Jane Addams Research Paper

1562 Words7 Pages

Jane Addams was a woman known for her involvement of societal change in cities where she lived, studied and worked. Jane Addams was prominently known for her work as a "social reformer, pacifist and feminist during the late 19th and early 20th centuries". She was also an author of numerous articles and books, such as a memoir she published Twenty Years at Hull-House where she tells of the poverty and abuses that existed during the Industrial Revolution in the United States going on at settlement houses. She wrote about the horrid living conditions people endured and were exposed to in these settlement houses. Jane Addams childhood experiences and what her father taught her as a child is what impacted her life in making a difference in those …show more content…

Many children who were underage were working more than 60 hours a week. This was a big issue for Addams and many others and they worked to change the child labor laws. They spoke at community gatherings and presented information they put together to support their argument. With Jane Addams dedication and motivation in 1893, the Factory Act, which limited the number of hours a child could work, was passed in Illinois. Addams also worked to change employment agencies that used dishonest and fraudulent practices, especially in dealing with vulnerable new immigrants who have recently arrived from Europe. In 1899 a state law was passed that monitored those agencies. Addams also became personally involved with another issue, uncollected garbage on the streets in her neighborhood. The ungarbage attracted rodents and pest that rapidly enlarged the spread of disease. She argued that with uncollected garbage the outcome would be the deaths of many and a rapid spread of diseases. In 1895 Addams became the newly-appointed garbage inspector for the 19th ward after protesting to City Hall. She took her job seriously, she rose at dawn climbing into her carriage to follow and monitor trash collectors. Thus, report showed that death rate was reduced in the 19th …show more content…

Jane Addams started gaining recognition as a public philosopher and a social when they were published in scholarly and period periodically. She was an influential stimulus for change, organizing her skills for various causes. Addams was a high in demand speaker who traveled nationally and internationally to make presentations that supported her enterprising values. Addams was one of few women in that time to successfully influence the public about societal issues. Addams became one of the most admired and recognized figures in the United States. She worked with "W.E.B DuBois in support of African American exertion, writing articles for his publication The Crisis". She also helped to found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. This was a civil rights organization that helped advance justice for African Americans. In addition to that, Addams also helped to start the American Civil Liberties Union and organized the Womens International League for Peace and Freedom, which was an organization to bring women of different political views and religious backgrounds together to make known the causes of war and work for peace. Jane Addams fought effortlessly for her values and what she believed what would help society to become

More about Jane Addams Research Paper