Jane Addams and American urban reform

Re is a de Es udios No eame ic a110 s, n.9 4 ( 1996), pp. 29 - 33 JANE ADDAMS AND AMERICAN URBAN REFORM ALLEN F. D AV IS Temple Uni e si y Jane Addams was he mos amous o a g oup o idealis ic Ame icans who ied o humanize he indus ial ci y a he um o he cen u y. In luenced by John Ruskin and o he Eu opean w i e s, as well as by hei own expe ience, hey mo ed in o wo king- class neighbo hoods, and om hei ou pos s in he slums hey ied o ans o n he u ban landscape. They ough agains child labo and ied o imp o e housing. The pionnee ed in es ablishing kinde ga ens and hey we e leade s in p og essi e educa ion. They ied o ease he p ocess o Ame icaniza ion among hei la gely o eigh-bo n neighbo s. The wo ked o imp o e ci y go e nmen , o build pa ks and playg ounds, and o b ing a sense o communi y o he ci y. Thei ul ima e goal was o elimina e po e y and o p omo e equal oppo uni y. Some imes hey we e nai e, o en hey be ayed hei uppe -middle class backg ound. Thei c usades we e a bes only pa ly success ul. Ye one hund ed yea s la e as we seem o be en eloped in ano he age o g eed, ano he ime o u ban c isis, Jane Addams and he co-wo ke s, and hei e o s o change he u ban en i onmen , and o p omo e a be e li e o ali, seem wo h ecalling. Jane Addams was bom in Ceda ille, a small illage in no h em Illinois, no a om he Wiscons in bo de . He a he was a weal hy and in luencia! businessman, mille , a ne and poli ician. Despi e a a he complex amily and a s ep-mo he wi h whom she did no ge along, Jane Addams hada no mal, ac i e, u al childhood. Like a g ea many o he s o he gene a ion she le he small own o mo e o he ci y, bu she had a wa m a ec ion o he home own, a eal sense o place, and she e umed equen ly e en a e she became amous. Memo ies o he u al childhhod, and he sense o communi y in he small own because a e e ence poin o e alua ing and unde s anding he massi e changes and he g ow h o indus ial ci ies ha ook place du ing he li e ime. Jane Adda ns was one o he i s gene a ion o college women. A ew young 30 A/len F. Da i s women had a ended Moun Holyoke, Obe lin, o one o a small hand ul o o he colleges be o e he ci il Wa , bu hey usually ecei ed he equi alen o a high school a he han a college educa ion. I was no un il he ounding o Vassa in 1861, Smi h in 1872, Wellesley in 1875, B yn Maw in 1886, and he g adual mo emen owa d limi ed co- educa ion a Comell, Ha a d anda numbe o s a e uni e si ies in he mid-Wes , ha college educa ion o women in he Uni ed S a es became a eali y. JaneAddams wan ed o a end Smi h College, in pa because i had he same high s anda ds o admission ha he bes men 's colleges main ained. Bu , he a he insis ed ha she s ay close o home, so in 1877 she en olled a he Rock o d Female Semina y (la e Rock o d College), which did no e en ha e collegia e s a us when Jane Addams en e ed. She planned o ans e , bu she s ayed on o g adua e in l 881. To be a college woman, whe he a Vassa o Ro ck o d, ook so ne cou age in 1877. J us ou yea s ea lie D . Edwa d H. Cla ke, a p o esso a Ha a d Medica! School, had w i en a li le book, Sex in Educa ion, in which he a gued ha highe educa ion o women would in e e e wi h he ep oduc i e sys em and lead o ne ous p os a ion anda gene al decline o heal h. Bu , Jane Addams was de e mined o become a college woman, and he college yea s we e c ucial o he la e ca ee . Bu , wha did a woman college g adua e do in 1881? The e we e e y ew ields open o wo nen o he han eaching, a ca ee she ejec ed. She ied medica) school, bu d opped ou a e a ew mon hs. She a eled in Eu ope. She ca ed o he sis e 's child en. She had bou s o illness and nea ne ous collapse. I ook he eigh yea s o lounde ing be o e s he ound some hing use ul o do wi h he lil e. She disco e ed he calling on he seco nd Eu opean ip in 1888. In he au obiog aphy, Twen y Yea s a Hull-House, she a gues ha i was a a bull igh in Mad id ha she inally ealized he olly o s udy and a el and decided o do some