Describe the political history of the ERA
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution that would guarantee equal rights under the law regardless of sex. The ERA was first introduced in Congress in 1923 and subsequently re-introduced in every session of Congress until it was finally passed in 1972.
After being passed by Congress, the ERA was sent to the states for ratification, as required by the constitution. However, the ratification process proved to be challenging, with only 35 states ratifying the amendment by its deadline in 1982, three states short of the needed 38.
The ERA has been reintroduced in Congress several times since then, but has yet to be ratified by the necessary number of states to become an official amendment. However, in recent years, there has been renewed interest and support for the ERA, with several states passing resolutions to ratify the amendment and efforts to extend the deadline for ratification at the federal level.
The political history of the ERA has been marked by both progress and setbacks, with supporters continuing to advocate for its passage as a necessary step towards achieving gender equality in the United States.