The New York Blackout of 1977

Use this Lesson at the end of the chapter while discussing Jimmy Carter to have students discuss the impact of urban decline and the U.S. government's intervention.

Objectives:

• Students will be able to identify alternative explanations for urban decline in the United States in the 1970s
• Students will be able to illustrate the conditions faced by post-industrial U.S. cities
• Students will be able to identify the policies that were created to reverse the urban decline in the United States

Handout A: Student Document Packet

• Document 1: Blackout coverage from ABC News, 7/14/1977
• Document 2: Photos of blackout experiences
• Document 3: “The Message” music video by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
• Document 4: President Gerald Ford, “Address to the National Press Club,” 10/29/1975
• Document 5: New York Daily News article, 10/30/1975
• Document 6: Mayor Ed Koch inaugural address, 1/1/1978
• Document 7: “Jordan urges Carter to visit looted areas,” The New York Times, 7/25/1977

Students will need internet-connected laptop or desktop computers to access the electronic documents that are included in this lesson. Ideally, the lesson documents will all be distributed electronically to facilitate collaboration and continuity between written and electronic documents. Students will also need earphones to watch and rewatch some of the electronic documents.