Part II – Annual Chronicles

The Feminist Chronicles, 1953-1993

1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 |1957 | 1958 | 1959
1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966
1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 19701971 | 1972 | 1973
1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980
1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987
1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | Epilogue, 1993

The charts are divided into three major sections: Events, Issues, and The Backlash.

Events lists the major public events that constituted the context in which the feminist movement operated.

The seven issues are essentially among those that the President’s Commission on the Status of Women first explored and the founders of NOW specifically chose to pursue.

A particular issue, for example, Education, is listed only if there is a relevant item on the page.

Backlash describes the activities of the opposition to the movement, tracking the rise of the so-called New Right and Christian Right, along with the more traditional opponents of feminism including the Old Right in the form of such organizations as the John Birch Society and the Roman Catholic Church, a long-time foe.

This format, which reports the small separate actions as well as major events of the movement, also makes it possible to use the names of many of the women and men across the country who made things happen wherever they were. What they chose to do, in fact, raised the consciousness of the entire country and made this a national movement.

We think it is important that they be recognized. Unlike the leaders who were sometimes (though not always) compensated by becoming public figures and given opportunities for financial rewards through writing books or going on the lecture circuit, these people often radically changed their lives in order to do what they could to advance the satisfaction of doing what they saw needed done.

– The Authors

Support eh ERA banner