- Date:
- 1979 - 1989
- Areas Of Involvement:
- Christianity
- conservatism
- fundamentalism
- Christian fundamentalism
- Related People:
- Jerry Falwell
- Paul Weyrich
Moral Majority
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What was the Moral Majority?
The Moral Majority was an American political organization founded in 1979 by religious leader and televangelist Jerry Falwell to promote conservative social values. It was formed in reaction to the social and cultural shifts in the United States during the 1960s and 70s, with Christian fundamentalists expressing concerns about the civil rights, women's, and gay rights movements, as well as the sexual morality of young people and the teaching of evolution.
The organization supported increased defense spending, a strong anti-communist foreign policy, and American support for Israel, while opposing abortion, pornography, the ERA, and gay rights. The Moral Majority is credited with helping Ronald Reagan win the presidential election in 1980. Though the Moral Majority was dissolved in 1989, it made a lasting contribution to American politics by establishing the religious right as an influential political player.
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Who started the Moral Majority and when was it founded?
The Moral Majority was founded in 1979 by Jerry Falwell, a religious leader and televangelist, to promote conservative social values. It was created in reaction to the social and cultural changes in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s. The organization opposed abortion, pornography, the ERA, and gay rights. It supported increased defense spending, a strong anti-communist foreign policy, and American support for Israel. The Moral Majority dissolved in 1989 but helped establish the religious right as a force in American politics.
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What were the main goals of the Moral Majority?
The Moral Majority, founded in 1979 by Jerry Falwell, aimed to promote conservative social values in response to the cultural shifts of the 1960s and 70s. The organization opposed abortion, pornography, the ERA, and gay rights. They also advocated for increased defense spending, a strong stance against communism, and support for Israel.
The Moral Majority engaged in voter registration, lobbying, and fundraising. The group is credited with helping Ronald Reagan win the 1980 presidential election. Despite internal issues and declining support, the organization dissolved in 1989 but left a lasting impact by establishing the religious right as an influential force in American politics.
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How did the Moral Majority try to influence politics in America?
The Moral Majority, founded in 1979 by Jerry Falwell, was an American political organization that aimed to promote conservative social values in response to the social and cultural transformations of the 1960s and 1970s.
The organization supported increased defense spending, a strong anti-communist foreign policy, and continued American support for Israel. The Moral Majority also opposed abortion, pornography, the ERA, and gay rights.
The Moral Majority's tactics included voter registration, lobbying, and fundraising. The organization is credited with helping Ronald Reagan win the 1980 presidential election. Though the Moral Majority was dissolved in 1989, it made a lasting contribution to American politics by establishing the religious right as an influential political player.
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Why did the Moral Majority become important in the 1980s?
The Moral Majority, founded in 1979 by Jerry Falwell, became important in the 1980s due to its rapid growth and impact on American politics. It mobilized Christian fundamentalists and conservatives who were concerned about cultural and social changes, such as the women's rights, gay rights, and civil rights movements.
The organization advocated for conservative social values, including opposition to abortion and support for increased defense spending. The Moral Majority is credited with helping Ronald Reagan win the 1980 presidential election. Though the Moral Majority dissolved in 1989, it made a lasting contribution to American politics by establishing the religious right as an influential political player.
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What led to the decline or end of the Moral Majority?
The Moral Majority, an American political organization that advanced conservative social values, was founded in 1979 by Jerry Falwell. By the late 1980s, the organization faced internal difficulties and decreasing support. In 1987, Falwell resigned as president, and around this time, several prominent evangelists became embroiled in scandal. Differences within the movement became apparent when Falwell backed George H.W. Bush rather than Pat Robertson in the 1988 presidential campaign. In addition, the group saw its fundraising dramatically decrease, and in 1989, the Moral Majority was dissolved. Falwell declared that the organization had accomplished its mission, though he admitted that several "problems" persisted, such as abortion.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Moral Majority, American political organization that was founded in 1979 by Jerry Falwell, a religious leader and televangelist, to advance conservative social values. Although it disbanded in 1989, the Moral Majority helped to establish the religious right as a force in American politics.
The Moral Majority was formed in response to the social and cultural transformations that occurred in the United States in the 1960s and ’70s. Christian fundamentalists were alarmed by a number of developments that, in their view, threatened to undermine the country’s traditional moral values. These included the civil rights movement, the women’s movement, the gay rights movement, the relatively permissive sexual morality prevalent among young people, and the teaching of evolution. Furthermore, they opposed the U.S. Supreme Court rulings that banned institutionally initiated group prayer and Bible reading in public schools (School District of Abington Township v. Schempp) and that affirmed the legal right to abortion (Roe v. Wade).
Against this backdrop, Falwell established the Moral Majority, which he described as pro-family and pro-American. It advanced conservative social values, notably opposing abortion, pornography, the ERA, and gay rights. In addition, the organization supported increased defense spending, a strong anti-communist foreign policy, and continued American support for Israel. The organization energized the religious right—though some opposed its inclusion of Catholics, Mormons, and Jews—and it quickly grew to several million members. The Moral Majority’s activities included voter registration, lobbying, and fund-raising. Its impact on American politics was almost immediate as it was credited with helping Republican Ronald Reagan win the presidential election in 1980.
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The Moral Majority remained a political force during the first half of the 1980s, working at both the state and national levels. However, near the end of the decade, the organization faced internal difficulties and dwindling support. In 1987 Falwell resigned as president, and around this time several prominent evangelists became embroiled in scandal. Differences within the movement were apparent when Falwell backed George H.W. Bush rather than Pat Robertson, another televangelist, in the 1988 presidential campaign. In addition, the group saw its fund-raising dramatically decrease. In 1989 the Moral Majority was dissolved. Although Falwell declared that the organization had accomplished its mission, he admitted that a number of “problems” persisted, such as abortion. However, the Moral Majority was credited with making a lasting contribution to American politics by establishing the religious right as an influential political player.