Which States Ratified the ERA During 1972?

The proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was sent to the states for ratification in 1972. The amendment passed the Senate on March 22, 1972. Hawaii, the first state to ratify the ERA, did so the same day. Throughout the rest of the year, 21 more states voted yes on ERA, for a total of 22 states during 1972.

Then the pace slowed, as only eight states ratified the amendment in 1973. Eventually the ERA fell three states short of the 38 out of 50 needed to become part of the Constitution. However, feminists and the many organizations across the country that supported the amendment were optimistic in 1972, heartened by the states that ratified promptly during the "new" ERA struggle.

Here is an alphabetical list of the 22 states that ratified the ERA in 1972:

Alaska
California
Colorado
Delaware
Hawaii
Idaho
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Nebraska
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Tennessee
Texas
West Virginia
Wisconsin