1

GabrielaPacheco

Polls1100

Mr.Broschinsky

5/7/16

ThelifeofJaneAddams
Itseemsasthoughthroughoutourhistorymanygreatwomenseemedtobe
overlooked.Manytimeswhenwearetaughtaboutthesewomenwesimplyglanceat
oneaccomplishmentandmoveon,butJaneaddamsisnotawomenwhoshouldbe
overlooked.Thisparticularwomanbesidesjustbeinganobelpeaceprizewinnerwas
alsoverymuchambitious,lovingandalwaysgiving.Janehasleftbehindmany
accomplishmentsandisagreatrolemodelforallwoman.

Janeaddamswasbornseptember6th1860,inChicagoIllinoisraisedbyafamily
ofhighsocialstatus.Herfatherwasapoliticalleaderwhoserved16yearsasastate
senatorandfoughtinthecivilwar.Asforhermotherwellshedidnotgetthechanceto
knowherforshediedwhenJanewasonlytwoyearsold.Shewastheeighthchildout
oftheninethathermotherhad.Sadlythoughonlyjanehersisterandtwoofher
brotherssurvivedtoreachadulthood.AsachildJanewasfrequentlyillshewas
diagnosedwithcongenitalspinaldefect.Growingupshehadtodealwithslight
scoliosis,pigeontoesandherheadalwayshadtobetiltedduetothefactshecouldn't

putitstraightbecauseofherback.Regardlessofthesebarriersorbecauseofthese
barriersJanewaspointedtoalifeofservice.

In1881JanegraduatedfromRockfordFemaleseminaryasthevaledictorianof
herclass.Shewaslatergrantedabachelor'sdegreeoncethecollegehadbecome
accreditedsimplyayearaftershehadgraduated.Aftergraduatingshebegantostudy
medicinebutunfortunatelyhadtostopduetopoorhealth.Thisdidnotstopherthough
shewentontostudyabroadinEuropefor21months.Onhersecondtourbackto
Europeshevisitedasettlementhomethiswasabigmomentinherlifeforthisfinalized
herideaforopeningoneofthesehomesbackintheU.S.inanunprivilegedarea.
Finallyin1889withherfriendMissStarwhoalsowentwithJaneonhersecondtripto
EuropeleasedalargehomebuiltbyCharlesHullatthecornerofHalstedandPolk
Streets.Thishouseislatercalledthehullhouse.ThetwoladiesmissJaneandmiss
Starmovedintothehullhouseinordertoformaplacewheretheycouldtakeinand
educatechildrenandontopofallthistheyalsowantedtoinvestigateandimprove
conditionsintheindustrialdistrictsofChicago.

JanedidmanyspeecheswiththehelpofMissStartheytalkedabouttheneeds
oftheneighborhood.Janewasverymotivatedandpersuasivesheconvincedmany
youngwomenofwellofffamiliestojoinandhelp.Theyraisedmoney,tookcareof
children,nursedthesick,andevenlistenedtooutpouringsfromtroubledpeople.Injust
twoyearsHullhousehostedupto2,000peopleeveryweek!Manyofthepeoplethat
shehelpedinHullhousewereoftenimmigrants,AfricanAmericansandpoorincome

families.Hullhousehostedmanyactivitiesandgooddeeds.Somethingsthatyou
wouldseeifyouwenttothefullhousewaskindergartenclassesbeingheldinthe
mornings,clubmeetingsforolderchildrenintheafternoonandalsointheeveningfor
adultsyoucouldattendsomethingthatwaslikeanightschool.Janedidn'tturnanyone
awayandshedidn'tonlyfocusherattentiontoonespecificagegroupsheopenedher
armstoeveryone.Manyfacilitieswereaddedontofullhouseasitgotmoreattention
thingssuchasanartgallery,apublickitchen,agymnasium,aswimmingpool,a
cooperativeboardingschoolandmanymoreclubs!

MissAdamsgrewverypopularandwasappointedtohigherfieldsofcivic
engagement.ShewasappointedtotheChicago'sBoardofeducationin1905andin
1908sheparticipatedinthefoundingofthechicagoschoolofcivicsandphilanthropy.
Hergrowthdoesn'tstoptherethoughinjustthefollowingyearshebecamethefirst
womanpresidentoftheNationalconferenceofcharitiesandcorrections.Byallthis
Janeatthispointinherlifewas52yearsoldbutstillfilledwithsomuchyouthandafter
alltheseyearsandallhersuccessesshestillfelttheneedtodomore.Shealsogave
backtothecommunitywhereshegrewupbydoingherowninvestigationson
midwifery,narcotics,milksuppliesandsanitaryconditions.

Westandtodayunitedinabeliefinbeauty,genius,andcourageandthatthese
canchangetheworld.JaneAddamshelpedsomanypeoplebutIreallyfeelasthough
shehelpedwomenthemost.Manywomenlookeduptohershespokedeeplyabout
howshewantedwomentomaketheirvoicesheard.Shebelievedthatwomenneeded

tobeheardbylegislationandwantedwomentobeabletovote.Overallshewanted
womentowanttobecomemorethanjusthousewivesshewantedtoshowthemthat
theyhadthepowertogeneratetheirownthoughtsandhaveaspirations.Shecansay
thesethingsofcoursebecausewellshehasdoneallthesethings.

Since1906Janehelpedsoughtoutanyopportunityshecouldtogetridofwar.
Shetaughtclassesattheuniversityofwisconsinpublishedbooksonherideasofwhat
peaceshouldlooklikeandspokeatceremonies.In1915shewasnamedfirst
chairwomanoftheWoman'sPeacePartyandservedforthemupuntil1929.Janewas
awardedtheNobelPeacePrizein1931afewyearslatershepastawayfromcancer.

JaneAddamscontributionstosocietychangedpeoplesviewsofequalityandhad
greatimpactonmanypeople'slives.Shecreatedafoundationforsocialworkin
Americagivingmanyopportunitiestofamiliesoflowincomeaswellasindividuals.
Throughherworkandtheworkofotherssocietyhasbeenchangedforthebetter.
ThroughoutJane'slifedespiteherillnessesandpainshegavesomuch.Shewasa
naturalbornleaderandoverallawonderfulwomansheisknowntomanypeopleas
saintJaneandshehasdefinitelyearnedhertitle.

Workcited
"JaneAddamsBiographical".
Nobelprize.org.
NobelMediaAB2014.Web.8
May2016.
<
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1931/addamsbio.html
>

"JaneAddamsFacts".
Nobelprize.org.
NobelMediaAB2014.Web.8May
2016.
<
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1931/addamsfacts.htm
l
>

PeaceandBreadinTimeofWar.NewYork:MacMillan,1922.

<
http://www.boondocksnet.com/editions/peace/index.html
>

ThemakingofJane
.Teachspace.org.

<
http://www.teachspace.org/personal/research/addams/making_childhood.html
>