Civil Rights - Women's Rights

1. What is feminism, according to the Merriam Webster definition discussed in class?

The theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.

2. What is "romantic paternalism"? How did it shape laws affecting women?

The belief that women must be protected from the harsh world, leading to laws treating them as dependent on men.

3. What rights did women lack around 1840?

They could not vote, own or control wages, get a divorce, inherit property, or speak publicly on issues like slavery.

4. What was the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848, and what were the key concerns?

The first women's rights convention; it focused on voting rights, heavy family responsibilities, and lack of educational opportunity.

5. Why were women left out of the post-Civil War amendments despite being promised inclusion?

They were excluded, and the Equal Protection Clause was not applied to women until 1971.

6. When was the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause first applied to women?

1971 in Reed v. Reed.

7. What were protectionist laws, and why were they enacted?

Laws designed to protect women from workplace dangers and harsh conditions based on the belief they needed protection.

8. What does the Equal Pay Act of 1963 require? What are the exceptions?

Equal pay for equal work, with exceptions for merit, productivity, and seniority.

9. What did Reed v. Reed (1971) establish for the first time?

That sex discrimination violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

10. What is the Equal Rights Amendment, and what happened to it?

A proposed amendment guaranteeing equal rights regardless of sex; it was not ratified.

11. Who was Shirley Chisholm, and what was her historical significance?

She was the first Black woman to run for president and the first Black candidate for a major party nomination (1972).

12. Who was Geraldine Ferraro, and what milestone did she achieve?

She was the first woman to be a vice presidential nominee for a major party (1984).

13. What milestones did Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris achieve?

Hillary Clinton was the first woman presidential nominee of a major party (2016); Kamala Harris became the first woman, first Black woman, and first woman of South Asian descent to be vice president (2020).

14. How many women have served on the U.S. Supreme Court? Who was the first?

Six women; Sandra Day O'Connor was the first, appointed in 1981 by President Reagan.