hing c ea i e and eal wi h he li e. He le e , howe e , indica es ha i was mo e likely in London ha she made he decision. She was a eling wi h he college iend, Ellen S a , when s he isi ed Toynbee Hall , he pionee uni e si y se le nen in he Eas End o London. Yea s la e , Jane Addams in w i ing abou he in luences behind he se le men mo emen always di ided hem in o he «Subjec i e neccesi y» and h e «objec i e need». By «subjec i e)) s he mean he need o highly educa ed young people like he se l o ind some hing meaningul o do in a wo ld ha was as becoming di ided be we en hose who wo ked wi h hei hands and hose who wo ked wi h hei ninds. College- educa ed women el especially cu o and i so la ed om he eal wo ld o he ci ies. The objec i e need o se lemen s was ob ius o anyone who obse ed he slums o he g ea ci ies whe e millions we e c owded in o poo housing, whe e disease and dea h haun ed he Ji es o adul s and child en alike. Du ing he s umme o 18 89 Jane Addams and Ellen S a amped a ound Chicago ying o ind a place o launch hei shemc. They inally se led on a dilapida ed mansion o ne ly owned by Cha les J. Hull ( hus he o igin o he name Hull-House). The house was one o he ew in he a ea o su i e he i e o 1871, hen Jane and Ellen disco e ed Jane Addams and Ame ican U ban Re o m 31 i , he e was a sa loon, an o ice, and a s o age loo , wi h an unde ake and ano he saloon nex doo . In he beginning, hey en ed only a po ian o he house. Bu , when hey mo ed in on Sep embe 18, 1889, along wi h a housekeepe , whom hey hi ed, hey hough o i as a home no an ins i u ion. Jane Addams and Ellen S a had ew de ini e plans whe n hey mo ed in o Hull- House. They umished he house, unpack ed he pic u es hey had pu chased in Eu ope, in i ed hei neighbo s in, and began doing wha hey knew bes - eaching, Jec u ing, and explaining hei a objec s. They o ganized a eadings g oup o discuss Geo ge Elio 's Romo /a and hey se upan a exhibi . One o hei p og ams a Hull-House was eso e ic, oman ic, e en pa onizing. Bu , he ounde s we e lexible and willing o change. They disco e ed a need o child ca e so hey s a ed a kinde ga en. They began classes in English, and o ganized clubs and social e enings o he mo he s in he neighbo hood. They in i ed labo unions o mee a he se lemen , o ganized coope a i e esidence o wo king women, and in 1893 hey s a ed a music school. Hull-Hou se was no he i s social se lemen in he Uni ed S a es, he e we e a leas wo o he s ha we e ounded ea lie , bu Hull-House quickly became he mos amous. The ame and in luence o Hull-House was di ec ly ela ed o he alen ed people a ac ed o he se lemen . Th e Hull-House g oup shi ed and changed o e he yea s and he physical plan expanded, e en ually g owing o hi een buildings ha occupied mo e han a ci y block. The e we e menas well as women. Edwa d Bu cha d, a young college g adua e who la e became he Sec e a y o he Na ional Communi y Cen e Associa ion, was he i s mal e esiden ; he e was also Geo ge Ho oke , Di ec o o he Chicago Ci y Club and an expe on ci y planning, F ancis Hacke , a w i e and edi o , Ge a d Swope, la e he p esiden o Gene al Elec ic, and many o he including Cha les Bea d, he his o ian, and William Lyon Mackenzie King, h e u u e p ime minis e o Canada. O he s close ly associa ed wi h Hull-House as isi o s, suppo e s, and ad ise s we e Richa d T. Ely, he economis , John Dewey, he philosophe and edu ca ional e o ne , and Hen y Dema es Lloyd, he mu ck aking jo umalis . Ye , o ali he imp essi ed m en i was he ema kable g oup o women who made Hull-House amous and in luencial. Among he mos impo an! in he ea ly yea s we e Julia La h op and Flo ence Kelle y. La h o p ca ne om much he sa me backg ound as Jane Addams. He a he was a s uc cess ul lawye and poli ician in Rock o d, Illinois; he mo he , a membe o he i s g adua ing cla ss a Rock o d Semina y, was an ea ly ad oca e o woman su age. She wen o Rock o d, as did Jane Addams, bu hen she ans e ed o Va ssa . Bu a e college she mo