From Nineteenth Amendment to ERA

After ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, Alice Paul remained at the helm of the NWP and redirected its focus on other legislation in support of women’s equality, including a federal Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to ban all forms of sex discrimination. Drafted by Paul as early as 1921, the ERA was first introduced in Congress on December 10, 1923, by Senator Charles Curtis (R-KS). Many former suffragists opposed the amendment, fearing it would invalidate labor regulations designed to protect women.