#21 “The Rise and Fall of the Equal Rights Amendment”

Media: Episode Recording -- “The Rise and Fall of the Equal Rights Amendment”; Episode Preview -- “The Rise and Fall of the Equal Rights Amendment”; Episode Recording -- “The Rise and Fall of the Equal Rights Amendment”

Podcast Teaser Trailer: Episode Preview -- “The Rise and Fall of the Equal Rights Amendment”
Link to Podcast: Episode Recording -- “The Rise and Fall of the Equal Rights Amendment”
Episode Number: Students Podcasting History Episode #21
Episode Title: #21 “The Rise and Fall of the Equal Rights Amendment”
Episode Date: April 24, 2025
Key Words: Equal Rights Amendment, ERA, Gloria Steinem, Phyllis Schlafly, second-wave
feminism, STOP ERA, women’s rights, gender equality, U.S. Constitution, conservative
feminism, feminist movement, American identity, constitutional law, women in politics.
Episode Introduction: What happens when your Constitution doesn’t guarantee equality—and
your country can’t decide if it should? This episode dives into the powerful and unfinished story
of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). First introduced in 1923 and nearly ratified in 1982, the
ERA promised to guarantee constitutional equality regardless of sex. Through the voices of
feminist icon Gloria Steinem and conservative powerhouse Phyllis Schlafly, we explore the rise
of second-wave feminism, the STOP ERA counter-movement, and the cultural battle lines that
defined a generation. Their conflicting visions for American womanhood reveal the deeper
tensions over law, gender, identity, and power that continue today. As states revisit ratification
and activists reignite debate, we ask: what does equality really mean in America?
Hosted By: Will Snead
Host Biography: Will Snead is a student in Dr. Andrew Maginn’s History of the United States II
course at Sewanee: The University of the South. He is double majoring in American Studies &
Rhetoric, with a minor in Art history. Passionate about civic engagement, Will uses podcasting to
help listeners understand the past and connect it to the present. This podcast is part of “Students
Podcasting History”, an initiative that encourages students to use digital storytelling to make
historical narratives accessible to broader audiences. Through episodes that blend primary
research and public scholarship, the podcast invites listeners to think critically about the people
and events that shaped the nation.
The Show: Students Podcasting History is an educational resource developed by students in Dr. Andrew Maginn’s History of the United States II course to highlight crucial movements in American History through podcasting. The students research and interpret primary and secondary sources to discuss pivotal themes, people, and events in the United States' history from 1865 through the present. Through creatively sharing these narratives and learning digital tools, these students hope to make history more accessible and exciting for the general public.
Source: “Gloria Steinem on Equal Rights for Women, 1970,” U.S. Senate, The “Equal Rights”
Amendment: Hearings before the Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments of the
Committee on the Judiciary, 91st Cong., 2d sess., May 5–7, 1970, 331–35.
(http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/28-the-unraveling/gloria-steinem-on-equal-rightsfor-women-1970/)
● Dr. Andrew Maginn, “1960s–1990s: Gender Rights Movement,” History 202: History of
the United States II, class lecture, April 2, 2025.
● Joseph L. Locke and Ben Wright, “The American Yawp: A Massively Collaborative
Open U.S. History Textbook”, Volume 2: Since 1877 (Stanford, CA: Stanford University
Press, 2023), 163–176, 365–366.
● Lehn, Melody, and Camille Kaminski Lewis. “One Hundred Years of Women Debating
the Equal Rights Amendment: An Anthology, 1923–2023” (New York: Peter Lang,
2024), 1–5, 161–170, 317–325.
● Nicole Hershey, “Gloria Steinem interview, late 1970s.” Cable News Network (CNN),
December 4, 2016, YouTube video, 0:00–0:32.
[YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-10mPHRwYE)
● “Phyllis Schlafly on Women’s Responsibility for Sexual Harassment, 1981,” Committee
on Labor and Human Resources, Sex Discrimination in the Workplace, 1981: Hearings
Before the Committee on Labor and Human Resources (Washington: U.S. Government
Printing Office, 1981), 400–402.
(http://www.americanyawp.com/reader/29-the-triumph-of-the-right/phyllis-schlafly-on-w
omens-responsibility-for-sexual-harassment-1981/)
● Suk, Julie Chi-hye. “We the Women: The Unstoppable Mothers of the Equal Rights
Amendment” (New York, NY: Skyhorse Publishing, 2022), 1–20.
● Tindall, George Brown, and David E. Shi. “America: A Narrative History”, Ninth edition
(New York City: W.W. Norton & Company, 2013), 1361.
Contact Information: Will Snead: sneadwo0@sewanee.edu
Visit the homepage of Students Podcasting History:
https://www.andrewwyattmaginn.org/Digital_Humanities/s/studentspodcastinghistory/page/home