March for the Equal Rights Amendment
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/45/March_for_the_Equal_Rights_Amendment%2C_1978%2C_Washington%2C_DC.jpeg/220px-March_for_the_Equal_Rights_Amendment%2C_1978%2C_Washington%2C_DC.jpeg)
The March for the Equal Rights Amendment took place on July 9, 1978 in Washington, DC. Over 100,000 people marched for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Speakers
[edit]There were 35 notable speakers at the march organized by the National Organization for Women.[1][2]
Attendees
[edit]Many prominent women's rights activists participated in this march including Gloria Steinem, Pauli Murray and Betty Friedan.[3][4]
Issues
[edit]The amendment proposed equal rights for women, and was first introduced to Congress in 1923, finally gaining Congressional approval in 1972.[5] Once Congress had approved the amendment, ratification by the states was requested and the typical 7-year time limit for ratification by two-thirds of the states was set in motion.[6] The march was held to convince legislators that the period allowed for ratification should be extended beyond the deadline, which would occur on 29 March 1979.[7] Protesters were successful in getting the House to approve an extension to 1982 in August, 1978 and the Senate to grant approval of the same time frame by a vote of 60 to 36 in October 1978. It was the first time that a proposed amendment to the Constitution had ever had its ratification period extended.[8][9] Since 1982, extension of the ratification has been reintroduced in every legislative session.[10]
Timeline
[edit]- March 22, 1972 - amendment passed in Congress
- 1977 - amendment approved by 35 of 50 states
- 1978 - not ratified, (3 states short)
- 1982 - deadline for ratification. 15 states did not approve.
- 1994 - 12 states did not approve ratification
- 1995–2016, ERA bills were passed however not all of the bills passed both Senate and House
- 2003 - House approved ratification, however Senate did not
- 2014 - Senate approved, however House did not
- 2017 - Nevada approved
- 2018 - Illinois approved; Thirteen states had not yet approved[10]
Outcome
[edit]The amendment still has not been ratified by all of the states to become a part of the Constitution of the United States.[11][12]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Bennetts, Leslie (July 7, 1978). "Supporters of the Equal Rights Amendment Gathering for March in Washington Sunday". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^ Dismore, David. "July 9, 1978: Feminists Make History With Biggest-Ever March for the Equal Rights Amendment". Feminist Majority Foundation. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^ "July 9, 1978: Feminists Make History With Biggest-Ever March for the Equal Rights Amendment – Feminist Majority Foundation". Retrieved 2021-08-01.
- ^ "Pauli Murray and other woman marching. Most women are wearing white and some are wearing or carrying banners of purple, white and gold". hollis.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
- ^ "July 9, 1978". The Ottawa Journal. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 30 September 1978. p. 106. Retrieved 17 January 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Kilpatrick, James J. (26 May 1978). "Playing dirty pool and the ERA". The Salina Journal. Salina, Kansas. p. 4. Retrieved 17 January 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Cimons, Marlene (16 July 1978). "There's right way, wrong way to lobby". The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. p. 41. Retrieved 17 January 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Myers opposes ERA stay". New Castle, Pennsylvania: The New Castle News. 19 August 1978. p. 5. Retrieved 17 January 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Opponent promises challenges to ERA ratification extension". Iola, Kansas: The Iola Register. AP. 6 October 1978. p. 12. Retrieved 17 January 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "ERA". Equal Rights Amendment. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
- ^ Francis, Roberta W. "The History Behind the Equal Rights Amendment". The Equal Rights Amendment: Unfinished Business for the Constitution. equalrightsamendment.org. Archived from the original on 10 April 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^ "National ERA March on Washington D.C. or "March for Equality" — 1978". pbs.org. Public Broadcasting System. Retrieved 17 January 2017.