Compare/contrast the Equal Rights Amendment with the Fourteenth Amendment. Did they deal with separate concepts? Explain your answe

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and the Fourteenth Amendment are two significant pieces of legislation in the history of the United States that aimed to establish and protect the rights of citizens. However, they deal with different concepts and were introduced in different historical contexts.

The ERA, first proposed in 1923, was designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. It states, "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex." The ERA was a response to the continued discrimination and inequality faced by women, even after they gained the right to vote in 1920. Despite its introduction nearly a century ago, the ERA has not been ratified and added to the Constitution.

On the other hand, the Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, was one of the Reconstruction Amendments following the Civil War. It contains several clauses, including the Citizenship Clause, the Due Process Clause, and the Equal Protection Clause. The Fourteenth Amendment was primarily aimed at protecting the rights of former slaves, ensuring their citizenship and equal protection under the law.

While both amendments aim to ensure equality, they address different aspects of it. The Fourteenth Amendment is broader, dealing with citizenship, due process, and equal protection for all citizens, not specifically addressing gender discrimination. The ERA, however, focuses specifically on gender equality.

It's important to note that while the Fourteenth Amendment has been used in court cases to argue for gender equality, its language does not explicitly guarantee equal rights regardless of sex, as the ERA does. This has led to ongoing debates about the necessity and potential impact of the ERA.

Sources:

1. "Equal Rights Amendment." History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives. https://history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1901-1950/The-Equal-Rights-Amendment/
2. "14th Amendment." Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxiv