Ada And Minnda Everleigh Analysis

Ada and Minnda Everleigh, and the Everleigh Club Concern for women grew in the 1900’s as they went out in search for work in the big city of Chicago, Illinois. Many jobs were not available to them, but there was a particular industry growing that was an easy target for these women: prostitution. Jane Addams writes, “Never before in civilization have such numbers of young girls been suddenly released from the protection of the home and permitted to walk unattended upon the city streets and to work under alien roofs” (….). A PBS article, Minna (1878-1948), Ada Lester (1876-1960), and the Everleigh Club gives a close examination of a popular Chicago brothel ran by two sisters known as the Everleigh club, which was the place to be during the

Police and politicians were paid off and turned their heads to any illegal activity that happened, mainly in the Levee district. The Levee district has a huge impact on Chicago history due to the time period it was in. Many acts of crime or “vice” were popping up all over the city of Chicago; these vices were very profitable. “The income and employment generated by these businesses, and by organized crime’s involvement in other enterprises, was especially important in times of economic hardship” (….). Chicago was known for its dirty businesses and prostitution was one of them. In terms of prostitution being a crime in Chicago, many young women were raped, drugged and then sold for low amounts to brothels. These women were looked down on and treated very poorly at these brothels, unlike the Everleigh Butterflies. In 1911, Mayor Fred A. Busse wanted to put an end to prostitution and acted on the most extensive reform effort to stop it. “The 1911 Vice Commission Report focused on prostitution and the regulation of the sale of alcohol” (…). The Everleigh club was shutdown in 1911 along with the Levee district closing in 1912, but this only stopped prostitution from being in the

It was a respectable club that helped put Chicago on the map and unlike many other brothels took care of their workers. Because of the respect the Everleigh sisters were able to create a name for them and became, in my opinion, one of the most successful businesswomen during this time frame. Prostitution has never been a good thing and will never be but the Everleigh sister’s did take it to a new level and made sure their Everleigh Butterflies got the respect they deserved. The 1900’s were a time of hustle and crime and through this media article anyone can see the hustle both Ada and Minnda put in to become successful in Chicago’s Levee