Equal Rights Amendment

Should American women have constitutionally protected equal rights? Alice Paul and some of the other suffragist leaders of the early twentieth century thought so. Paul authored the text of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in 1923, not long after the passage of the 19th Amendment to the constitution, which had granted women the right to vote.

The original ERA read “Men and women shall have equal rights throughout the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction.” From the very beginning, its acceptance faced stiff opposition from both genders. Many people assume the issue of equal rights for women was long ago put to rest. But the story is more complicated than that.

The history behind the ERA is one of fits and starts. After it was initially brought to Congress in 1923, the proposed amendment was introduced in each congressional session. Opponents held it up in committee year after year. Ultimately, it languished until 1970. That was when Martha Griffiths, an enterprising congresswoman, brought the ERA to the floor of the House of Representatives. It was a time of social upheaval and lobbying for civil rights, including a “Women’s Strike for Equality” in Washington D.C. By 1972 both Republicans and Democrats in the Senate and House had voted to approve the amendment. But that was only the first step towards amending the constitution.

In order to enact an amendment to the constitution, three-fourths or thirty-eight of the fifty states had to agree. Ratification of the ERA was far from a done deal. Pressure was transferred to state legislatures which each had to vote on the amendment. By then, the wording had changed to “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex”, but the intent remained the same. And Congress had issued a deadline for state ratification votes – March 22, 1979.

Interest in seeing the ERA accepted varied widely by and within states. In Wyoming, as in many other states, there were two factions that formed – the “Equal Rights Amendment Coalition” and the “Women for Maintaining the Difference Between the Sexes and Against the ERA”. Those in favor of the ERA argued that women should be entitled to equal pay for equal work, equal professional opportunities and equality in all aspects of the law. Opponents argued that the ERA threatened the sanctity of marriage and families, weakened alimony and child support laws and subjected women to the military draft.

Passions ran high on both sides. Legislators were lobbied, petitions circulated, and letters written. Support for the ERA seemed to converge in the Wyoming House of Representatives, but things were much less certain in the Senate. Republican Governor Stan Hathaway threw his support behind the ERA saying, “If Wyoming does not ratify the (Equal Rights) Amendment, we will no longer be called the Equality State.” Ultimately, on January 24, 1973, seventeen state senators voted in favor. It was enough to ratify the ERA in Wyoming, making Wyoming the 23rd state to do so. Meanwhile, other states proceeded with their ratifications. It seemed the ERA was on the way to becoming the 27th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Eventually, thirty-five of the needed thirty-eight state legislatures had voted in favor of ratification.

Feminists were optimistic that their lobbying efforts had been successful. But the votes of three more states were needed. By 1977 an anti-feminist grassroots conservative movement had gained ground. Led by Republican lawyer and activist Phyllis Schlafly, the “STOP ERA” campaign took aim at discouraging popular support for the ERA. It was remarkably effective in derailing state ratification votes, particularly in the south. As a result, the 1979 deadline came and went without the additional three state ratifications. Congress extended the deadline to June 30, 1982, but still no additional state ratifications passed. Influenced by Schlafly’s campaign, five states also voted to rescind or otherwise withdraw their ratification of the ERA. Today the need for an Equal Rights Amendment at the federal level remains compelling and continues to be controversial. In 2017 Nevada ratified the ERA, in 2018 Illinois followed suit and in 2020 Virginia became the thirty-eighth state to ratify. Legal scholars debate the legitimacy of those additional ratifications after the deadline, while supporters strategize about possible future routes to enshrining women’s rights into the constitution.

