Brief History of the ERA, 1923–1982

1923

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) first introduced in Congress. It was authored by Alice Paul, head of the National Women’s Party and a leader in the woman’s suffrage campaign.

1923–1970

The ERA introduced in every session of Congress but never voted out of committee. 

1940   

Republican Party added the ERA to its party platform.

1944

Democratic Party added the ERA to its party platform.

1966

National Organization for Women (NOW) founded.

1967

NOW committed to passage of the ERA as its first agenda item.

1970

Rep. Martha Griffiths (D-MI) successfully filed a discharge petition to force the ERA proposal out of committee to be considered by the whole House of Representatives.

1971   

U.S. House of Representatives passed the ERA with the vote 354-24.

1972

U.S. Senate passed the ERA with the vote 84-8. Congress set a seven-year ratification deadline for three-fourths (or 38) states to ratify the Amendment.

Phyllis Schlafly established the National Committee to STOP-ERA.

1972–1974

33 states ratified the ERA. 

1973

Roe v. Wade decision ruled the U.S. Constitution protected a pregnant woman’s right to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. In response, the National Right to Life Committee, an anti-abortion organization, was formed.

STOP-ERA operated in 26 battleground states (states that had not yet passed the Amendment and states that might rescind or take back support for the Amendment).

1977

Indiana became the 35^th State to ratify the ERA. (It was the last state to do so before the ratification deadline expired.)

1978

Congress extended the ERA ratification deadline to 1982.

1979

Jerry Falwell founded the conservative Moral Majority, an Evangelical Christian organization, and worked with STOP-ERA to defeat the Amendment.

1980

The Republican Party removed the last pro-ERA plank from its party platform. Republican President Ronald Reagan came out in opposition to the ERA, the first Republican president to do so.

1982

No additional states ratified the ERA; the Amendment fell three states short and was defeated.