Speaker marjorie j. Spruill an authority on the womens right movement. She is a professor of history and the awe thursday of the new women of the new south. She edited one woman one vote, rediscovering the suffrage moment. Which in fact, the New York Historical society will be screening on august 15th as a part of our centennial summer celebration. Professor spruill has served as an advise r for many museum exhibtions, documentaries and films. She is a former president of the Southern Association for womens hoist attorney. Her new book is divided we stand, dividing of women rights. Ladies and gentlemen, professor marjorie spruill. Well, this is an amazing venue i must say. It is so wonderful to be here. This is such a great tradition that this institution, these pair institutions has to get book lovers out here on these nice warm Summer Nights together with authors and talk about books, im pleased and honored to be a part of it and have a chance to talk with you about my new book. Divided we stand is about the role of women and womens issues in american politics. It tells the story of both the modern Womens Movement, which in the early 70s enjoy tremendous success and a story of conservator Womens Movement that organized opposition and became more powerful as the decade progressed. Now of course i have tried to load it with juicy an tech doets and color contractors and believe me there were people and thing that happened that you just cant make up. So theres high drama and i hope youll find it a good read. Its somewhat unusual among books about politics because it puts women at the center of the story. Its unusual in books about womens history because it deals with both feminists and conservator women in the same volume. My own identification through the womens Rights Movement no doubt shows through but it has been my goal to describe as fairly and accurately the idea of both the women on both sides. My goal of what to say and emphasize is to shed light, not turn up the heat on the subjects covered, because as you know theres been plenty of that already. Because this book is about something that is seriously disturbing, something we need to understand a whole lot better, and that is the transformation of american politics and origins of this highly partisan deeply poll rised political culture in which we now live. I am squibsed the great debates of the 1970s over womens rights and goal plays a crucially underrecognized role of that trans forge. Now over the dozen or more years i have been working on this book it has seemed more and more relevant to temporary affairs, but never more during this 2016 election when the level of polarization reached a point none of us imagined. The focal point of divided we stand is a focal point of that became lightning rods for cultural politics. They were called International Womens year or iwy coverages because of their u. N. Origins. They were inspired by a Worldwide Movement which declared 1975 to be International Womens year. President jerry ford observed the year, two Staff Members are sitting here in the audience who have written their own inside story about this that you should read. He appointed a republican feminist, jill roll kug house as priding officer. That year was a International Year conference, a Truly International one that took place in mexico city. They urged participating nations to hold conferences to involve the women of their countries indrafting policy on womens issues. American feminist leaders, such as new york congresswoman bell who attended the conference were inspired greatly, by participation they were eager to have these kinds of gatherings, believing that involving women all over the country in this process of formulating recommendations, was going to help to introduce them to the Womens Movement to expand its reach and to diverse fie the movement itself. So, late in 1975, Congress Approved a bill that shed introduce that mandated and funded these meetings that would then be held in 56 states and territories and they are people would coming to, anybody who was a resident of the state over 18 could coming to, debate the issues and vote about resolutions and elect delegates. Then theyd go on to a culminating womens conference that eventually to be place in november 1947, 40 years ago in houston, texas and theyre idea was to put together a plan of action that was divide the future policies in this country. It was spoken of sometimes as a blueprint for future action that congress and the president was suppose to respond to. Now, that final houston conference and those preliminary 56 state and territorial meetings leading up to it, proved to be thoroughly polar rising events. As women supporters put aside their differences and came together behind a set of feminists goals, conservator women opposed to any or all of those goals, joined forces to oppose them with enduring consequences for the nation. Now, curiously these iwdy coverages that im arguing are hugely important and attracted a feeding frenzy among the press at the time had been largely forgotten except by people who participated. And yet both feminists and conservator leaders regarded them as water shed events in American History. Feminist leader gloria speaks of a National Conference as a quote, Constitutional Convention of women or a sort of milestone that divides our time. To my delight and to that of my i had for and publisher of blooms berry who is with us tonight, she also made that point in her recent book. Her autobiography, my life on the rode. She told an interviewer from the new yorker coverage quote, may well take the prize as the most important event that nobody knows about. On the other hand, conservator leader who made no die just this past of september of the age of 92, insisted