“To teach by example, to practice cooperation, and to practice social democracy, that is egalitarian, or democratic, social relations across class lines.” – Three ethical principals for settlement houses developed by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr.
Laura Jane Addams was born in Cedarville, Illinois, to Sarah (Weber) and John Huy Addams, a politician and businessman. Jane was Sarah’s 8th child, and Sarah died when Jane was two, while pregnant with her 9th. Jane was raised mostly by her older sisters, and by the time she was eight, four of her siblings had died. At age 4, she contracted Pott’s disease which resulted in curvature of the spine and lifelong health problems. As a child, Jane became interested in the poor through the works of Charles Dickens and decided to become a doctor.
The 1870 census shows the Addams family living in Buckeye, Illinois. It is either a huge household or the census taker made a mistake. When the census taker comes to a new residence, he adds a number to the second column (families, numbered in the order of visitation). So, the house before the Addams was #225 and the Addams are #226. There are 14 people with five different surnames listed under #226.
They are John Addams and Anna his (second) wife and four of his children, Mary, John, Alice, and Laura Jane. John’s occupation is milling. His real estate value is $60,000. Nobody else on the page has real estate valued greater than $8,000 and they are both listed as part of his household. John’s real estate number is probably that high because he had his mills on the property.
Others in #226 are Harry Halderman, a metallic roofing agent, and his son George, Mary Baer, a retired woman of 67, Leah Fahr, a servant, and Mally VanReed, a farm laborer and his wife Mary with their two children.
Other neighborhood occupations include laborer, mill worker, carriage maker, and hotel keeper.
Later life
Jane Addams is one of those subjects that just cannot be summarized in a short essay. For her full story, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Addams
A few scattered highlights:
- First American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
- Co-founder of the settlement house Hull House.
- Helped start the Progressive Party for Theodore Roosevelt’s 1912 Presidential campaign.
- First woman to receive an honorary degree from Yale University.
- Co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union.
- National Chairman of the Women’s Peace Party.
- President of the International Committee of Women for a Permanent Peace.
- Supporter of eugenics in her desire to eliminate “social ills.”
When Addams died in 1935, she was the best-known female public figure in the United States.
Other happenings on September 6, 1860 – None that I can find.
Tomorrow – Age is Just a Number
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Sources
- Wikipedia.org
- Ancestry.com
- Onthisday.com
- Picryl.com
- Youtube.com
Famous People and Their First Census 