← Twenty Years at Hull House

Twenty Years at Hull House · Chapters

Chapters explained

Chapter companions for Twenty Years at Hull House by Jane Addams.

Each chapter has a companion in the reader — open a free preview to see notes beside the text.

  1. Chapter 1

    Dedication

    A brief dedication of the book to the memory of the author's father.

  2. Chapter 2

    Twenty Years at Hull House

    Jane Addams reflects on the founding and early years of Hull House, detailing the social conditions of the immigrant and poor communities in Chicago, the establishment of various social and educational programs, and the philosophical and moral motivations behind the settlement movement.

  3. Chapter 3

    Frontispiece

    The frontispiece presents the title and author of the book, identifying Jane Addams as the author.

  4. Chapter 4

    Earliest Impressions

    Jane Addams reflects on her childhood, focusing on the profound influence of her father. She recounts early memories of a recurring dream about being the last person alive responsible for making a wagon wheel, her adoration and fear of embarrassing her father, a childhood confession of lying, her first sight of urban poverty, and her father's teaching about the death of Joseph Mazzini, which instilled in her a sense of international moral kinship.

  5. Chapter 5

    Influence of Lincoln

    Jane Addams reflects on Abraham Lincoln's profound influence on her thinking and the settlement movement. She recounts a visit to Oxford where she struggled to reconcile English settlement ideals with American democratic experience, finding clarity through Edward Caird's interpretation of Lincoln. The chapter explores Lincoln's role in legitimizing democracy and the importance of retaining past experiences, illustrated by a childhood memory of her father honoring a pioneer woman. Addams concludes by describing how she used Lincoln's example to teach immigrant children at Hull House to value their heritage.

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  1. Chapter 6Boarding-School Ideals
  2. Chapter 7The Snare of Preparation
  3. Chapter 8First Days at Hull House
  4. Chapter 9Subjective Necessity for Social Settlements
  5. Chapter 10Some Early Undertakings at Hull House
  6. Chapter 11VII: Problems of Poverty
  7. Chapter 12A Decade of Economic Discussion
  8. Chapter 13Pioneer Labor Legislation in Illinois
  9. Chapter 14XI: Immigrants and Their Children
  10. Chapter 15XII: Tolstoyism
  11. Chapter 16Public Activities and Investigations
  12. Chapter 17XIV: Civic Cooperation
  13. Chapter 18The Value of Social Clubs
  14. Chapter 19Arts at Hull House
  15. Chapter 20Echoes of the Russian Revolution
  16. Chapter 21Socialized Education
  17. Chapter 22Endnotes
  18. Chapter 23List of Illustrations