Jane Addams

Hello! My name is Jane Addams. I was born on September 6th, 1860, in a small town called Cedarville, Illinois. Even when I was a little girl, my biggest dream was to help people. I used to imagine living in a big house right in the middle of a busy neighborhood, where I could open my doors to anyone who needed a friend, a warm meal, or a safe place to be. My heart wanted to make sure everyone felt cared for.

When I grew up, I traveled far away to a city called London. There, I saw many families who had moved from other countries to find work. They didn't have many friends or comfortable places to live, which made me feel sad for them. During my visit, I saw a special place called Toynbee Hall that helped people in the neighborhood. Seeing how it worked gave me a wonderful idea! I knew I had to build a place just like it back home in America to help families there.

So, in the year 1889, my good friend Ellen Gates Starr and I found a large, old house in a crowded part of Chicago. We worked hard to fix it up and named it Hull House. We wanted it to be a community center—a friendly place for everyone! We opened a daycare for children whose parents worked all day so they would have a safe place to play and learn. We also had art classes, music lessons, a library full of books for people to read, and even the city's first public playground. Hull House became a home away from home for thousands of our neighbors, and it was a joy to see so many happy faces there.

My work didn't stop at Hull House. As I looked around, I saw that many things in the world weren't fair. I believed that everyone, especially children, deserved to be safe and happy. I decided to speak up for them. I spoke to leaders and wrote books about making our cities cleaner so everyone could be healthy. I also worked to make sure workers were treated kindly and that women were given the right to vote. More than anything, I wanted to help make the world a more peaceful place for all.

For all my work helping others and trying to bring peace to the world, I was given a very special award in 1931 called the Nobel Peace Prize. I was so proud to be the first American woman to ever receive it! I lived to be 74 years old. Today, people remember me for creating a place where everyone was welcome and for showing how one person with a big heart can make the world a kinder, better place for all.