Equal Rights Amendment charm bracelet, 1972-74
Alice Paul, a feminist who spent her life campaigning for women's rights, originally proposed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in 1923 as the leader of the National Woman's Party. In 1972 the ERA was reintroduced, and Paul, now in her eighties, again actively campaigned for its passage and ratification. The charms on her bracelet represent states that ratified the amendment; however, not enough states did so, and the ERA never became law. In 1987 the Alice Paul Centennial Foundation donated a large collection of memorabilia, including this bracelet, to honor the 100th anniversary of her birth.
See also:
Jewelry, Political Protest, Women's History
