Alice Paul's Equal Rights Amendment

About

Alice Paul's Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a landmark proposal aimed at securing constitutional equality for women in the United States. Introduced in 1923, the ERA was initially called the "Lucretia Mott Amendment" and stated, "Men and women shall have equal rights throughout the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction." Paul rewrote the amendment in 1943, aligning it with the language of the 15th and 19th Amendments, to read: "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex." The ERA gained significant support in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly with the rise of the women's liberation movement. It was passed by Congress in 1972 and sent to the states for ratification, but it failed to meet the required number of state approvals by the deadline. Despite this, the ERA remains a pivotal symbol of the struggle for gender equality. Alice Paul's tireless efforts underscored her belief that legal protections were essential for achieving true gender equality, making the ERA a foundational concept in American feminist history.