Jane Addams
A free history lesson
When talking about underrated figures who changed the world, one person that isn’t much talked about is Jane Addams. Today, I’m going to shine some light on her work and tell you why it’s very important we have people like her in today’s society. My hope is that you will further appreciate people like Jane Addams and their everlasting impact on the world. Without further ado, let’s dive deeper into Jane Addams and how she changed the city of Chicago.
Jane Addams was born on September 6, 1860, in Cedarville, Illinois. Her father was a miller and a state senator. Her mom died when she was very young, which meant for the most of her life, she only had her father to support her. After graduating as valedictorian at Rockford Female Seminary, Jane wondered what to do next. At the time, women had very limited opportunities. So it was hard for Jane to find work. Then, in 1889, Jane co-founded Hull House in Chicago. It was a settlement home where people in need could go to settle until they had enough needs to live by themselves. This was one of the first settlement homes in the area. Not only did the settlement home help the people in need of financial aid, it also helped immigrants who had recently immigrated to the US. This was important for the immigrants. Jane taught them the way of living in the US. She taught them how to speak English, which was especially important for them to get around. Jane provided education, health care, childcare, and art classes for people passionate about art to go to. And the special thing is that all of it was free. Jane put lots of dedication into her settlement home. She even lived in poor areas so she could understand the struggles of being less fortunate. This really made people respect and appreciate her and her work.
But then, in 1929, a crisis hit that made the Hull House the busiest it’s ever been, and it wasn’t for a good reason at all. In 1929, the economy crashed severely. This created what’s now known as the Great Depression. This tragic event lost the jobs of many people. Many people became in need of financial aid. Families lost jobs, money, and hope. Many people went to the Hull House, which was now a massive thirteen-building complex (which included amenities like gyms and playgrounds) was being crowded by many families, relying on Jane to provide them with their needs. Like always, Jane gave them all their needs with no hesitation. The Great Depression was a very difficult time for families. Those families who were affected and went to the Hull House greatly appreciated that Jane Addams cared enough to provide them with basic needs. Unfortunately, in 1935, Jane Addams passed away due to cancer. This, however, didn’t mean the Hull House was shut down. To this day, it’s still running and helping many people.
In conclusion, we need more people like Jane Addams. People who care about helping people, to the extent that it’s their job. Without Jane’s work, Chicago wouldn’t be the same. People wouldn’t be influenced to build their own settlement homes to help the less fortunate. Imagine a world like that? If we have more people like her, we could have a better society as a whole. And although it’s impossible to give every person on this planet a safe home, we can still try to give it to as many people as we can. Maybe you could be the next Jane Addams for your city. Thank you guys so much for reading. Bye!