ed home and wo ked o he a he in his law o ice. She sa w Jane Addam s' appeal as a way o li e up o he college ideal s. She mo ed o he se lemen in 1890 and quickly became one o i s mo s impo an e esiden s. She was a alen ed execu i e who was appoin ed a membe o he Illinois Boa d o Cha i ies in 1893. She helped o o ganize he i s Ju enile Cou and he Immig an P o ec i e League. In 191 2 she was appoin ed he i s head o he Child en 's Bu eau in Washing on. 32 A/len F. Da is Flo ence Kelley, be a e she ca ne o Hull-House, had expe iences qui e di e en om Jane Addams, Ellen S a , and Julia La h op. The daugh e o a cong essman and judge, she g ew up in an uppe -class amily in Philadelphia. A e g adua ing om Comell, she applied a g adua e wo k a he Uni e si y o Pennsyl ania, bu hey e je c ed he applica ion because she was a woma n. No o be denied she e n o ll ed a he Un i e si y o Zu ich, one o he ew Eu opean uni e si ies ha ook women a g adu e s udy in he social sciences. In Swi ze land she disco e ed sociali sm and ma ied a Ru ssian physician. She ansla ed on e o F ied ich En ge Is books in o English. A e she e u med o New Yo k, he ma iage collapse d. In 1891 she mo ed wi h he h ee child en o Illinois, in pa because he di o ce laws we e mo e lenien han in New Yo k. She wa s a la ge woman, ene ge ic and de e mined. She was a impo an addi ion o he Hull - House g oup. The e we e o he women as well. Ma y Kenney O 'S ulli an and Alzina S e ens had expe ience in he labo mo emen . Alice Hamil on was ained as a physician and became a pionee in indus ial medicine and he üs women p o esso a Ha a d Medica! School. G a ce and Edi h Abbo ca ne om Io wa o Hu ll-House. Edi h along wi h ano he Hull-Hou se e si den , Sphonisba B eckin idge, beca me pionee s in he new ield o so- cial wo k a he Un i e si y o Chicago, while G ace became di ec o o he Immig an P o ec i e League b e a e eplacing La h op as head o he Child en's Bu eau. Hull- House became a aining g ound o he i s gene a ion o p o essional women who mo ed on o he uni e si ies, go emmen and municipal agencies, whe e hey beca me w i e s, esea che s and execu i es, as well as e o me s de e mined o imp o e li e in he ci ies and o so l e he wo se p oblems c ea ed by indus ialism. Bu , Hull-H ouse was mo e han a aining g ound; i was a s imula ing place o li e, and a place o an al ema i e li es yle o a la ge numbe o single women ( anda ew men). Mos es i de n s had h ei own ooms and a ce ain amoun o p i acy away om he u moil o he se lemen ac i i i es . They also a e in he commo n dining oom, o Hull-House was se ed by c oo ks and maids. I was a ound he dining oom able (o e which Jane Addams p esided) ha he esiden s could alk o e p oblems, plan e o nn campaigs, and deba e social heo ies wi h he dis inguis hed gues s who o en d opped in, no o he quali y o he ood, bu a he o he qu ali y o he con e sa ion. Hen y D ema es Lloyd once ca ll ed Hull-House, «The bes Club in Ch icago». Cha lo e Pe kins Gilman, who la e became amous o « Th e Yellow Wallpape », and Women and Economics, was so s imula ed by he common dinning oom ha she la e sugges ed an ideal apa men hou se whe e he indi idual uni s would ha e no ki chens so women cou ld be eed o he d udge y o p epa ing meals. Hull- Hou se was an exci ing place o li e, bu jus ou side h e doo we e all h e p oblems, he di , disease, and despai ha made he ci y a e ible place o li e o h ose ap ped in he slu ns. No hing dis u bed he se lemen wo ke s mo e han h e sig h o li le child en, unde sized and unde ed, o ced o wo k long hou s in ac o ies. Th e i s Ch is mas, he Hull-House esiden s we e sho ck ed a nd su p ised when he y Jane Addams and Ame ican U ban Re o m 33 ied o gi e candy o so ne o he neighbo hood child en only o ha e hem ejec i . Then hey disco e ed ha hese pa icula child en wo ked en hou s a day, six days a week in a candy ac o y. The couldn' s and he sigh o candy. The Hull-House campaign agains child labo began in o mally wi h a lec