Equal Rights Amendment

The first Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), to ensure equal treatment of women and men, was proposed in 1923. In 1972, the ERA was finally passed by Congress and presented to the states for approval. Although then-Arizona Senator Sandra Day O’Connor promoted the passage of the ERA by Arizona, Arizona was one of 15 states that did not approve the amendment, preventing its addition to the U.S. Constitution. The ERA isn’t dead yet, though. Members of Congress continue to reintroduce the amendment and fight for its passage (www.equalrightsamendment.org).

Read About It

Use the document analysis sheet and the photograph analysis sheet to uncover clues about the people that created the documents. 

• Alfredo Gutierrez on the Equal Rights Amendment 
• Remarks to Associated Women Students at ASU, May 7, 1970, by Sandra Day O'Connor
• Letter from U.S. Representative Martha W. Griffiths to Arizona State Senator Sandra Day O'Connor, June 16, 1971, re: Equal Rights Amendment 
• Form letter from Senator Sandra Day O'Connor, February 18, 1984, re: Equal Rights Amendment

Understand It

1. When was the Equal Rights Amendment first presented to Congress? When was it approved by Congress? Why do you think it took Congress so many years to approve the Equal Rights Amendment after it was first presented?
2. Who created the documents linked above? What did they think of the Equal Rights Amendment? Do their opinions show in their writing?
3. Do you think passage of the Equal Rights Amendment would result in equal rights and opportunities between women and men? Why or why not?

Explore More

Visit the websites below to learn more. Based on this new information, have your answers to the questions above changed?

For Students

• Text of the Equal Rights Amendment
• Martha Griffiths and the Equal Rights Amendment
• Library of Congress: Long Road to Equality

For Teachers

• Smithsonian: Women’s History Teaching Resources
• Voices of Democracy: Shirley Chisholm, "For the ERA"