...Merrit Duke History of American Women May 27, 2015 Equality: Too Much to Ask For? The Equal Rights Amendment has been the source of much debate for almost an entire century now. Since first purposed by Alice Paul in the 1920s one’s stance on the potential amendment has been a dividing factor in the political sphere. Though the amendment was shut down in the 1920s there has been discussion about adding the Equal Rights Amendment into the constitution today. If the potential amendment was to be brought back up my stance on the debate would be in support of the amendment. For some background on the debate on the Equal Rights Amendment it would be good to look back and see where activists in the past were split and what about the Equal Rights Amendment has divided them. The Antebellum era gave two different types of women activists, the true women and the Early Feminists. The True Women argued for gender distinctions, separate spheres, domesticity, and women as moral guardians in their natural role as a mother. The True Women would be the women who be apposed to the Equal Rights Amendment and would be active in the fight against it. Arguing against the True Women were the Early Feminists who stressed gender equality, suffrage for women, equal education, human rights, and saw women as rational beings. This group of activists would be in support of the Equal Rights Amendment. Next would be the Progressive era where the two parties in the debate would be the Early Feminists and...
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...In class today I was pro-ERA. I felt that this amendment would give men and women constitutional equality, so why would I vote against it? Although, I did feel it wasn’t 100% necessary today I felt that this amendment could help women even if it was in small ways. However, after reading "Nine Reasons to Reject Equal Rights Amendment" I felt that I was leaning more towards the anti-ERA side of the argument. The ERA would give more power to the Federal Government. The Federal Government would have a vast amount of power in topics that "include traditional differences of treatment on the account of sex." Such as, marriage, divorce and alimony, child custody, adoptions, abortion, sex crimes, and private and public schools. I never thought that...
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...The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was written in 1923 by Alice Paul. The purpose of the ERA was to ensure the equal application of the Constitution to all United States citizens, regardless of their sex. This is stated succinctly in the first section of the amendment: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.”1 The ERA was proposed in every Congress between 1923 and 1972.2 In 1972, it was finally passed and sent to individual states for ratification. At the end of the ERA’s proposing clause in 1982, it had been ratified by 35 states, making it fall just short of the 38 required to put it into the constitution.3 As the political tide turned more conservative...
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...In 1923, the Equal Rights Amendment was drafted by Alice Paul, who believed that the amendment was the appropriate follow-up to the 19th Amendment in guaranteeing equal rights for all. The ERA was aimed at the large number of state laws that restricted women’s jury service, controlling property, and guardianship rights over their children, among others. However, the ERA did not get passed in the United States Congress until 1972, forty-nine years later. It was quickly sent to the states for ratification. Initially, the amendment was met with great support and was approved by 30 out of the needed 38 state legislators within the first year. Because Congress put a seven-year deadline on the ratification process, the ERA needed to be approved three-fourths of the states by March 22, 1979. The amendment seemed promising as federal politicians and a majority of the public showed support (Stidolph). In Oklahoma, the ERA received following from many organizations such as the American Bar Association, Church Women United, and the American Association of University Women. The amendment passed in the Oklahoma Senate with a voice vote. However, there was growing controversy...
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...On February 13th Nevada Democrats attempted to introduce “The Equal Rights Amendment” once again. The history associated with the amendment is as follows; 1972 the Equal Rights Amendment was passed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification. However only 35 states ratified it, (Not NV) they needed 3 more for a majority vote. The amendment has been unsuccessfully introduced in every Congress since. The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal rights for women. The author of the amendment originally was Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman. Another intent was to ensure the rights guaranteed by the Constitution were applied equally to all persons regardless of their sex. Supporters...
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...In the words of Bernadette Cahill, the Equal Rights Amendment was an attempt “to finish the unfinished business of the Civil War” (Cahill, Bernadette). The main purpose for the ERA was to create equality for women under the law. The last time that anything like this was attempted was in 1870. Women’s Rights leaders of the time launched a campaign to reword the Fifteenth Amendment to include the word “sex.” The amendment in the constitution states, “race, color or previous condition of servitude.” This shows that since the original interpretation only applied to men, women themselves did not have the civil right to vote. At that point in time, they were purposefully not heard. In addition to this, they tried to implement a Sixteenth Amendment that dealt with women specifically, to no avail (Cahill, Bernadette). So from 1921 to 1923, Alice Paul drafted what is now known as the Equal Rights Amendment. Paul and the NWP, National Women’s Party, wanted to use this amendment in order to finally bring equality to all women (Cahill, Bernadette). The NWP had recently been fighting battles one...
