Florence Kelley: An Influential Social Worker and Reformer
Florence Kelley was an influential social worker and reformer who dedicated her life to the fight for equality. She worked on causes such as minimum wages, women's suffrage, and child labor laws. She was also known for her ability to use rhetoric to bring attention to important issues.
Early Life and Influences
She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1859 to William Darrah "Pig Iron" Kelley and Sarah Pugh, a former slave. Her father was a Quaker who encouraged her to be a writer and advocate for social justice. She was influenced by Quaker teachings on mystical experience and social reform.
Activism and Family Life
While studying at the University of Zurich, she met a Russian medical student named Lazare Wischnewtchy. They were married in June of 1884 and soon became members of the socialist Labor Party in New York City. They had three children, Nicolas, Margaret, and John Bartram.
Work in Chicago
When Kelley's marriage collapsed, she moved to Chicago in the late 1890s. She became an inspector for the state of Illinois and helped enforce the Factory Inspection Law. She was also a founding member of the National Consumers League, which focused on raising awareness of sweatshop conditions and encouraging consumers to shop at stores that treated workers well.
The Power of Rhetoric
Kelley's work on these issues influenced many people and led to the creation of organizations such as the NAACP. She also used her skills of rhetoric to gain attention for the inhumanity of child labor and explain the need for women's suffrage. Her ability to use strong emotional appeal, first-person connections, and repetition made her a great rhetorical leader. Her speech "Child and Woman Work in the Slums of Chicago" is an example of her effective use of this strategy.
An Effective Speech
The main purpose of this speech is to educate the public about the conditions of children and women working in the garment industry in Chicago. Kelley begins by describing several examples of poor children and women who are forced to work under harsh circumstances. These examples make the problem more tangible, which in turn enables the audience to understand why this is a relevant issue to them.
In the next portion of her speech, she uses a strong emotional appeal to get listeners on her side and create support for her position. She describes the harsh circumstances of working children and women in the garment industry and points out how it affects their health and morality.
She also explains the necessity of women's suffrage by using specific examples to show how women have been discriminated against in the past. She also argues that women deserve the right to vote and that women should not be denied this right because of their race.
Legacy and Impact
Kelley was a powerful speaker, and her skills of rhetoric enabled her to create a unified front that helped lead the way toward positive change. Her speeches often included personal references to her own experiences, making them relatable. She also incorporated multiple effective rhetorical strategies to ensure a smooth flow and consistent focus.
