Key Documents
The 19th Amendment and the Equal Rights Amendment represent two significant pieces of legislation for women: one ratified, one unratified.
The Resolution Proposing the 19th Amendment, 1919
The first woman suffrage amendment was introduced in Congress in 1878. Finally, in 1919 Congress passed the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote. It was ratified in 1920.
National Archives, General Records of the U.S. Government
Resolution Proposing an Equal Rights Amendment, 1972
The controversial Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was first introduced in Congress in 1923. It passed both houses of Congress in 1972 but fell three states short of the requisite number of votes for ratification.
National Archives, General Records of the U.S. Government