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...The Equal Rights Amendment is one of the twenty-seven failed amendments to the United States Constitution. This amendment would give equal rights to men and women, under federal and state laws within the United States. The amendment was written in 1923, by Alice Paul, a suffragist leader and founder of the National Woman’s Party. It was presented at every Congress from 1923, until 1972 when it was passed and sent to the states for ratification. However, only 35 out of the 38 required states, ratified the amendment, it was given an extension until 1982, but still failed to pass and has become extinct within Congress. The amendment has been proposed at every Congress since its failure to be ratified. The proposed amendments states that “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 amendment has three sections, and this statement is featured as the first. The second section states that “The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article,” and the third section states that “This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.” Essentially, the amendment would affirm the equal application of the United States Constitution, to both sexes. However, according to some opposers of the Equal Rights Amendment, it would also take away some of the rights granted to women in previous years. The amendment would require women to sign...
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...Equal Rights Amendment and Its Implications for Business BMGT 380 Business Law The Equal Rights Amendment as proposed in 1923 was to specifically promote the equality of all persons regardless of gender. Arguments for and against use scary rhetoric to convince others that their side is the only option. The ratification of the ERA could diminish legal battles, as it would negate the traditional assumption that males hold rights and females must prove that they hold them. However, highly controversial and emotional issues such as abortion rights and gay right continue to cloud the overall intent of the Amendment. An Equal Rights Amendment would remove that differential assumption and shift the burden of proof to the alleged discriminator. The ERA while not creating a radical shift in most businesses, could affect industries and jobs that have been seen as traditionally male career fields including professional sports, the military and other highly physical or hazardous careers. Women would have the option to participate in these career fields and be subject to military conscription. “The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was the most highly publicized and debated constitutional amendment before the United States for most of the 1970s and early 1980s.” (Answers.com, 2009) The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) stated "equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account...
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...In the 1920's women's roles were soon starting to change. After World War One it was called the "Jazz Age", known for new music and dancing styles. It was also known as the "Golden Twenties" or "Roaring Twenties" and everyone seemed to have money. Both single and married women we earning higher- paying jobs. Women were much more than just staying home with their kids and doing house work. They become independent both financially and literally. Women also earned the right to vote in 1920 after the Nineteenth Amendment was adopted. They worked hard for the same or greater equality as men and while all this was going on they also brought out a new style known as the flapper. All this brought them much closer to their goal. In the 1920's the term flapper referred to a "new breed" of women. They wore short skirts and dresses which were straight and very loose. The arms were left bare and the waistline was dropped to the hips. By 1927 the length of the skirts had rose just below the knee which when they danced would be shown. The chests appeared to look very small and women would tape themselves to look even smaller. Bras were also sold to make them appear very small. Their hairstyles were cut very short and were known as a bob, another popular style that was later introduced was the "Eaton" or "Shingle". These styles had slicked the hair back and covered the ears with curls. Women started wearing "kiss proof" lipstick in shades of red, their eyes were ringed a dark black color, and...
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...with men. According to the U.S. Department of Labor and Statics in its 2006 report, “At all levels of education women have fared better than men with respect to earnings.” Upper-class women may use a college education as a stepping-stone into the primary labor market. Their educational credentials and family background will help them get good positions. Working-class women, without family connections and educational opportunity, are likely to remain in the secondary labor market and fall further behind. A few new words that I learned this chapter are comparable worth, Equal Rights Amendment, and Beguines. Comparable worth is evaluating and rewarding different occupations equally if the work in each occupation requires the same level of skill and is of equal value to the employer. Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States giving equal rights to women that was not ratified. Beguines are communes, existing...
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...Women in the Workforce Ask yourself if the rights and equality of the women in the workforce has changed as much as it should have over the last eighty eight years and then ask why. The women were given the right to vote in August 1920 after years of protests, but even then it took another fifty years before all fifty states had it written into law and practiced. The Second World War provided another opportunity for women to crush the belief that they could not perform and maintain the work or work load of a man by doing their jobs. Even though they performed the work at a level equal, and sometimes more proficient than a man, the jobs were handed back over to the returning military men with only a fraction of change in making these jobs more available to women. Now knowing they could do a man’s job, bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan to support a family, was now know throughout the country and world. In the 1960’s another spark ignited the women cause for equality with the National Woman’s party and others in congress. The sixties on into the early seventies may be remembered as the era of Love and Peace, but I would have to say it was one of the most violent and productive times of the century. The addition of Sex Discrimination to the Civil Rights Bill at the last minute added another chapter in our history. Early in 1919 the House of Representatives passed the 19th amendment by a vote of 304 to 90, and the Senate approved it 56 to 25. Within the government when...