u e, an a icle o a discussionn poin ing ou so ne o he ho o s o li le child en being exploi ed by indus y. The campaign om he i s was led by Flo ence Kelley, who knew some hing abou child labo be o e mo ing o Hull-House. She began o collec s a is ics and s o ies in he Hull-House neighbo hood. The in es iga ion became o icial when Go e no John P. Al geld appoin ed Kelley as a special in es iga o o he Illinois S a e Bu eau o Labo , assigned o s udy child labo in he swea shops o Chicago. Fo he se lemen wo ke s, howe e , in es iga ion was me ely he p elude o e o m. A e p esen ing hei s a is ics o he Illinois legisla u e, hey con e ed wi h a commi ee sen o Chicago o check on condi ions, helped d a a bill o be in oduced in Sp ing ield, he s a e capi al and hen lobbied o i s passage. Thei s a is ics and ene gy played a majo ole in he passage o he Illinois Fac o y Ac o 1893, which p o ided o ac o y inspec ion and p ohibi ed he employmen o child en unde ou een a nigh , o o longe han eigh hou s du ing he day. Two yea s la e he Illinois Sup eme Cou s uck down he law as uncons i u ional. The se lemen wo ke s leamed he ha d way ha hey had o igh he same ba le o e and o e again. E en ually hey mo ed beyond he s a e o he na ional le e! and Flo ence Kelley, who became he di ec o o he Na ional Consume s' League in 1899, con inued he igh o an amendmen o he cons i u ion. The amendmen ne e passed, o abolishing child labo di ec ly con on ed so ne o he mos powe ul indus ies in he coun y. The igh agains child labo was no en i ely los o e en ually many o he s a is ics and he ca e ully d awn maps o he Hull-House neighbo hood showing occupa ion, e nici y, and age we e published in Hull-House Maps and Pape s ( 1895), a pionee s udy ha s imula ed o he ca e ul u ban s udies and led e en ually o he de elopmen o u ban sociology and a change in he laws. The Hull-House c usade agains child labo also led o many o he e o m mo emen s: a emp s in imp o e housing, o p ome e be e educa ion, he build pa ks and playg ounds, e en o p ome e a sense o communi y and neighbo hood in he ci y. A la ge amoun o he Hull-House e o m e o was di ec ed a he immig an s - he I alians, G eek, I ish, Ge mans and Eas Eu opean Jews who li e nea he se lemen . Bu , he Hull-House e o ms we e ne e only local. The se lemen wo ke s belie ed ha wha hey Jeamed in hei neighbo hood could apply o he na ion. They o ganized he Immig an P o ec i e League. They ied o ease he p ocess o Ame icaniza ion. Jane Addams especially ied o p ome e he p ese a ion o he old e hnic ways, and o ease he con lic be ween gene a ions. The se lemen wo ke s ied qui e consciously o p ome e hei own middle-class alues. Fo example, hey ied o each he ecen immig an s how o li e in unclu e ed ooms, and o sepa a e he unc ions o li ing in o clea ly de ined spaces. Bu many o he ecen immig an s we e much mo e 34 A/len F. Da is com o able mixing sleeping, ea ing, and wo king in he same space. To li e nea and o de ed li es in o e c owded enemen s was o en impossible in any case. Some imes he se lemen wo ke s in hei eagnemess o wipe ou child labo did no a pp ecia e how much immig an amilies depended on he wages o he young. And, in hei app ecia ion o how de as a ing alcoholism could be, hey ailed o unde s and he ole ha bee and wine played in he social li e o immig an cul u es. The Hull-House e o me s had less p ejudice and g ea e unde s anding o o he e hnic g oups han mos o hei gene a ion, bu hey did no escape he acism o hei ime. Hull-House was seg ega ed. A ican-Ame icans we e no welcome. The excuse was ha i blacks ca ne o he se lemen , hey would d i e ou he o he g oups. The e we e ew blacks in he neighbo hood in he e a be o e Wo ld Wa I, and Jane Addams did help o ound a se lemen in a p edominan ly black a ea. She also was one o he ounde s o he N.A.A.C.P. anda leade in he igh o ci il igh s o all. S ill om he an age poin o 1996 i seems odd ha an ins i u ion ha p omo ed democ ay wo uld es ic hei e o s o whi es