Alex Hasson
Professor Covington
Intro to Politics
March 12, 2015
The importance of Social Movements “A social movement that only moves people is merely a revolt. A movement that changes both people and institutions is a revolution.”(MLK) Social movements take on all kinds of forms throughout history. Social movements can be described by many things and are made up of different people and ideas. Social movements can have extreme impacts on an entire nation. Social movements take on many different form and have many different interest in what they want to get out of it. They can tear down societies and build new ones or create equality and change for others. While some movements don’t last long they put ideas in people’s heads and can create a whole new wonderful thing. Social movements are loosely organized but sustained campaign in support of a social goal. They are either trying to create a social change or stop one from happening. Social movements are not just a gathering of people in a crowd. This is due to the fact the a crowd cannot have single voice if it is not brought together by some type of leadership and will completely disburse if not held together by a strong centralized leadership with a common ideal. (Britannica)Social movements must have capable leaders. (Dobson) Grievances of people are a large way for a social movement to begin with a certain aspect controlling or causing grievance to people help motivate people to come together and make change to benefit themselves and others who also are affected by this. Many organizations within a region can help start the movement and or spread the word to others who may seek to join social movements. (Dobson)
Social movements are normally culture based and do not possess legitimate leaders rather they have central figure people rally behind. In reference to the civil rights movement the central figure head of the movement was Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.( Civil Rights) There are different types of movements throughout history as well as how they were carried out. Throughout history social movements have made major changes to our own nation’s structure and ideals. The first ever true social movement in the United States was the Revolutionary War. The Revolution had the factors all social movements have. When it started there was really no central figure in charge of everything. They came together against the British Empire and their oppressive acts after the French and Indian War. The colonist had many public protest to show their displeasure of what the British were doing to them. Social movements can differ throughout different regions on how strong the support is and how strong the opposition is. Some of the strongest movements and protest were in the Northern Colonies. Massachusetts in particular saw the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. This social movement took lead to the formation of a new country the United States. Although this social movement did not try to change ways by asking their government to make changes, and this lead to an outbreak now known as the Revolutionary War. The violence of the War shows how some social movements can take a violent turn when people feel so strongly about their cause. Although through the violence of the war created by a social movement if it is successful a whole new government can and was created that looked to better the people who experienced the oppression of the past government. With these new government created by a social movement the United States was able to establish a government that would take a stance on how they feel the government should be run. This created the articles of confederation then with another small movement lead to the constitution that has worked for so long.( Bonwick) Another social movement in history that shows how social movements can differ from one another was the civil rights movement. The civil rights movement was fighting for equality of a certain group of people not through violence like the American Revolution, but through peaceful protest and rallies. Although they faced a monument task through many years of work and through constant resistance of certain people the movement was successful.( Civil Rights) The Civil Rights Movement showed what Dobson wrote about how social movements work. By the main focus was around and lead by a lot of religious preachers and other religious officials. (Dobson) The movement brought the entire African-American community together as well as others who agreed with their cause. Different types of peaceful protest were set up all around the south in hopes to get the nation to see their struggle. The march on Washington allowed the United States government to understand that they needed their help to obtain equality.( Civil Rights) Modern social movements now days are still working to change the nation to benefit something they strongly believe in. Today’s movements seem to be harder to differ if they fight for civil liberties or civil rights. The main thing in which this is an issue is that of the ongoing conflict of Gay and Lesbian Marriage.(Charisma) To be a civil rights issue you must remove all moral issues which is a hard thing to do with the United States being a very strong religious country. These modern social movements still use the same tactics the past social movements used. They march and assemble using freedom of speech to show why their movement is important to them and why people should consider their movement. There seem to be less National Social Movements like the Civil Rights Movement. They seem to still be based in regional areas that seem to draw attention to their issues. The major impacts of Social movements on the United States have been large over the nation’s history. The United States has plenty of social movements that have impacted the United States and made extremely large chains to the cultures besides the revolution and the civil rights movement. The Abolition Movement started in the Northern States around and during the
Civil War. The movement lead to a war like the revolution and created tension that would never be solved until the late sixties after the Civil Rights Movement allowed African Americans to gain the rights given to them during the abolitionist movement. Social Movements can last for a long time as the struggle for equality within race showed it lasted more than a hundred years. The women’s rights movement has changed its ideals and what they fight for from its past self. The older age women’s rights movements worked towards getting the United States to recognize them as individuals that should be allowed to vote and be able to provide not just in the house but in an economic sense as well. Leaders of the movement were very involved in rallying people to their cause. One of the leaders was Carrie Catt who founded the Women’s Suffrage Association. This shows how most National Social Movements have very strong leaders who can organize people to rally around their causes. The new women’s movement is based on feminism ideals about how they should have different opportunities given and provided to them by employers and the government. The movement showed how social movements change over time even though they are still on the basis with past movements within their groups. (Minyanville) Social movements start for many different reasons, but they are a very important thing to bring about change in a nation. People start movements for personal physical and moral desires for change. Social Movements are created by change or lack thereof economics, politics and other social freedoms people want. Social movements bring people together which is important for any change to occur. These gatherings start a mass movement that make change to nations and other aspects of society.( Mobilizing Ideas) Throughout history social movements have brought about change. Each social movement starts from many different issues within a nation or other things. Social movements can be peaceful like the civil rights movement or thy can be violent like the Revolutionary War. The amount of time civil rights movements can last can years or decades. Social movements however controversial to some can make large impacts on people’s lives. Movements have created the United States government. They created equal rights for all races and sexes, and still fight for change to benefit and change the nation to help all who believe in their cause.

Work Cited
Charles Dobson. Social Movements A summary of what works
"The Civil Rights Movement 1955-1965: Introduction." The Civil Rights Movement 1955-1965: Introduction. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
Colin Bonwick Journal of American StudiesVol. 20, No. 3, American Politics and Political Culture (Dec., 1986), pp. 355-373
"Is Gay Marriage a Moral Issue or a Civil Liberties Issue?" Charisma Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
King, Martin Luther. Why We Can't Wait. New York: Harper & Row, 1964. Print.
"Social Movement." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
"Social Movements: How People Make History." Mobilizing Ideas. N.p., 01 Aug. 2012. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
"10 Protest Movements That Changed America." Minyanville. N.p., 04 Nov. 2011. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.