Primary Source Spotlight: Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment, or ERA, may not be dead, but it is not currently part of the U.S. Constitution. The resources below will help you understand the evolution of the ERA from its introduction in 1923 through today.
S.J. Res. 21 – Proposing an Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution 68th Congress December 10, 1923
H.J. Res. 75 – Proposing an Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution 68th Congress December 13 1923
Equal Rights Amendment historical newspaper coverage 1921 and later
Toward Equal Rights for Men and Women 1929
Women’s National Organizations Are on Record Against the National Woman’s Party Amendment 1940s
Mary Church Terrell: “Why We Need the Equal Rights Amendment”
Mary Church Terrell Papers Testimony Before the House March 10, 1948
Questions and answers on the equal rights amendment prepared by the research department of the National Woman’s Party October 3 (legislative day, October 1), 1951
Equal rights amendment Senate Committee report May 23 (legislative day, May 17), 1951
Rrepresentative Martha Griffiths Discharge Petition for the Equal Rights Amendment June 11, 1970
H.J. Res. 208 – Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to equal rights for men and women 92nd Congress January 18, 1972
President Jimmy Carter Signing Extension of Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) Ratification October 20, 1978
Equal Rights Amendment image set
ERA map October 17, 1979
Supreme Court justice Harry Blackmun’s feeling on the Equal Rights Amendment transcript of 1995 oral history
ERA primary source set Smithsonian
The Equal Rights Amendment Frequently Asked Questions
The Equal Rights Amendment: Background and Recent Legal Developments July 11, 2023
Federal legislation related to the Equal Rights Amendment 1975 and later
The Centennial of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA): Origins and Early Debates Unfolding History
A Centennial Season’s Greetings from the ERA Unfolding History
Martha Griffiths and the Equal Rights Amendment National Archives