controversial Issues Regarding Gay Rights in
America
26
Dont Ask, Dont Tell Policy in the US Military

• Countries like Canada, Great Britain, Isreal have
  had great success in letting gay people openly
  serve in the military.
• In 2011, the United States Government abolished
  its discriminatory Dont Ask, Dont tell policy
  which forced gays who served in the military to
  stay in the closet. As a result, thousands of gay
  soldiers either left the military or were forced
  out.
• Why did the US finally get rid of this policy?
• If you are willing to serve your country and be a
  patriot then you should be permitted to serve
  openly in the army and not have to worry about
  lieing about who you are.

27
Controversy over Gay Marriage

• Those who are in favor of gay marriage feel that
  it is important for gays to be able to commit
  themselves and to have the same benefits and
  rights as straight people do.
• They want their partner to be taken care of in
  case something happens to them (insurance,
  inheritance, pension etc.)
• Gays care about these issues too.

http//www.youtube.com/watch?vY3huRVrckY8
28
Gay Rights in Canada
29

• Gay rights in Canada are the most advanced in the
  Americas.
• Gay Canadians have most of the same legal rights
  as straight citizens, and are extended more legal
  rights than many other nations where
  homosexuality is legal.
• Since 2005, Canada has offered civil marriage
  rights nationwide to same-sex couples.

30
What is homophobia?

• It refers to an irrational fear, prejudice or
  discrimination towards gays.
• It can take many forms, from name-calling and
  teasing to serious crimes like assault and
  murder.
• It is most often based on fear and ignorance.

31
What is Heterosexism?

• It is the belief that all people are or should be
  heterosexual (straight), that other types of
  sexuality are wrong.
• These attitudes are often communicated without
  people realizing it, through assumptions.
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vSBuKuA9nHsw
• How does it affect Lesbians, gays and bisexuals
  (LGB)?
• Fear of rejection by family and friends
• Feel guilty, different not being normal
• Feel that straights will react negatively or lack
  understanding

32
Matthew Shepard Case

• Matthew Wayne Shepard (1976 1998) was a young
  student who was tortured and murdered in Wyoming,
  in October 1998.
• Two men offered Shepard a ride in their car.
  After a while the two men robbed, pistol-whipped,
  tortured him and tied him to a fence in a remote,
  rural area, leaving him to die.
• Shepard's murder brought international attention
  for the need to pass hate crime legislation
  (laws).

33
How did the Feminist Movement Arise?

• Women had less rights than men
• They did not have the right to vote or to be
  elected into public office.
• Feminism is a movement that was organized by
  women that demanded equal rights with men.

34
Situation for Women in the early 20th Century

• Women did the childrearing and housekeeping.
• Most women only obtained a high school diploma
  and did not pursue a higher education (CEGEP or
  university).
• Most universities did not accept women
  especially in law and medicine where it was
  strictly reserved for men.

35
The Right to Vote

• The right to vote began in Great Britain in 1865.
• Suffragettes was the name given to women who
  fought for the right to vote.
• How did they win the right?
• Disrupted political meetings
• Organized marches
• Vandalized symbols of masculinity (Mens only
  clubs)

36

• At the Epsom Derby, on 4th June 1913, Emily
  Wilding Davison (1872-1913), a suffragette, gave
  her life for her cause by throwing herself under
  King Georges horse.

37
Claire Kirkland-Casgrain (1924)

• First Quebec woman to be elected to the Quebec
  legislature in 1961.
• Quebecs first woman cabinet minister.
• In 1964, she passed a law that allowed a married
  woman to buy property or borrow money from the
  bank without her husbands consent.

38
The Federation des Femmes du Quebec

• Established in 1966
• Works for the interest of Quebec women
• Promotes better representation for women in
  politics
• Works to end violence and poverty for women

39
Anti-Semitism
40
Adolf Hitler

• The word anti-Semitic means to hate Jews.
• The Nazi party was anti-Semitic.
• Many people in Germany at the time were
  anti-Semitic.
• Adolf Hitler wrote a book called Mein Kampf.
  Mein Kampf means my struggle. In this book he
  told the German people why he hated the Jews and
  how Germany would be made better if he killed
  them.

41
Hitlers Ideas about the Jews

• The Jews are to blame for Germany losing the war.
• The Jews have all the money in Germany.
• The Jews have all the jobs in Germany.
• The Jews have the best German food.
• The Jews are murderers.
• The Jews steal from German people.
• I will make all the Jews leave Germany.
• I will kill all Jews who do not leave Germany.

42

• None of these facts were true.
• The Jews had saved their money and worked very
  hard after the war.
• Hitler knew he could make people really jealous
  of the Jews because they did look rich.
• He used this jealousy to get into power.
• He gave the Germans someone to blame for all of
  their problems the Jews.

43
Anti-Semitism Begins in 1934

• Hitler started introducing anti-Semitism laws
  when he took control over Germany.
• Schoolbooks were rewritten to make Jews look bad.
• The Nazis used books, films, and newspapers to
  say bad things about the Jews.
• Germans were told to stay away from Jewish
  doctors because they were dirty.
• Germans were encouraged to vandalize or smash the
  windows Jewish-owned shops.
• Nuremberg Laws were introduced in 1935. SEE
  ACTIVITY SHEET.