Browse · Jane Addams Digital Edition

Ill-Gotten Gifts to Colleges, November 1900

Scudder critiques colleges that accept donations from unethical sources.

What is the Greatest Menace to Twentieth Century Progress?, February 14, 1901

Addams explores lessons learned from the 19th century, and sees the greatest menace for the future as the lack of faith in the people and an over reliance on national pride.

Democracy Lectures Morality

One Menace to the Century, February 14, 1901

Addams explores lessons learned from the 19th century, and sees the greatest menace for the future as the lack of faith in the people and an over reliance on national pride.

Democracy Lectures Morality

Statement on New Year's Resolutions, January 1, 1902

Addams' gives a brief quote on New Years resolutions.

Morality Writings

Thoughts on the Comic Valentine, February 2, 1902

Addams dismisses comic valentines as coarse at a meeting of the Ravenswood Woman's Club.

Child Welfare Holidays Morality

Newer Ideals of Education as Affecting National Life, June 17, 1903 (excerpt) Also known as Rockford College Commencement Speech, June 17, 1903

Addams delivered the commencement speech at Rockford College, arguing that a lack of growth was a danger to moral life of individual and nation.

Education Lectures Morality Peace War

Address to the Henry George Association, October 29, 1903

Addams offers a substitute for war involving guidance rather than violence.

Lectures Morality Peace War

Comments at "The Theater" Symposium, March 21, 1906

Addams discusses her impressions of the theater and its influence on the public at a symposium sponsored by the Chicago Woman's Club.

Children Lectures Morality Theater

Newer Ideals of Peace, January 5, 1907

Addams publishes the first chapter of Newer Ideals of Peace, in Charities and the Commons, arguing for a new approach to peace propaganda. She makes a direct appeal to sentiments and opinions to oppose the exploitation of the weak and to reject of blind militarism.

Democracy Immigrants Morality Peace Philosophy Social Welfare War

Statement on the Harry Thaw Trial, February 15, 1907

Addams chastises newspapers for glamorizing the story of Harry Thaw, an heir to a railroad fortune who killed his wife's lover.

Crime Morality

Statement on Theater Censorship, May 2, 1907 (excerpt)

Addams supports the idea of regulating theaters aimed at juvenile audiences, but not banning children from attending.

Censorship Morality Police Social Work Theater

On the Common Highway, May 10, 1907

A short quote by Addams on social ethics.

Morality Social Reform

Statement on the Educational Value of Carl Laemmle's Films, August 3, 1907

Addams' testimonial to the educational value of Carl Laemmle's movies, which are shown in Hull-House.

Children Jobs Morality Theater

Address Before the Nineteenth Century Club, October 14, 1907 (excerpts)

Addams argues that woman suffrage might impact the plight of fallen women who are preyed upon by men.

Crime Enforcement Lectures Morality Prostitution Woman Suffrage

Some Reflections on the Failure of the Modern City to Provide Recreation for Young Girls, December 5, 1908

Addams advocates for the value of organized recreation for working class women.

Gambling Morality Recreation Youth

The Reaction of Moral Instructions upon Social Reform, April 3, 1909

Addams describes the current moral situation of American youth as a result of the current education and religious situations. This speech was also given before the Chicago Sinai congregation.

Education Morality Religion Youth

The Reaction of Moral Instruction upon Social Reform, April 4, 1909 (excerpt)

Addams speaks to the Chicago Sinai congregation on the value of theater for moral teaching of the young.

Children Education Lectures Morality Theater

Autobiographical Notes upon Twenty Years at Hull-House: A War Time Childhood, April 1910

Addams discusses her childhood, the influence of her father and Lincoln, and her early thoughts on morality and responsibility to the community. This is the first of six articles excerpted from Twenty Years at Hull-House.

Biography Family Hull-House Morality

Some of the Immediate Needs of Chicago March 20, 1911 (excerpts)

Addams speaks at the Chicago Credit Men's Association about the dangers of unregulated dance halls for Chicago's youth.

Juvenile Delinquency Lectures Morality Recreation Youth

Chicago Peril to Immigrant Girls, March 24, 1911

Addams discusses the perils that face immigrant women and the need for protections.

Immigrants Morality Social Work

Charles B. Mitchell to Jane Addams, October 26, 1911

Mitchell compliments Addams' article in McClure's Magazine and offers some of his own reflections on the subject of prostitution.

Literature Morality Praise Sex Hygiene

Theodore Roosevelt to Jane Addams, October 31, 1911

Roosevelt compliments Addams's article in McClure's, which argues that woman's suffrage will lift up women from vice. But he also offers a caution that women's suffrage could fail to impart real change as suffrage failed to impart real change for African Americans in the South.

African-Americans Civil Rights Morality Politics Social Purity Woman Suffrage Women's Rights

Anonymous (A well wisher in Your Project) to Jane Addams, December 2, 1911

After reading Addams' article in McClure's Magazine, the unknown correspondent shares some of her own ideas about women in Panama and the Canal Zone.

Morality Social Purity White Slavery

Charles M. Sheldon to Jane Addams, December 8, 1911

Writing in response to Addams' article on prostitution, Sheldon asks her why the temptations of vice do not doom all girls in similar situations.

Labor Morality White Slavery

C. H. Harris to Jane Addams, December 18, 1911

Harris asks Addams's advice about creating a series of lectures on vice and its causes.

Morality Poverty Social Welfare Temperance

John A. Corn to Jane Addams, December 19, 1911

Corn offers Addams his argument for the sterilization of sex offenders as the only way to curb vice and prostitution.