through the her long life that the iw irk she called it a battle of midway, a war between thfeminists and socl conservators that quote, sealed the fate of the era even as it gave rise to the pro Family Movement. End quote. To me, the fact that post sides assigned the iwy such tremendous significance and both stories claimed it as a victory really caution my attention and suggested this as an important story that needed to be investigated. And i became more and more convinced of this as i plunged into the sea of primary sources that were generated by this historic event. And i interviewed leading participants, including gloria, phyllis, jimmy and rose land carter and in fact jimmy carters presidency, political foreig fortunes and legacy i believe were greatly affected by the iwy. I realize in order to understand these events of 77, i have to go back to the early 70s and to the evident that set off this historic contest that was celebrated as the first federally funded revolution, and was denounced as federal sponsorship of one side of a national debate. In the process i rediscovered an era in our recent past in my own adult life so different from the culture of the day, the political culture of today as to be almost forgotten. An era when the modern womens Rights Movement was enjoying widespread support among republicans and democrats alike, and politicians who were seeking to rally conservator support, focused on race or economics or Foreign Policy but not on gender. I also needed to look at the period immediately following, the iwdy conferences, 1978 to 1980 to understand the climate developed in those years when the two parties chose up side in an increasingly volatile debate about womens rights and family values. These were years when a shift in American Political Culture, one that had been revealed and encouraged by these iwy conferences of 77 became increasingly evident. So, the early parts of the book, leading up to the 77 conferences, described the widening divisions among the american women in the 1970s. I began by describing the rise of the womens Rights Movement to a pique period of influence to the decade. This was a remarkable period in which feminists were highly visible in both parties and working together through the bipartisan National Women political caucus founded in 1971, and conservator women have yet to become organized and active. All three branchs of the federal government acted in support of feminist goals. I know you find this hard to believe or to remember, but even richard nixon, an old friend of feminism, he was referred to as americans number one shove insist pig felt obliged to cater to them believes thats what women voters wanted. During congress which was 1971 to 72 more womens rights sessions were passed, more womens rights goals were passed than in all previous legislative sessions combined. That included one that we all talk about all the time which was title nine, which ban sex discrimination and education. People seem to remember it all the time particularly for its impact on sports but it banned every form of sex discrimination from k through university level. Now, the most dramatic evidence of congressional support from womens rights came in 1972. By its approval by overwhelming margins of the proposed equal rights amendment, that had the support from the left and the right, from republicans and from democrats, the vote in the house was 350, yes, and 15 no. It was senate it was 84 for, and 8 against. Within a year, 30 of the 38 states that were needed for ratification had approved it. Then the next year, 1973, the Supreme Court acted issuing the ray Decision Making abortion legal. And there was widespread support for it. 1975, gallop poll showed three out of four americans believed abortions should be legal in some circumstances. Meanwhile, conservator women were quietly simmering as National Politicians seemed to accept feminists as speaking for all american women. Congressional approval of the e. R. A. Was the last straw that turned their anger to action. Phyllis, a season republican activists quickly emerged as the leader of conservators and founded an organization which was stop e. Rchl average which stood for stop taking or privilege. A year later it had been pushed aside as leaders for republican women as nelson rack fell rock fela. She was the author of that famous booklet called a choice not an echo which convinced large numbers of republicans to support his candidacy. Now being pushed out of this leadership role in her party put her in an ideal position to lead what became a bipartisan movement against the e. R. A. Now as she took up the cause, she already had a large group of followers, experienced activists with whom she communicated through what the news later called the phyllis report. These activists couldnt have done the job without a large body of foot soldier. Most of them, christian conservator women, completely new to politics saw themselves as defender of traditional morality and empowered by the conviction that god was on their side. By middecade conservator had managed to stall the e. R. A. Band wagon, short of votes needed for the ratification and for the fir time its success seemed in jeopardy. Fill lus created an organization which she offered a quote, alternative to womens live. She pledged not only to stop the e. R. A. But roll back over feminists gangs and this is still an Organization Organization still flourishing. The Womens Movement still to have support in congress, and president jerry ford whose wife betty was a femmeny was solidly behind it. Conservator women were appalled and angry at the establishment of this feminist dominated International Womens prom which congress then, as i mentioned mandated with a 5 million appropriation. So the book