Social Movements

Select a social movement. It may be contemporary, historical; local or large-scale; from the United States or abroad. Examples could include a labor strike, abolitionists opposing slavery, the women’s right to vote movement, or Occupy Wall Street. This is wide open. Pick something that interests you, or perhaps you or someone in your family or in your ancestry may have been involved with.

Early in the week, share which movement you will be researching so we can cover a variety of movements. You will be able to see your classmates’ selections so there won’t be duplication. Your initial post serves as a placeholder to claim the movement you will investigate.

Do some research to see what you can uncover about the social movement you selected. In particular, see if you can find anything from the time it was occurring: news articles or video footage.

Identify:

the issue that spurred the movement
any leaders of the movement you can find and their background
the timetable in which it occurred
perceptions of it. If you were alive during the movement, what was your perception of it? If you weren’t and can find someone who was, ask them for their perspective. If you have selected something historical, how does history view the movement?
Finally, was the movement successful? What changed as a result of it?