Representative Martha Griffiths at the ERA Ratification Assembly
11/18/1977
Add to Favorites:
Add all page(s) of this document to activity:
This photograph shows Martha Griffiths speaking at the Equal Rights Amendment Ratification Assembly, part of the 1977 National Women's Conference in Houston, Texas. At the conference, 2,005 state delegates recommended to Congress and the President how to advance women’s rights.
Griffiths was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1955-1974 (a Democrat from Michigan). She was the first woman to serve on the powerful House Committee on Ways and Means and was instrumental in getting the prohibition of sex discrimination added to the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. Griffiths is also known for resurrecting the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).
The ERA was first drafted in 1923. From 1923 to 1970, some form of the ERA was introduced in every session of Congress. But, nearly every time that the ERA was introduced, it was held up in committee. In 1970, Griffiths filed a discharge petition to demand that the ERA be heard by the full House. A discharge petition, which requires the signatures of a majority of House members, forces proposed legislation out of committee so that it may be considered by the whole House of Representatives. Following the success of Griffiths's discharge petition, the ERA was passed by the House. However, the Senate attempted to add provisions exempting women from the draft, which effectively killed the chances of the ERA passing that session.
After some changes to the wording of the amendment, Griffiths re-introduced the ERA in the 92nd Congress as HJ Res. 208. After months of debate, hearings and House Judiciary Committee proposed changes, the ERA, as introduced by Griffiths, was approved by the House on October 12, 1971. The Senate approved an identical version on March 22, 1972, sending the ERA to the states with a seven-year deadline for ratification. In 1978, with the deadline fast approaching, and the ERA lacking the required number of state ratifications, Congress extended the time limit to June 30, 1982 (viewed as a major achievement of the National Women's Conference). However, by the time the extended deadline arrived, the ERA had only been ratified by 35 states - three states short of the three-fourths required for ratification of constitutional amendments.
The ERA was first drafted in 1923. From 1923 to 1970, some form of the ERA was introduced in every session of Congress. But, nearly every time that the ERA was introduced, it was held up in committee. In 1970, Griffiths filed a discharge petition to demand that the ERA be heard by the full House. A discharge petition, which requires the signatures of a majority of House members, forces proposed legislation out of committee so that it may be considered by the whole House of Representatives. Following the success of Griffiths's discharge petition, the ERA was passed by the House. However, the Senate attempted to add provisions exempting women from the draft, which effectively killed the chances of the ERA passing that session.
After some changes to the wording of the amendment, Griffiths re-introduced the ERA in the 92nd Congress as HJ Res. 208. After months of debate, hearings and House Judiciary Committee proposed changes, the ERA, as introduced by Griffiths, was approved by the House on October 12, 1971. The Senate approved an identical version on March 22, 1972, sending the ERA to the states with a seven-year deadline for ratification. In 1978, with the deadline fast approaching, and the ERA lacking the required number of state ratifications, Congress extended the time limit to June 30, 1982 (viewed as a major achievement of the National Women's Conference). However, by the time the extended deadline arrived, the ERA had only been ratified by 35 states - three states short of the three-fourths required for ratification of constitutional amendments.
This primary source comes from the Records of Temporary Committees, Commissions, and Boards.
National Archives Identifier: 7452294
Full Citation: Photograph 220-WC-32H; Martha Griffiths Speaks at Ratification Assembly, Houston, Texas; 11/18/1977; Photographs Used to Illustrate the Report, "Spirit of Houston: The First National Women's Conference", 1977 - 1978; Records of Temporary Committees, Commissions, and Boards, Record Group 220; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/griffiths-ratification-assembly, January 25, 2025]Activities that use this document
- The National Women's Conference of 1977
Created by the National Archives Education Team
Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