then turns back to this, to this iwy program. A fight that heighten tensions between the two sides that had been brewing and profoundly poll rising. Much of the conflict came before the houston conference and took place at the states leading up to National Women conference, that took place for a very steamy and controversial conference in 1977. Armageddon state by state, out of the kitchen and into the counter revolution, and mama said thered be days like this, and ascribe this astounding sometimes physical violence conflict that ensued as these war in Womens Movement turned out their troops, forged coalition, armed themselves with rules and continued to control the state galleries and to speak for american women. My central arguments are these, in creating the iwy program, congress had done something very unusual and with huge unintended consequences. This unique invitation from congress propelled feminist and conservators already em battled of the proposed e. R. A. And claiming to representative the majority of american women into a formalized high stakes, competition for influence. Feminists had convinced congress to create the iwy program and jerry ford, later jimmy carter appointed feminists from their parties to lead it. And so, this success of feminist, in gaining this man gait from the conferences from congress, and from two president s, fuelled the fires of conservator resistance. The iwy coverages of 77, ledly ab zuck had another crucial event. Before 1977, many feminist strategies had fought to disassociate the e. R. A. From controversy sall issues including abortion and gay rights. During iwy they chose a different course, formally embracing many issues. And also, taking a new and dramatic step, which to add to the feminist agenda, the protection of the lesbian and gay rights. That of course was a brand new and extremely volatile political issue in this crucial year of 1977, thank to anita brie yans, save our children campaign, originated out of dade, florida in 1977 and spread throughout the country. And, the fact that the iwy program had ties to the united nations, alarmed conservators who were deeply distrustful of that organization. As the iwy program proceeded through the years 1977, the campaign that had been organized by phyllis in 72 to block e. R. A. E ratification blew into a full blown issue. Particularly, religious conservators and an unprecedented display of unity among conservator catholics and prod stents, Orthodox Jews and mormons. This was the cutting edge to into politics. This was the precursor to what would soon be known as the religious right and which new right leaders would take the credit or blame. Conservator coalitions contesting feminist leadership of this conferences vary from state to state but in some areas they tracted support from far right groups including the john Better Society and the american party. Even more shocking the ku klux klan leaders seem to filtrate their words. And in some states including utah, oklahoma, mississippi, and alabama conservators gained total control. They offered a challenge to feminists even in such states as massachusetts, california, hawaii and the great state of new york where rumors that the conservators were trying to take over the conference and turned out large numbers, led huge numbers of feminists to change their plans and head for all that needed to participate in that event. One of the most important developments of these battles between feminists and conservators for control of these state meetings and be able to take send voters to the National Conference and dominate the National Plan of action, was that an alliance was forged for the first time between the im e. R. A. And the antiabortion or Pro Life Movements, which previously in their effort to attract as wide a range of supporters as possible has chosen to remain single issue movements. Conservatorives when all the smoke cleared in the summer was over they succeeded in electing only 20 delegates of the houston conference. They likened it to the victory of david over goliath. The next section and the one that many readers have said is there favorite, and i have to admit is mine also, focuses on the houston conference. On this grand, culminating star spangled National Womens conference in houston or november of 77. One of the most dramatic and inspirational moments of the history in Womens Movement sometimes referred to as the crest of the second waver. The conference and a massive conservator counter conference that took place across the county houston in the arena in 1977 put on display around the world, the national and produced a consciousness raising experience of massive proportions. Outside the conference, as the delegates arrived they saw protesters denouncing in signs the National Womens conference has a 5 million tax rip off for lesbians, lob yans, antiabortion and antichristian women. Women distinctioned in many other fields were eagle to attend. It received extraordinary publicity that were over 1,500 Police Vehicles for press credentials. Ranging from far in crest to small town papers. Alist journalists flock to houston. In the glare of national, indeed International Publicity the delegat delegates arrived with this cast of celebrities. Maya ang lieu, belly king, margaret meade, Jean Stapleton who as some of you recall played edith bunker, the most beloved housewife in america on the popular sitcom, all in the family. From a political perspective, former first lady, lady berg johnson, democratic, betty ford, republican, joined on the podium, as well as the first lady of the civil Rights Movement, colorado coret that scott king. The two feminists included some of their goals what thats they hoped to achieve, moving the movement beyond its white middle class base and