Jane Addams came from a prominent family in northern Illinois. Her father, John Addams, was president of a bank and stockholder in many agricultural businesses. John served as a state senator and helped found the Illinois Republican Party. He was friends with Abraham Lincoln. Jane’s memoir spoke fondly of her father during her childhood years. 

When Jane was two, her mother died. A few years later she contracted Pott’s Disease, tuberculosis of the spine. It left her with a limp and a curvature in her spine. The disease plagued her for life. Her father remarried. Her stepmother helped the poor in the community. Between that and inspiration from Charles Dickens’ works, Jane became interested in making a difference and doing something useful for the world. She wanted to become a doctor. 

Jane attended a female seminary in Rockford in pursuit of higher education. The summer after graduation, her father died. With her inheritance, she moved to Philadelphia with her sister, her sister’s husband and her stepmother to pursue a medical education. Sadly, after one year, she developed health problems, which prevented her from finishing her degree. The family returned to Illinois.

Instead of continuing with her studies, Jane was encouraged to travel. She would go on a two-year tour of Europe with her stepmother. It was during this time that she realized she did not have to be a doctor to help the poor. However, when she returned home, she sank into a depression because she had no direction. It was 1887. Well-to-do young women were expected to take their place in society, not work with the poor. 

Opening Hull House

Jane visited Toynbee Hall, the world’s first settlement house, in London. A settlement house was a new idea in the late 19th century where social service, community arts and education came together. It was a safe place where people from different cultures, classes and ideologies could learn from each other and find solutions to problems.

In 1889, Jane and a friend founded a settlement house in Chicago. It was called Hull House, named after the architect Charles Hull. The mansion had been built about 30 years earlier, but was in need of repairs and upgrading. Jane paid for everything the first year. Once the house was up and going, it was home to 25 women and was visited by about 2,000 people each week.

Hull House was not just a gathering center. It provided recreational, civic and educational activities. Supporters studied social issues affecting the community, from truancy to illness, midwifery to child labor laws. Using that information, Hull House worked to improve the neighborhood and became involved in campaigns for better housing, to improve labor laws and in public welfare.

The Legacy of Jane Addams

Jane Addams is often considered the mother of modern social work. She worked tirelessly to improve the conditions for children and women across America. Addams co-founded the ACLU in 1920. Eleven years later, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. It was the first time an American woman would be given that honor. 

Addams did not ever marry, not in the conventional sense. Letters to Mary Rozet Smith, a supporter of Jane’s work, indicate that the two women thought of themselves as a married couple. They were together 40 years, shared a home and wrote to each other daily. Jane’s relationship with Mary gave her emotional support to continue in work that had to be draining. 

In Chicago, there are many tributes to Addams. A tollway is named in her honor. She has a park, high school and professional school named after her. She is remembered on the Legacy Walk, an outdoor display in Chicago that celebrates LBGT history. Remember this amazing woman this month and what she did for women and children around the world.