The fight for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) began a century ago when Alice Paul first penned the amendment in 1923.  Women’s Liberation Movement arose out of the national Civil Rights struggle, and second-wave feminists took up the ERA again in the 1960s. The ERA was passed by Congress in 1972 and sent to be ratified by the states. It was a highly contentious topic with organizations rallying to get it passed or to stop it. By 1982, the ERA had failed to receive the required 3/4 majority needed to pass. Since then, the ERA has had little political support until Virginia became the last state needed to ratify the amendment on January 15, 2020. In this lesson, students will use local newspaper articles and national sources to understand both sides of the Equal Rights Amendment debate then and now. Students will be separated into four teams to debate the issue. Each group is responsible for developing an argument using evidence from the primary source material and secondary sources provided. Students will learn the significance of amending the U.S. Constitution and immerse themselves in the various issues that continue to spur debate around the ERA.

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This is designed as a local supplement to a broader foundational lesson.