The Progressive Era Of Chicago

“Drawing support from the urban, college-educated middle class, Progressive reformers sought to eliminate corruption in government, regulate business practices, address health hazards, and improve working conditions.” Each American had their own ways of incorporating the upper class train of thought and applying it to their tactics of forced change among industrial and political governments. Progressives eventually formed their own political party in order to advance their ideas. Women were also active within the Progressive Era. The Progressive Era was the time that women began to push forward for the right to vote, and also advocate for their families. “At the end of the nineteenth century, women were considered the ‘Moral Guardians’ and protectors of the home.” In a literal sense, Progressives wanted to turn America into a Middle-class heaven, where civility, health, education, and economic security flourished. Without the influence of the almighty Rockefeller, and the rest of the 2% upper class, America may not have transitioned into the Progressive Era as

One of America's most prominent social activists, Jane Addams dedicated her whole life to the poor and social reform. Born on September 6, 1860 in Cedarville, Illinois, Jane grew up to become one of the most notable college-educated women of her time. Utilizing her education, Addams developed her own political and social beliefs and applied them to society during the Progressive Era, leading to many reforms that have shaped our world today.

During the Progressive Era, which was known as a large reform movement, there was a widespread across the United States of political reform and social activism. The main focus and goal of the Progressives and their movement was lowering government involvement and eliminating corruption in the government. Progressives reacted to problems caused by large factories and cities. Furthermore, they attacked big corporations, such as the Armour meat-packing company and others, for how harsh their practices were. The progressives exposed these companies and how they treated workers, removed competitors, and set high prices. The meatpacking industry capitalized when the growth of livestock farming in the Midwest started to grow rapidly. Meatpacking companies and industries, such as the Armour meat-packing company, handle the slaughtering, processing, and distribution of animals including cattle and pigs. Although the meatpacking industry created a lot of jobs, working in a meatpacking company was not luxurious because the factories were unsanitary, unregulated, and tremendously dangerous.

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.

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.

Urbanization in the progressive era was a huge factor, with millions of immigrants flocking to America for jobs. African americans flooded north also in search of jobs. Cities exploded outward and upward, condensing people into building and houses. This, given the time was highly unsanitary, with waste and filth in the streets, disease spread rapidly. Pollution caused poor living conditions often crowded and unsafe. Often there was little clean water or paved roads for transportation. Many people in the city's began to push for urban reformers. A Progressive reformer named Jane Addams stepped up and opened one of the first settlement houses in Chicago with Ellen Gates Starr, which greatly helped out local immigrants by producing education and even social services. Many reformers supported laws that would improve living conditions in the center city and fought to get rid of political corruption, which had been widely spreading.

Jane Addams particular role in the movement showed how it wasn’t just the unhappy elite or middle class who wanted change but also the women, immigrants, blacks, and the poor. With the writing of her book Twenty Years at Hull-House Addams wanted to share the beliefs and ideals that she had always nurtured and tried to accomplish. This was her belief in bringing all members of society into the scope of democracy and to reach a compromise that protected the rights of the individual while fulfilling the need of the nation as a whole. Progressives as a whole usually drew from either the Social

In the 1890s, American women emerged as a major force for social reform. Millions joined civic organizations and extended their roles from domestic duties to concerns about their communities and environments. These years, between 1890 and 1920, were a time of many social changes that later became known as the Progressive Era. In this time era, millions of Americans organized associations to come up with solutions to the many problems that society was facing, and many of these problems were staring American women right in the face.

1. Thesis Statement: A Hull House, one of the first social settlements in the history of the USA. It is popular for many reasons such as founded by one of the first and popular American Social Reformers Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr, Social service agency, fought for women freedom and peace throughout the world. 2. In my paper, I am going to explain struggle and successful work of American Social Reformers Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr after the settlement of Hull House 1990.

In having a great amount of influence from English reformers who intentionally lived in lower-class ghettos, Addams and a friend, Ellen Starr, moved into an old mansion in an immigrant neighborhood of Chicago in 1889. An advocate for immigrants, the poor, women, peace, and she co-founded the first settlement house in the United States. The settlement, called the Hull House, became a paramount part of a philanthropic, and political experiment towards work among the poor.

During the historical period commonly regarded as the Progressive Era in the 1900s, began with the First World War in which women joined the political field in extraordinary amounts. Women were incorporated in leading positions in an array of social reform endeavors, comprising of suffrage, equality, child welfare, and nonviolence (Haman, 2009). Women in the ear started to establish conferences; spoke at gatherings, petitioned government representatives, led marches and protests. Women were also involved in a multiple policies that, for the first time in U.S. history, provided them with a visible presence on the political arena (Haman, 2009). The lines that divided women’s household and public existence became distorted as women joined the

Jessica, I would like to first say that you did a excellent job on your discussion forum. In your forum, you gave great details about the Hull House Movement and how Jane Adams was a contributor to history. Jane Adams built a foundation for Americans so that poverty would be reduced, and individuals were treated fairly. Gross (2009), described the Hull House that begin as an experimental social work. The Hull-House gave a solution to the nation’s urban population problem, because it was designed for immigrant’s rights, labor reform, juvenile justice, public housing, and health care (Harris, 2011). On September 2010, the house was renovated in honor of the 150th anniversary of Jane Adams’ birth (Harris, 2011). Community development bridged the

Do you think social issues still occur in your world today? Just by walking through the neighborhood, issues are able to be seen. Some examples would be family issues, gender inequalities, and economic disparity. While seeing social injustice through three different books, access to housing was very intriguing. Living conditions can vary based on your race. After realizing this, a question came to mind: is my local area segregated like the rest of the world?

Jane Addams was known as the “mother” of social work. Feminist and activist are two words that can best describe her. She was an advocate for education and better living conditions for those who did not have the means to do it themselves. Addams and Ellen G Starr opened a settlement house in Chicago, which is formally known as the Hull House. Having health problems never stopped Jane from dedicating her life to the Hull House, as well as other well-known contributions to the social work field. Several reforms were introduced during her time as a social worker. She has served on several platforms such as chairman on a school committee, president of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and author. Jane has several

Jane Addams (1869-1935) is best known as a pioneering social activist and social worker, but she was also a critical intellectual and a committed internationalist. She developed an educational philosophy called Socialized education. The idea of the settlement house was presented and developed by her to the United States (the founding of Hall House with Ellen Starr in 1889). She campaigned to improve social conditions and led investigations in different areas of social and health welfare. Jane Adams saw education as the basis of democracy. She also argued for women's right to vote, to choose their own careers, and to peacefully resolve international disputes. Its peaceful leadership opposed to the entry of the United States into the First World War. After the end of conflicts, she was active in organizing relief supplies. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded in 1931, Jane Adams died in 1935. (Social Education, n.d)