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Difficulty: MediumPolitical Realignment, Watergate, and Rise of Conservatism

"The proposed Equal Rights Amendment would destroy the family, which is the basic unit of our society, and would take away the legal protections that women currently enjoy, such as the right to be supported by their husbands and the exemption from the military draft. The women's liberation movement is trying to make wives and mothers feel that their lives are wasted and useless, but the American homemaker is actually the most privileged member of our society, possessing status, security, and liberty made possible by the American free enterprise system."

—Phyllis Schlafly, "What's Wrong with 'Equal Rights' for Women?", 1972

Which of the following historical developments during the 1970s is best reflected by the sentiments expressed in the excerpt?

  1. A
    The implementation of supply-side economic policies to reduce federal regulation of corporate enterprises.
  2. B
    A growing bipartisan consensus to expand federal social welfare programs under the Great Society.
  3. The mobilization of a new conservative coalition focused on defending traditional family structures.Answer
  4. D
    A unified agreement among activist organizations regarding the legal strategies for achieving civil rights.

Answer

The mobilization of a new conservative coalition focused on defending traditional family structures.
The correct answer is correct because the opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment, led by conservative activists like Phyllis Schlafly, was a defining element in the mobilization of the New Right during the 1970s. This movement successfully united fiscal conservatives, religious groups, and traditionalists who believed that federal civil rights reforms threatened traditional gender roles and the nuclear family.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the provided historical excerpt from Phyllis Schlafly (1972).
The excerpt criticizes the women's liberation movement and argues that the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) would harm traditional family structures and women's existing protections.
Identifying the central argument and tone of the primary source is necessary to link it to the correct historical context.
2
Contextualize this opposition within the political developments of the 1970s.
Opposition to the ERA, led by grassroots campaigns like STOP ERA, was a crucial factor in organizing social and religious conservatives into the New Right coalition.
Connecting the document to the rise of conservatism shows how social issues drove political realignment in the late 20th century.
3
Compare the options to identify which historical trend matches the document's focus.
The option describing the mobilization of a new conservative coalition defending traditional family structures matches the anti-ERA campaign's objectives.
This choice correctly captures the political realignment and the rise of social conservatism during this era.

Key Concept

Political Realignment, Watergate, and Rise of Conservatism
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Topics

Political Realignment, Watergate, and Rise of Conservatism

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