Eugenics Morality Prostitution

The Church and the Social Evil, 1912

A reprint of Addams' speech to the Congress of Men and the Religion Forward Movement chastises the church for rejection aid to "fallen" women and asks for a return to the teachings of Jesus, who opened his heart to all sinners.

Crime Gambling Lectures Morality Prostitution Religion

A New Conscience and an Ancient Evil, Chapter III: Lack of Moral Education and Its Dangers, January 1912

Addams expounds upon the role of religious education in keeping youth from vice and examines the difficult standards to which young women are held. This is the third in a five-part series, which would ultimately be published as A New Conscience and an Ancient Evil later in the year.

Child Welfare Children Education Government Morality Prostitution Religion Sex Hygiene

Speech to the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association, January 26, 1912 (excerpt)

Report of Addams' speech in Milwaukee, that discusses the plight of prostitutes in a society when only men can vote.

Lectures Morality Prostitution Woman Suffrage

A New Conscience and an Ancient Evil: Chapter V: Social Control, March 1912

Page proofs of "Chapter V: Social Control," the final article in a five-part series, which would ultimately be published as A New Conscience and an Ancient Evil later in the year.

Morality Peace Prostitution Public Health Socialism Woman Suffrage

A New Conscience and an Ancient Evil, Chapter V: Social Control, March 1912

Addams discusses how social movements can help alleviate vice, providing examples such as crusades against diseases and organized opposition to the white slave trade. This is the final article in a five-part series, which would ultimately be published as A New Conscience and an Ancient Evil later in the year.

Morality Peace Prostitution Public Health Socialism Woman Suffrage

The Church and the Social Evil, April 23, 1912

Addams' speech to the Congress of Men and the Religion Forward Movement chastises the church for rejection aid to "fallen" women and asks for a return to the teachings of Jesus, who opened his heart to all sinners. The speech was also published in Vigilance.

Crime Gambling Morality Prostitution Religion

The Church and the Social Evil, April 23, 1912 (draft)

Addams' speech to the Congress of Men and the Religion Forward Movement chastises the church for rejecting aid to "fallen" women. She calls for a return to the teachings of Jesus, who opened his heart to all sinners. The speech was later published in Messages of the Men and Religion Movement and in Vigilance.

Crime Lectures Morality Prostitution Religion

The Church and the Social Evil, May 1912

A published version of Addams' speech to the Congress of Men and the Religion Forward Movement chastises the church for rejection aid to "fallen" women and asks for a return to the teachings of Jesus, who opened his heart to all sinners. The speech was also published in Messages of the Men and Religion Movement.

Crime Gambling Lectures Morality Prostitution Religion

Phoebe E. H. Willets to Jane Addams, July 11, 1912

Willets criticizes Addams for writing about prostitution in her latest book, A New Conscience and an Ancient Evil and demands that she cease publishing it to protect morality.

Books Criticism Morality Prostitution Requests White Slavery

A Modern Lear, November 2, 1912 Also known as Ethical Survivals in the Pullman Strike

Addams' 1894 talk on the Pullman strike was only published in 1912 in the Survey. She analyzes the strike, drawing comparisons between George Pullman and his workers, and Shakespeare's King Lear and Cordelia.

Business Labor Lectures Literature Morality Philanthropy Social Class Theater

A Modern Lear, November 2, 1912

In 1894, Addams gave a speech to the Chicago Woman's Club and the Twentieth Century Club about the Pullman strike. The speech was not published until 18 years later, in the November 1912 Survey. In it, she draws comparisons between the key players in the strike, particularly George Pullman, and Shakespeare's dysfunctional royal family.

Business Charity Labor Lectures Literature Morality Social Welfare

Frank DeWitt Bates to Jane Addams, November 5, 1912

Bates offers Addams his opinions on A New Conscience and an Ancient Evil.

Books Marital Relations Morality Requests Sex Reform White Slavery

Public Dance Halls: The Need of Supervision, January 29, 1913 (fragment)

Addams argues for the regulation of public recreation to provide safe venues for women, youth, and communities.

Morality Recreation Sex Hygiene Social Welfare

Montgomery Black Cowperthwait to Jane Addams, January 30, 1913

Cowperthwait writes Addams about her book A New Conscience and an Ancient Evil and explains his experiments and ideas on sex.

Children Eugenics Gender Roles Morality Population

Miss Addams, July 1913

Addams argues for the regulation of public recreation to provide safe venues for women, youth, and communities. This is the seventh article of a monthly, year-long series on economic and social reform in America and how women can affect change.

Juvenile Delinquency Morality Recreation Sex Hygiene Social Welfare

A. Maude Royden to Jane Addams, July 19, 1913

Royden reminds Addams to send a copy of a report of the Chicago Vice Commission to help with a British education campaign.

England Morality Requests Woman Suffrage

The Sheltered Woman and the Magdalen, July 25, 1913

Addams exposes the double standard applied to women who break society's moral codes and argues for a more charitable view of women and a better understanding of their economic circumstances. A version of this was published in November 1913.

Morality Prostitution Religion Sex Hygiene

Jane Addams: The Sheltered Woman and the Magdalen, November 1913

Addams exposes the double standard applied to women who break society's moral codes and argues for a more charitable view of women and a better understanding of their economic circumstances. This is the eleventh article of a monthly, year-long series on economic and social reform in America and a woman's role to affect change.

Morality Prostitution Sex Hygiene White Slavery