only, bu he en i e p og essi e no emen , w hich he Hull-House e onne s we e an impo an pa , s ood o p og ess o whi es only. JaneAddams wo ked ha d o p omo e woman su age and women's igh s. Bu she also a gued ha women had ce ain adi ional oles, as ho nemake s, b eadgi e s, and mo he s. She seems ou o s ep wi h mode o eminism, bu unlike so ne o he o he ad oca es o woman su age who belie ed ha immig an and poo women should no be gi en he o e, Jane Addams a gued ha hese women, mo e han he uppe class, had he in elligence and he expe ience o use hei o e wisely. She a gued o wha she called «municipal housekeeping». In a u al socie y a wi e and mo he could p o ide pu e ood and milk o he amily by being a good housekeepe , bu in a u ban age a women needed o ge in o poli ics o make su e ha he municipal wa e sys em, he ash collec ion, he ma ke inspec ions wo ked well enough o p e en disease om sp eading o he amily. By he same oken Jane Addams a gued ha i was necessa y o pass s a e and ede al laws, o p omo e e o m on a na ional. e en on an in e na ional le e! in o de o p omo e sa e neighbo hoods. One can a gue, as se e al his o ians ha e, ha Jane Addams and he co-wo ke s we e sen imen al and imp ac ical, ha hey we e mo e in e es ed in social con ol ha n in social e onn. I is qui e possible o su ey he his o y o he pas 100 yea s and o conclude ha Hull-House and he en i e P og essi e-New Deal Socie y e o o sol e he p oblems o u ban Ame ica ha e ailed. Chicago and o he Ame ican ci ies s ill su e om a high a e o c ime, poo housing, inadequa e schools, and ec ea ional a cili ies, as well as acial and e hnic ensions ha ia e in o iolence and gang wa a e. Ins i u ions Iike Hull-Hous e, he go emmen , and o he social agencies all seem o ha e ailed o sol e he p oble ms o he uly disad an aged in Ame ica. l he s o y o Hull-House o e mo e han a hund ed yea s is he s o y o ailu e, i is also he s o y o success. Man y o he poo did ind encou agemen a he se lemen and we e able o mo e ou o he slums, and many o he p og ams ini ia ed a Hull- Jane Addams and Ame ican U ban Re o m 35 House helped o imp o e wo king and li ing condi ions in Chicago and in Ame ica. Th e ul ima e wo h o he se lemen and i s a emp s o <leal wi h he o e whelming p oblems o he indus ial ci y canno be mea su ed in one neighbo hood o ci y, o he Huul-House. In a new age o g eed he successes seem mo e impo an han he ailu es. On he occasion o Jan eA ddams' dea h in 19 35, WilliamA!len Whi e, h e edi o o The Empo ia Gaze e, w o e: «She, mo e han any o he con empo a y Ame i ca n, ep esen ed h ough he leade ship wha migh be called he al uis ic elemen in a ci i li za ion ha is on he whole oo acquisi i e». WORKSCITED This essay is based la ge ly on he ollowing sou ces: AL LEN F. DAVIS. Spea heads o Re o m: The Social Se lemen s and he P og essi e Mo emen 1890-1914, Second edi ion wi h new in oduc ion (New B unswick; Ru ge s Uni e si y P ess, 1984 ). Ame ican He oine: The Li e and Lege nd o Jane Addams (New Yo k: Ox o d Uni e si y P ess, 1973). MARY LYNN MCCREE BRYAN and ALLEN F. DAVIS, ed s., 100 Yea s a Hull- House (Blooming o n: Indiana Uni e si y P ess, 1990 ). MINA CARSON. Se lemen Folk. Social Th ough and he Ame ican Se lemen M o e me n , 1885-1930 (Chicago: Uni e si y o Chicago P ess, 1990 ). RIVKA SHPAK LISSAK. Plu alism and P og essi es: Hull-House and he New Jmm ig an s, 19R0 -1919 (Chicago: Uni e si y o Chicago P ess, 1989). LASCH-QUINN, ELIZABETH. Black Neighbo s: Race and he Limi s o Re o m in he Ame ican Se lemen House Mo emen , 1890-1945 (Chapel Hill: Uni e si y o No h Ca olina P ess, 1993 ). COSTIN, LELA B. Two Sis e s o Social .lus ice: A Biog aphy o G ace and Ed i h Ab bo (U ban a: Uni e si y o Illinois P ess, 19 83). SICHERMAN, BARBAR A. A ice Hamil on: A Li e in Le e s (Camb idge: Ha a d Uni e s i y P ess, 1984). KISH SKLAR, KATHRYN. Fl o ence Kelley and he Na ion's Wo k: The Rise o/Women's Poli ica/ Cul u e. JRJ0-/900 (New Ha en: Yale Uni e si y P ess, 1995).