"Action indeed is the sole medium of expression for Ethics."
Jane Addams, known prominently for her work as a social reformer, pacifist, and feminist during the late 18th and 19th centuries, was born on September 6, 1860. The eighth of nine children born to an affluent state senator and businessman lived a life of privilege. Addams attended school at Rockford Female Seminary, where her principal was a feminist who believed women deserved the same quality education that men received. She said, “Women have a supreme duty to preserve morality, culture and heritage of western civilization.” This is said to have possibly influenced Jane Addams in her early life. She graduated as her class president, head of the literary society, editor of the school magazine, and valedictorian of her class. She spent almost two years afterwards in reading, writing, and considering what her future objectives should be. In her heart, she knew her beliefs were always to help others. After graduating, she began to feel that women, through education, had lost a sense of empathy. They were so protected that they were not given the chance to turn down devastation. Women were expected to live simply as wives and mothers while being dominated by men. Addams did not find a satisfactory outlet for her abilities until she was visiting London, England in 1887. She was impressed by a special facility established to provide for the poor. She formed an idea to create a settlement with easy access, a peaceful atmosphere, and a location in the middle of several different cultures. In her early years, she struggled to find her place in the world, but now it would not be long until her dream became a reality.