Volume 16 , Issue 29

Jane Addams Campaigns Against Sweatshops (1893)

It was Jane Addams that launched a campaign against the sweatshops and for better working conditions. But not everyone appreciated her efforts. Opposing here were factory owners, politicians, and even some slum parents who depended on their children's meager incomes for support.

A representative of a manufacturers' association offered Hull House $50,000 if Addams would drop the nonsense about a sweat shop bill. Addams said she would rather see Hull House close than accept a bribe.

Jane's determination paid off. In 1893, Illinois passed a workshop and factories bill, which banned the exploitation of minors in the workplace.

Addams also pushed for the creation of a juvenile-court system. Because they were cold and hungry, immigrant children sometimes broke the law. They stole coal from trucks to heat their homes, and fruits and vegetables from produce stands. If they were arrested, found guilty, they were placed in the care of probation officers or sent to a clean detention center. The first probation officers were the Hull House staff members.

Jane Addams also supported other causes, such as trade unions and winning suffrage (the vote) for women. Not all of her efforts won public support, though. During World War I (1914-18) Addams organized the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, which worked to end the war. Jane Addams was called many things and some people called her an enemy of the people because of her antiwar stance.

In the end, Addams was lauded for her life's work, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931 for her work with the peace organization. Jane died in 1935. The Hull House filled an entire city block, and it had inspired the creation of hundreds of similar houses across the United States. Many Hull House residents went on to pursue other important social reforms. It was through Jane Addams' efforts, that women had blazed a pioneering role in improving the lives of others. Addams always insisted that Hull House served her own needs as much as other. Addams said, "I should at least know something of life firsthand."   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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