By Dolph Briscoe IV
Bruce J. Schulman, in his 2001 work The Seventies: The Great Shift in American Culture, Society, and Politics, surveys the history of an overlooked decade. Defining the “long 1970s” as the period between Richard Nixon’s entrance in the White House in 1969 and Ronald Reagan’s landslide reelection in 1984, Schulman counters popular conceptions that the decade was seemingly forgettable and unimportant.Instead, he argues that during the 1970s, the United States experienced a transformation in multiple facets of its character that helped shape our current time.
Schulman’s narrative weaves together politics, economics, social developments, and cultural trends to illustrate the significance of this decade.The author asserts that the 1960s effectively ended with the turbulent events of 1968, and when the “Great American Ride,” or booming postwar economy, finally ran its course.During the 1970s, political power in the United States shifted from the Northeast and Midwest to the South and Southwest, the so-called Sunbelt, as Americans, jobs, and federal dollars flocked to these warmer and more business-friendly regions.Politicians such as Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan hailed from Sunbelt states, and recognized such political trends.Indeed, the author suggests that the United States encountered no less than a “southernization” of American life in the decade.
Americans experienced significant changes in their attitudes during these years.The tragedy of Vietnam and the trauma of Watergate created much skepticism toward government.People looked to the private sphere and its potential for solving economic and societal problems, a key theme of the later 1980s.Yet while conservatism toward government grew amongst the populace in the 1970s, social and cultural legacies from the 1960s became more mainstream. Many Americans, even southerners, began to accept the immorality of formal, explicit racial segregation and disfranchisem*nt.Long hair and outrageous clothing became the norm for Americans of all political and social backgrounds, while sexuality outside of traditional marriage became widely practiced and accepted, especially amongst the younger generation. Schulman contends that personal liberation and rebellion against authority became key themes of the 1970s, as Americans sought individualism through new outlooks on religion, popular culture, and sexuality.
Although such tendencies developed, not all Americans welcomed them.The author notes that by the late 1970s, the New Right emerged as a powerful force in politics. Religious conservatives, most notably Jerry Falwell’s Moral Majority, decried social excesses, while anti-feminists, such as Phyllis Schlafly, organized against the Equal Rights Amendment. Affirmative Action and racial busing divided Americans.Economic conservatives railed against taxes.Cold Warriors disillusioned with détente and the outcome of the Vietnam War theorized a new foreign policy, based on American international power and aggressiveness toward the Soviet Union, known as neoconservatism.Schulman proposes that such groups played a major role in Ronald Reagan’s election and reelection to the presidency through exploiting American anxiety.The author commendably illustrates how the 1970s, rather than being an uneventful and lackluster decade, critically affected the course of United States history.The Seventies will prove insightful reading for anyone wishing to reflect upon this transformative time in our nation’s recent past.
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[The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) project, Documerica, a collection of photographs taken by freelance photographers from 1971-77 that capture moments related to environmental problems, EPA activities, and everyday life in the 1970s.]
Dolph Briscoe IV’s review of Sean Wilentz’s “The Age of Reagan: A History.”
As a seasoned historian and enthusiast of American cultural and political shifts, I bring a wealth of knowledge and a passion for the subject at hand. Having extensively studied the historical landscape of the United States, I've delved into the intricacies of the 1970s—the so-called "long 1970s" from 1969 to 1984, as defined by Bruce J. Schulman in his 2001 work, "The Seventies: The Great Shift in American Culture, Society, and Politics."
Schulman challenges the prevalent notion that the 1970s were a forgettable and inconsequential decade, offering a compelling narrative that highlights the transformative nature of this period. His analysis spans a range of domains, including politics, economics, social developments, and cultural trends, weaving together a comprehensive understanding of the era's significance.
One of Schulman's key assertions is the geographical shift in political power from the Northeast and Midwest to the Sunbelt, encompassing the South and Southwest. This "southernization" of American life, as he terms it, had far-reaching consequences, with political figures like Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan emerging from these regions. The book illuminates how this shift influenced not only politics but also the broader American experience.
The aftermath of the 1960s, marked by events like the Vietnam War and Watergate, fostered widespread skepticism toward the government. This disillusionment led to a growing conservatism regarding government intervention, contrasting with the mainstreaming of social and cultural legacies from the 1960s. The 1970s witnessed the acceptance of previously unconventional practices, such as long hair, outrageous clothing, and alternative sexual norms, reflecting a pursuit of personal liberation and rebellion against authority.
Schulman also explores the emergence of the New Right in the late 1970s, a powerful political force that encompassed religious conservatives, anti-feminists, and economic conservatives. This group played a significant role in Ronald Reagan's election and reelection, exploiting the anxieties of the American populace.
In summary, Schulman's "The Seventies" dismantles the notion of the 1970s as an uneventful decade and convincingly argues for its critical role in shaping contemporary American history. His comprehensive analysis covers political, economic, and cultural dimensions, providing valuable insights for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of this transformative period.
