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Did Florence Kelley support the idea of an Equal Rights Amendment?
1) True
2) False

User Petermk
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Florence Kelley did not support the ERA, as she was concerned it would invalidate protective laws for women. Phyllis Schlafly's STOP ERA movement opposed the amendment citing various concerns, such as the loss of supposed female privileges. Before the 19th Amendment's ratification, women were indeed not seen as independent legal persons.

Therefore, thus statement is false.

Step-by-step explanation:

Florence Kelley did not support the idea of an Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). This assertion is false, as Kelley, along with many other women and women's groups of the era, was concerned that the ERA might invalidate labor laws and other forms of protection that were specifically designed for women. The rise and fall of the movement to pass the ERA was marked by decades of advocacy and opposition. The amendment was first proposed by Alice Paul in 1923 and passed Congress in 1972. Endorsed by several presidents, it initially saw quick ratification by states, but conservative countermovements, led by figures like Phyllis Schlafly, posed significant challenges.

Schlafly argued that the ERA would remove legal protections favoring women, potentially affecting child custody, the draft, and financial supports like alimony. While some criticisms were grounded in concerns for maintaining certain protections, others rested upon assumptions of women's roles and the desire to retain traditional gender dynamics.

Concerning question 12, prior to the ratification of the 19th Amendment, women were not considered a legal person on their own. This statement is true. Before this amendment, women lacked many of the legal rights and recognitions afforded to men.

User Finki
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