The conference began with a reading of the Declaration of American Women 1977, a document accompanying runners on their torch relay of over 2,000 miles from Seneca Falls to Houston. Envisioned as in conversation with the 1848 Declaration of Sentiments (penned for the women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, NY), it began by declaring "We are here to move history forward" and concluded with the sentiment of "dedication to this struggle 'to form a more perfect Union.[1]'" Commissioner Maya Angelou, poet and author, read "... To Form A More Perfect Union..." which began "We American women view our history with equanimity. We allow the positive achievement to inspire us and the negative omissions to teach us."[2]

The National Action Plan contained 26 planks.

  1. ^ The Spirit of Houston: The First National Women's Conference. An Official Report to the President, the Congress and the People of the United States. March 1978. p. 195.
  2. ^ The Spirit of Houston: The First National Women's Conference. An Official Report to the President, the Congress and the People of the United States. 1978. p. 195.