Choosing Topics

Jane Addams had a part in many of the social reform movements of the early twentieth century. She worked with a broad alliance of social workers, educators, politicians, academics, and club women to help ameliorate the problems Americans faced as the United States shifted from a nation or farmers to an industrial power. Because of this, there are a wide variety of topics to choose among for your National History Day project. For Triumph & Tragedy, we have highlighted the topics of:

• Child Labor,
• Immigration,
• Social Work,
• Juvenile Courts, and
• Woman Suffrage

as particularly applicable. But there are many others that you can explore. Browse our subject headings, or consult the following search results for ideas.

• The Election of 1912
• The Progressive Party
• The Settlement Movement
• Activism in Chicago
• Hull-House, and
• The Labor Movement

Another way to think about your topic is to focus on Addams' relationship with one individual or group. For Triumph & Tragedy, you could explore Addams's relatiohships with people who created both tragic and triumphic situations in the United States. Some suggestions:

• Johnny Powers, ward boss of Chicago's 19th ward
• Benjamin Barr Lindsey, a juvenile court judge
• National American Woman Suffrage Association
• National Child Labor Committee
• William T. Davis, theater manager