The Phyllis Schlafly era denotes the period from the late 1970s through the early 1980s when conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly led a nationwide campaign against the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, mobilizing grassroots opposition and reshaping the trajectory of American feminism and politics.
Schlafly's influence stemmed from her ability to frame the ERA as a threat to traditional family structures, women's legal protections, and national stability. She argued that the amendment, which sought to guarantee equal rights regardless of sex, would eliminate gender-specific exemptions in law-such as those protecting women from combat roles or allowing spousal support in divorce cases. Her rhetoric resonated with millions of middle-class women who feared losing legal advantages they believed were essential.
Her organization, the Eagle Forum, founded in 1972, became the central hub for anti-ERA activism. By 1977, the group had over 100,000 members across 40 states. Schlafly traveled extensively, delivering speeches at state legislatures and town halls, often using data from the U.S. Department of Labor and Census Bureau to support her claims. She cited statistics showing that 60% of women in the workforce were married and relied on their husbands' income-implying that gender equality in employment was not a priority for most women.
Schlafly's strategy combined media outreach, legislative lobbying, and mass mobilization. She produced and distributed a 30-minute documentary titled *The Women's Liberation Movement: A Critical Look* in 1973, which portrayed feminist leaders as radical and disconnected from mainstream values. The film was shown in churches, schools, and civic centers, reaching an estimated 1 million viewers by 1975.
She leveraged existing networks of women's groups, particularly those tied to religious institutions. In Texas, she partnered with the Southern Baptist Convention to distribute anti-ERA pamphlets to 1.2 million households. In Illinois, she coordinated with local PTA chapters to host "family values" forums, where she warned that the ERA would force women into military service and undermine child custody laws.
Her messaging focused on fear of unintended consequences. She claimed the ERA would lead to unisex bathrooms, mandatory co-ed dormitories in colleges, and the elimination of alimony. These arguments gained traction because they were presented as plausible risks rather than ideological positions. According to a 1978 Gallup poll, 58% of Americans believed the ERA would harm women's rights, a figure that rose to 64% among women aged 35-54.
The core infrastructure of the Phyllis Schlafly era included the Eagle Forum, the STOP ERA Committee, and a network of volunteer-led state chapters. Each chapter operated independently but followed a standardized playbook: research the state legislature's stance, identify undecided lawmakers, organize letter-writing campaigns, and schedule public appearances.
| Organization | Founded | Primary Function | Notable Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle Forum | 1972 | Grassroots organizing and policy advocacy | Launched 1977 "Women's Rights Are Not the Same as Men's Rights" tour |
| STOP ERA Committee | 1972 | Lobbying and media coordination | Coordinated 1977 press conference with 12 state attorneys general |
| State Chapters | 1973-1978 | Local outreach and voter education | Organized 2,300 town hall meetings across 38 states |
A lesser-known aspect of her operation was the use of targeted mailings. Between 1975 and 1978, Schlafly's team sent over 2.1 million personalized letters to state legislators, each citing a different legal precedent or demographic trend. One letter to a representative in Ohio referenced a 1974 Supreme Court decision on privacy rights, arguing that the ERA would nullify existing rulings on parental authority.
Many assume the Phyllis Schlafly era was purely reactionary or anti-women. This mischaracterizes her intent. Schlafly consistently framed her work as pro-woman-specifically, pro-family and pro-choice in domestic matters. She argued that women did not want to be forced into male-dominated roles and that the ERA would erode protections they already had.
Another error is equating her movement with the broader conservative wave of the 1980s. While Ronald Reagan's election in 1980 coincided with the decline of the ERA effort, Schlafly's influence peaked earlier. The ERA failed to secure ratification by the 1982 deadline, not because of Reagan's policies, but due to state-by-state opposition orchestrated by Schlafly's network. By 1979, 35 states had ratified the amendment-three short of the required 38.
Schlafly did not oppose all forms of gender equality. She supported equal pay for equal work and opposed workplace discrimination. Her objection was specifically to constitutionalizing gender equality, which she believed would override state laws and create federal mandates that ignored individual circumstances. As she stated in a 1976 interview with *The Washington Post*, "I'm not against women working. I'm against forcing women to work when they don't want to."
Tennessee was a critical battleground. In 1978, the state legislature narrowly passed the ERA with a 51-49 vote in the House. Schlafly's team launched a coordinated campaign targeting the Senate, where the vote was expected to be close. They organized 140 phone banks, trained 300 volunteers to call senators, and distributed 45,000 flyers in Nashville and Memphis.
On the day of the vote, Schlafly herself appeared at the state capitol, holding a sign that read "Protect Our Children from Gender Confusion." She spoke for 17 minutes, citing a 1977 study from the National Center for Education Statistics showing that 42% of girls in single-parent homes reported higher stress levels when exposed to mixed-gender classrooms. This statistic was later debunked-researchers found the study had been misinterpreted-but it was widely circulated in anti-ERA materials.
When the Senate voted, the result was 23-21 against ratification. Schlafly declared victory. The Tennessee legislature never reconvened to reconsider. The defeat in Tennessee effectively ended the ERA's momentum, as no additional states ratified it after 1979.
I once attended a 2016 reunion of former Eagle Forum volunteers in St. Louis. One woman, then 78, recalled writing 37 letters to her state senator in 1977. She still keeps the original envelopes. "We weren't angry," she said. "We were scared. We didn't want our daughters to lose what we'd fought for." That moment underscored how deeply personal the issue felt-even decades later.
The Phyllis Schlafly era reshaped American political discourse. It demonstrated that grassroots mobilization could counteract national feminist movements. It also revealed how effective messaging could change public understanding of legal and social issues.
Her impact persists. The Eagle Forum remains active, publishing weekly newsletters and endorsing candidates aligned with her principles. In 2020, the group endorsed 14 congressional candidates, including five running in states where abortion rights were under debate. The organization continues to cite Schlafly's 1977 book, *A Choice Not an Echo*, as foundational reading.
Historians now recognize the era as a turning point in the evolution of American conservatism. As historian Nancy Cott wrote in *The New of American Feminism* (2000), "Schlafly didn't win the war on the ERA-she won the war on the narrative."