Collections

Thyra Thomson

Thyra Thomson (1916–2013) was Wyoming’s first female Secretary of State. Originally elected in 1962, she served for twenty-four years. It was the longest term for a state house official in Wyoming history. Because the state has no lieutenant governor, Thomson frequently had to step in as acting governor during the absences of both Republican and Democrat Chief Executives. Thomson was a vocal supporter of equal pay for women and an advocate in Wyoming and nationally for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Vera Glaser

Vera Glaser (1916-2008) was a reporter, journalist, and advocate for women’s rights. She made a name for herself during a 1969 press conference with President Richard Nixon, when she asked him about appointing more women in his administration. Not long after, Nixon formed the Task Force on Women’s Rights and Responsibilities and appointed Glaser as a task force member. Glaser’s papers include newspaper and magazine clippings related to the campaign to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

Clifford P. Hansen

Clifford P. Hansen (1912-2009) was a Wyoming politician. A Republican, he served as a United States Senator from 1967 to 1978. His papers contain correspondence with constituents about the Equal Rights Amendment. While he voted against the ERA, and against extending the deadline for ratification of the amendment, his attitudes about equal pay for equal work, women in the military and abortion were more nuanced, as expressed in his letters.

Alan K. Simpson

Alan K. Simpson was a Wyoming politican. A Republican, he served as a United States Senator from 1979 to 1997. He was appointed to the post following the resignation of Senator Clifford P. Hansen, and he was subsequently re-elected. Simpson’s papers contain memos related to his position on the Equal Rights Amendment and to hearings held in the U.S. Senate on the ERA in 1983 and 1984. He voted against the ERA while serving in the Wyoming legislature but stated that he strongly favored "the concept of equal rights for women -- especially equal pay for equal work."

 

Tom Anderson

Tom Anderson (1910-2002) was a writer, editor, publisher, conservative activist, and political candidate. A social and economic conservative, Anderson expressed his political and religious views through syndicated editorials, self-published newsletters, and radio commentaries. Anderson’s papers include a research file on the Equal Rights Amendment that consists largely of material opposing the ERA.

Thomas F. Stroock

Thomas F. Stroock (1925-2009) was a Republican politician who served as a Wyoming State Senator representing Natrona County in 1973, when the Equal Rights Amendment came before the Wyoming Legislature for ratification. Stroock’s papers include a file of letters from his constituents regarding the ERA. Strook voted in favor of ratification and spoke of his support on the Senate floor.

Joseph C. O'Mahoney

Joseph C. O’Mahoney (1884-1962) was a Democrat politician who spent 25 years representing Wyoming in the U.S. Senate between 1933 and 1960. He supported the Equal Rights Amendment and served on the Senate Judiciary Committee which held hearings on the ERA. He was a visible champion of the ERA in Congress. His papers include letters from women’s organizations, constituents, and the public at large. There are also statements from committee hearings and information bulletins related to the ERA.

Lester C. Hunt

Lester C. Hunt (1892-1954) was a Democrat politician who served as the 19th Governor of Wyoming from 1943 to 1949 and as a United States Senator from 1949 to 1954. Hunt was a co-sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment and worked towards getting the bill passed in the Senate during his term there. His papers include letters from women’s organizations and constituents and a speech he gave in support of the ERA on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

Women's History Research Center

The Women’s History Research Center was founded in 1969 in Berkeley, California by Laura Murra (also known as Laura X). The organization collected materials to document current and historical issues relating to women. Among the collection are materials related to the Equal Rights Amendment, including copies of the U.S. Congressional Record during the period when Congress was considering the ERA. There are also statements, articles, and press releases in support of the ERA.

League of Women Voters of Wyoming

The League of Women Voters was created at the final convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in 1920. Its main purpose at the time was to teach women how to use their new voting power. The League of Women Voters of Wyoming records include documents created and distributed by the national League of Women Voters organization that describe the history of the League’s involvement in supporting the Equal Rights Amendment.

Lyle and Florence Brothers

Lyle and Florence Brothers ran a nutrition consulting business out of their home in Florida. They also had an interest in Republican and Libertarian politics and collected literature related to the subject. The collection includes a wide variety of pamphlets, brochures and other materials, including copies of the “Eagle Forum” newsletters. The Eagle Forum was the organization founded by activist Phyllis Schlafly to promote conservative women’s and family issues in public policy.

Eve J. Zink

Eve J. Zink was a collector of conservative political material. Included in the collection are anti-ERA newsletters like "The Phyllis Schlafly Report" and the "Eagle Forum".

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