Twenty Years at Hull-House: With Autobiographical Notes (The Bedford Series in History and Culture) - Hardcover

Jane Addams (1860–1935) was the first big American woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In a long, complex career, she was a pioneer settlement worker and founder of, "Hull House" in Chicago, public philosopher (the first American woman in that role), sociologist, author, and leader in woman suffrage and world peace. She was the most prominent woman of the Progressive Era and helped turn the nation to issues of concern to mothers, such as the needs of children, public health and world peace. She emphasized that women have a special responsibility to clean up their communities and make them better places to live, arguing they needed the vote to be effective. Addams became a role model for middle-class women who volunteered to uplift their communities. She is increasingly being recognized as a member of the American pragmatist school of philosophy.

Late at night on the streets of London, in 1883, Jane Addams came upon a crowd of poor, hungry people all struggling to outbid each other for a measly supply of rotten vegetables. Haunted by the memory of their clutching, desperate hands, she continued her travels through Europe, eventually settling in Chicago, where – with her friend Ellen Starr – she founded Hull-House. “20 Years at Hull-House” details the history of an inspiring institution that dedicated itself to providing a resource for cultural improvement to immigrant and poor communities throughout Chicago.