Divided We Stand: The Battle Over Women's Rights and Family Values That Polarized American Politics

ISBN: 1632863162

Author: Spruill, Marjorie J.

Condition: New

The fascinating true story of the characters in Hulu's "Mrs. America" and a broader portrait of the two women's movements that spurred an enduring rift between liberals and conservatives."The many admirers of 'Mrs. America' . . . will find great satisfaction in [Divided We Stand] . . . a clear, compelling and deeply insightful volume." -The Washington PostOne of Smithsonian Magazines Ten Best History Books of the YearIn the early 1970s, an ascendant womens rights movement enjoyed strong support from both political parties and considerable success, but was soon challenged by a conservative womens movement formed in opposition. Tensions between the two would explode in 1977 at the congressionally funded National Womens Conference in Houston, Texas. As Bella Abzug, Gloria Steinem, and other feminists endorsed hot-button issues such as abortion rights, the ERA, and gay rights, Phyllis Schlafly and Lottie Beth Hobbs rallied with conservative women to protest federally funded feminism and launch a pro-family movement.Divided We Stand reveals how crucial women and womens issues have been in the shaping of todays political culture. After the National Womens Conference, Democrats continued to back womens rights in cooperation with a more diverse feminist movement while the GOP abandoned its previous support for womens rights and defined itself as the party of family values, irrevocably affecting the course of American politics.