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...It is engraved in our constitution that “all men are created equal.” It is something we learn about at a young age. Yet it only states that men are created equal, not women. Many activists have been fighting for women to have equal rights and many are still fighting. Years ago, women were not allowed to vote, not allowed to hold jobs, and were simply thought of being the ones who stayed at home to be with the children. Now women can vote, have jobs, and do things men can do. With all the advancements towards equality, women seem to be taking a step back, because women are treated unfairly today. The United States Federal Government should re-ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), making sure all the 50 states accept it, because it will insure everyone will be treated equal. In this essay, I will briefly trace the history of women inequality and explain why it is a problem. Next, I will provide evidence as to how women are treated unfairly, and explain what the Equal Rights Amendment is. Lastly, I will explain how re-ratifying the ERA will guarantee equality for all, by eliminating women inequality. It has been over 100 years since the first women’s rights convention was held in 1864 and there have been so many advancements for women rights. The first Women’s Trade Union League was established in 1903, women gain the right to vote in1920, and Equal Rights Amendment was finally introduced in 1923. The ERA was what women in America were fighting for; something that would guarantee...
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...2015. Carl Levin had some courageous actions. He supported the civil rights movement, women rights movement, legalizing same sex-marriage he also believed in a better education equals a better future. I believe he will be best served in a larger public interest. I think that because he had a lot of experience, he was the longest-serving senator in the state's history. He does exemplify political courage because he not afraid to take a stand for what he believes is right. During the Women’s Right Movement in the 60’s and 70’s, the World of American women was limited in almost every respect, from family life to the workplace. A woman was expected to follow one path: to marry in her early 20s, start a family quickly, and devote her life to homemaking. Carl Levin signed the Women’s Equal Right’s Amendment in 1972. Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to equal rights for men and women. Constitutional Amendment: Prohibits denying or abridging equality of rights under the law by the United States or by any state on account of sex (Source: HJR69&SJR21 11-SJR21 on Jun 22, 2011). Levin co-sponsored re-introducing the Equal Rights Amendment. Levin co-sponsored Paycheck Fairness Act. This act makes sure women gets paid the same as men. Levin also voted yes on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives on March 2005. Levin also voted for women to get equal pay as men. In honor of NAACP, Levin signed a bill honoring the...
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...Problem The history of women and minorities in the American workforce has been shaped by diverse cultural, legal, demographic, and ethno-racial influences. African American men had to prove themselves worthy to fight alongside white Americans in past wars for the same rights. Women had to fight for their rights to work along men whether it was for paid or unpaid labor. Minorities have had to prove themselves to others to advance to a higher position. Sometimes after proving their skills and leadership abilities, the job or else the opportunity still does not get delivered. Minorities have been struggling to get notice in America for hundred of years. Many people have been paving the way for future advancement of people no matter the race, sex, or national origin. Whenever a minority has the opportunity and skills to advance in the workforce, but is not given a fair chance, this is commonly known as glass ceiling. According to the online database, Answers, glass ceiling refers to situations where the advancement of a qualified person within the hierarchy of an organization is stopped at a lower level because of some form of discrimination. This situation is in reference to the term glass ceiling because there are limitations of upward movement or advancement. The word glass comes from being transparent because the limitations are not immediately apparent and is normally an unwritten or unofficial policy. This barrier prevents large numbers of women, ethnic, and sexual minorities...
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...However, the great debate is “has America truly changed for the better?” A closer look at the positive changes developed through social movements, societal policy expansion, and technological advancements paints a picture of an improved American society. Social Movements After World War II ended in 1945, America experienced a brief moment of contented peacefulness and growth. However, this quickly changed as the country moved toward a decade of cold war in an effort to prevent the spread of Russian communism, which denied those under its rule the right to basic human freedoms. This cold war was founded on the principle of protecting global human rights, which would sparked an era of social unrest among American minority groups who desired to have their own basic human freedoms recognized. Martin Luther King & The Civil Rights Act of 1964 By the late 1950’s, American was experiencing the first in a long line of civil rights movements demanding that the government take action to end social inequalities. The most prominent of these was the battle over racial segregation in public areas, such as schools, restaurants, stores, and...
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