ERA Informative Report

In America after World War II, all kinds of civil rights were pursued. The women demanded equal rights. They were sick of not being able to vote, being second inline for jobs, and sick of suffering. They demanded the Equal Rights Amendment. (ERA)

In 1916 a leader in the suffragist movement, Alice Paul, founded the Nation Woman's Party (NWP). Her goal was to create a constitutional amendment to recognize equal rights for woman at both state and federal levels. The NWP became very popular and gained many allies. However 5 years later in 1921, some of those allies began to oppose the NWP's resolution which banned "political, civil or legal disabilities or inequalities on account of sex, or on account of marriage unless applying alike to both sexes."

Even after their former allies turned on them the NWP brought an Equal Rights Amendment to the US Constitution in 1923. For an amendment to become a law it needs two-thirds vote in both houses of the Congress, or a supporting petition of two-thirds of the state legislatures. After that the amendment would then need three-fourths of the states. Unfortunately for the NWP the amendment did not get the two-thirds vote to be passed on to the states.

In the radical 1960s, more people began to believe in the ERA. People read Betty Friedan's (see picture above) The Feminine Mystique, which changed the views of millions of people about the ERA. The National Organization (NOW, see other essay) made the ERA their main priority. After some time, NOW gained the Republican and Democratic parties' support. In 1972 with Nixon's support ERA was proposed to Congress again and passed with Congress and then moved on to the states. Unfortunately it never passed, as it could never get the 38 required states to become legalized.

We will never know what our nation would be like with the ERA today. How much more different could it be?

"Equal Rights Amendment," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2004
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

"Equal Rights Amendment." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2004. Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service.
2 Apr. 2004 <http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=33409>.

"Equal Rights Amendment." American Pageant, The