Evil Little Things: A Study of the Women Who Shaped Secular Humanist and Atheist Activism in post World War II America

by Sylvia Broeckx

An examination of the work of four leading activists, Vasthi McCollum, Madalyn Murray O’Hair, Anne Gaylor, and Annie Laurie Gaylor, who led the way for others in campaigning for the separation of church and state, and in the process built a social movement of secular humanists and atheists.
This study shows how their judiciary battles ensured the clarification and galvanisation of the First Amendment's Establish Clause, how they challenged the Protestant domination of government institutions and helped to reveal a schism within Protestant churches between progressive and conservative fractions. Their activism played a causal role in the rise of the New Christian Right and the subsequent Culture Wars. Their actions furthermore protected the rights of religious minorities, resulted in the creation of pressure groups, and helped shape the socio-political course of twentieth century America.

This study is a dissertation submitted in part-fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MA in American History.

90 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 6, 2016