The Equal Rights Amendment: Why Did it Fail?

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The Equal Rights AmendmentWhy Did it Fail?
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The Idea of Equality

• How would you describe the idea of equality?
• Are all people truly created equal?
• How does the state attempt to ensure equal rights
  for its citizens?
• Is there a difference between social equality and
  legal equality?
• Now lets take a look at the Equal Rights
  Amendment that was sent out for ratification in
  1972

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Equal Rights Amendment
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• What problems would an equal rights amendment
  address?

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• How many states failed to ratify the amendment?
• How many states must ratify an amendment in order
  for it to go into effect?

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What the Constitution States
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The big question is Why did the ERA fail to win
ratification?
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Slide 1

• Why did some women oppose an equal rights
  amendment?

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(No Transcript)
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Slide 2

• Play the video by clicking on the above button.
• What are Mrs. Schlaflys objections to the ERA?
• Summarize Dr. Scotts reaction to Mrs. Schlaflys
  comments.

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Slide 3

• How could the ERA potentially affect government
  in a negative way?

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Slide 4

• Which groups of Americans were most likely to
  support the ERA?
• Which groups were least likely to support the ERA?

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Slide 5

• In what ways would the ERA violate socially
  accepted/understood norms of the times?

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Slide 6

• According to Reese, why did the E.R.A. fail?

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Slide 7
Why might some states ratify and later
rescind their ratification votes?
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Slide 8

• Click the above button to find a brochure
  authored by the National Council of Catholic
  Women
• Summarize the arguments made against the ERA in
  this brochure.

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THE SUMMARY
1 Identify the potential social problems that
would be created by the Equal Rights Amendment 2
List evidence of the social problems using the
Viewing Worksheets
LINKS DEFINE THE SOCIAL PROBLEM GATHER
EVIDENCE FOR THE SOCIAL PROBLEM
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Student Assignments

• After defining the problem and gathering the
  evidence, form a team of 3-4. Then, use your
  skills of collaboration to
• Draft a new Equal Rights Amendment to be sent out
  to the states for ratification
• Goal Improve upon the original text of the
  amendment drafted in 1923 to hopefully earn
  ratification of the 38 states necessary
• Take into account the initial concerns that
  contributed to the failure to ratify
• Create materials for a PR campaign sponsored by
  the National Organization for Women (NOW) that
  promotes the passage of the new and improved ERA.
• Examples include Brochures, buttons/pins,
  editorials, 30-second advertisements, etc.