About
Jane Addams, born Laura Jane Addams on September 6, 1860, in Cedarville, Illinois, was a leading figure of American Progressivism. In 1889, she co-founded Hull House in Chicago, one of the first settlement houses in North America, providing social services and education to immigrants. She advocated for women's rights, labor reform, and peace. In 1915, she founded the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) and served as its president until 1929. In 1931, she became the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. She died on May 21, 1935, in Chicago.
* 1860-09-06 — † 1935-06-21
Major works
- Democracy and Social Ethics (1902)essay
- Newer Ideals of Peace (1907)essay
- Twenty Years at Hull-House (1910)autobiography
- Peace and Bread in Time of War (1922)essay
- The Second Twenty Years at Hull-House (1930)autobiography
Key milestones
- 1889Co-founded Hull House in Chicago with Ellen Gates Starr.
- 1915Founded the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) and chaired the International Congress of Women at The Hague.
- 1931First American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, shared with Nicholas Murray Butler.
Themes
Social reformPeace and pacifismWomen's rightsEconomic justiceDemocracy and ethics
Sources: nobelprize.org · loc.gov · guides.loc.gov
