How Did Jane Addams Contribute To Social Reform

Jane Addams is recognized as a social and political pioneer for women in America. In her biography, which later revealed her experiences in Hull House, she demonstrates her altruistic personality, which nurtured the poor and pushed for social reforms. Although many of Addams ideas were considered radical for her time, she provided women with a socially acceptable way to participate in both political and social change. She defied the prototypical middle class women by integrating the line that separated private and political life. Within these walls of the settlement house, Addams redefined the idea of ?separate spheres,? and with relentless determination, she

They addressed issues in the political and the economy. The middle class women had less to do because there was a decrease in birth rates, an influx of immigrants, and new technologies available. Jane Addams was a well-known middle class women that founded the Hull House, which housed college students. During this time, it was hard for women like her to graduate because they were taught about things that didn’t exist. The Hull House offered programs such as English, dance, union meetings, athletics and more. During this Progressive Era, these women advocated eight hour work days and six work weeks. As a result, they formed work unions to make this

and the juvenile justice system. This then led to the right for women to vote. Jane became the first vice-president of the National American Women Suffrage Association in 1911. She died on May 21, 1935. Jane Addams was very determined and active when it came to social reform.

Addams toured in Europe in 1883 and was impressed by Toynbee Hall, which was a charity workers’ residence situated deep in a London slum. When Addams returned to Chicago in 1889, they purchased and refurnished Charles J. Hull’s mansion and opened the Hull House, in a settlement approach.

Susan was part of finding the Nation American Woman’s Suffrage Association in 1890 that had focused on a nation amendment that would secure women the vote (“Susan Brownell Anthony”). She was president until 1900 (“Susan Brownell Anthony”). She also wrote and published a book. “The History of Woman Suffrage” was complied and published by Susan B. Anthony, along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Matilda Joslyn Gage which consisted of four volumes (Susan Brownell Anthony). The last major thing Susan B. Anthony did was she founded the International Woman Suffrage Council in 1904 and the International Council of Women in 1888 which brought international attention to suffrage (“Susan Brownell Anthony”). Susan B. Anthony was an accomplishing woman who “Led the only non-violent revolution in out country’s history—the 72 year struggle to win women the right to vote” (qtd. in “Susan Brownell Anthony”).

Jane Addams was a strong champion of several other causes. Until 1920, American women could not vote. Addams joined in the movement for women's suffrage (women's right to vote). She was a vice president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Addams was also a founding member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

Jane Addams and her colleague, Ellen Gates Starr, founded the most successful settlement house in the United States otherwise known as the Hull-House (“Settlement” 1). It was located in a city overrun by poverty, filth and gangsters, and it could not have come at a better time (Lundblad 663). The main purpose of settlement houses was to ease the transition into the American culture and labor force, and The Hull-House offered its residents an opportunity to help the community, was a safe haven for the city, and led the way through social reform for women and children.

Jane Addams revolutionized many aspects in the Progressive Era from the movements of suffrage, child labor, welfare, settlement houses, and other aspects in social reform. Adams recognized the problem of child labor while she was over the Hull House. In Addams book Twenty Year at

an you imagine living in a run-down neighborhood, with streets full of garbage? How about having to watch little children play in the streets wearing dirty, ragged clothes? Jane Addams grew up in a place like this, and she wanted to make changes in the world, so she founded the Hull House. How did the Hull House have a positive impact on people and America? It helped create new laws, teach immigrants important skills, improved education, and inspired others to fight for what is right.

Americans were fed up and started to react to the problems; progressives wanted to end the power of the government and businesses. The movement mostly affected men and women of the middle class. Their goals were to protect social welfare, moral improvements, and economic reforms and promote growth. This era brought changes to the federal government by putting them accountable by passing laws, regulations on business, transportation, farmers, and workers. Woman played a role in the awareness for inequality, woman’s rights, child education, and woman’s suffrage.

Women played very important roles during the Progressive Era. They were instrumental in decreasing the workday to eight hours per day. Due to the Maternalist Reforms, which were Progressive Era reforms that sought to encourage women’s child-bearing and rearing abilities and to promote their economic independence was decided in the landmark case of Muller v. Oregon in which scientific and sociological studies were used to demonstrate that long hours of labor were dangerous for women. Women began to work outside the home. Women were instrumental in helping create a better and more civilized society by establishing Settlement Houses, and by fighting for social reform.

Susan B. Anthony devoted her life to the rights of women’s labor, receiving equal pay, and leading the women’s suffrage movement. She grew up in a home where politics was frequently discussed. Her family supported an end to slavery as part of the abolitionist movement. In her early years, she was a teacher and became involved in the temperance movement as well as the anti-slavery movement. Because she was a woman, she was not allowed to voice her opinion. This became a motivator for her to become a woman’s suffrage leader. A skilled, talented woman made a difference when she joined forces with Stanton. As mentioned earlier, Stanton and Anthony opposed the fourteenth and fifteen amendments for not liberating women. As Mayo states, “she published The Revolution, a radical paper, edited by Stanton (1868-1870), and lectured for over six years to pay off its debt.” (Rights for Women, para.3) She was arrested for voting in 1872. “She led a woman’s protest at the 1876 Centennial delivering a "Declaration of Rights" written by Stanton and Matilda Gage. She wrote and published, with Stanton and Gage the History of Woman Suffrage (1881-1885)” (Mayo para. 5). Although she was arrested and it seemed like nothing came easy, she never gave up. Anthony was a hard working woman that rallied many in hopes of advancing women’s rights. “She gathered signatures on suffrage petitions at the state and national levels, undertook arduous state tours to organize suffrage campaigns in the states

Jane Addams was a major influence during the Progressive Era. As a progressive reformer she had attempted to eliminate the corruption of the government while trying to promote women’s suffrage. Throughout her life Jane Addams had assisted immigrants from all over the world, regardless of their color, and established the Hull House as a result of her efforts. Throughout her life, Jane had been noticed for her achievements and became an important figure for those around her. As a result she became the first female president of the National Conference of Social Work.

During the Progressive Era, settlement houses were opened to provide social and educational services to the immigrants in need. These settlement houses also became meeting spots where reformers and intellectuals of all kinds could discuss various problems in society. The most well-known settlement house was created by Jane Addams and her good friend, Ellen Gates Starr. The Hull House, which was named after Mr. Hull, was located in Chicago's Nineteenth Ward. It housed immigrants with diverse nationalities such as Italians, Bohemians, Irish, English, Germans, Americans, Canadians, and Russians. As a result, the new immigrants coming in sought neighbors of their own language and beliefs.

Anthony and Stanton, as well as other leaders, worked endlessly lobbying congress and circulating petitions around the country to pass a consititutional amendment to give women the right to vote. (Reforming) The National American Women Suffrage Association (NAWSA) and the National Women’s Party (NWP) helped spread the work through campaigning, lobbying the President and even picketing the White House. (Reforming) In 1920, the 19th Amendment was passed giving women the right to vote as a US citizen. (Reforming)