Social Consciousness in the City
While the political machine sought to exploit the poor immigrants, religious organizations and groups that had social consciousness sought to help the needy and improve city conditions. The socially conscious believed that the unhealthy environment helped to shape the negative behavior in the city and sought to improve conditions surrounding the poor.
City churches had always provided social services to the poor, but preachers began to use the teachings of the bible as a tool for social reform. For example, the Salvation Army, a social organization founded in England, was established in the United States during this time. Members used Christian teaching and a military style of organization to provide aid to the poor.
Some of the socially conscious were members of the middle class. Instead of living in the suburbs, they chose to live in poor areas of the city to provide services to the poor through settlement houses. Like the Salvation Army, the settlement house movement began in England. The most famous settlement house in the United States was the Hull House in Chicago, which opened in 1889. Hull House founder Jane Addams built a program that served as a model for settlement houses across the country. These programs provided services including child care, health care, and employment training. Immigrants could go to settlement houses to learn more about American culture and improve their language skills. They were staffed by volunteers. Many of the volunteers were females who brought professionalism to the field of social work.
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| Jane Addams |