This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Excerpt from Chicago Commons: A Social Settlement Mrs. John P. Gavit, Chicago Commons Miss Gertrude E. Thayer, Chicago Commons. Miss Faith M. Gregg, Colorado Springs, Colo. Robert E. Todd, Chicago Commons. Miss Elizabeth V. Myers, Chicago Commons. Nathan H. Weeks, Chicago Commons. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Chicago Commons is a social service agency, a community center, a neighborhood organization. It provides day care and job training, and works with the poor just as Hull House did. Hull House, founded by Jane Addams, was one of the first settlements established in Chicago, predating Chicago Commons by several years. All of these descriptions and countless others have from time to time been used to describe Chicago Commons, but none are sufficient, for each conjures up an image that only partially captures the essence of the Commons. It was started as a settlement house but when we begin to describe Chicago Commons as a settlement house, picture the blank stare of the person listening. So where do we begin? The origins of the settlement house are rooted in the Industrial Revolution as it took hold in England and changed the social fabric of English society. Within 50 years it had taken hold in the United States, too. Prior to its onset, England as well as the rest of Europe was largely engaged in agriculture and trade with peasants who worked the land and merchants who formed a small but growing middle class. The Industrial Revolution brought an explosive and unprecedented increase in productivity and self-generating growth. Technological and economic innovations like the power loom and the steam engine were displacing human skill and effort, creating a changing social and economic scene. The convergence of the economic philosophy of Adam Smith, the emergence of democracy as a political movement, and the technological changes being introduced in the production of goods for consumption formed a context for understanding changes in societal responses to inequities and injustice toward the poor and the working classes. The pace of change was so rapid that traditional institutions, such as churches and the extended family, were unable to adapt,thus creating fertile ground for the human exploitation that occurred. Out of this chaos came a movement for reform, and the settlement house became an agent advocating this change. In CHICAGO COMMONS, Seever takes you on a journey through the settlement house movement as a response to this unparalleled upheaval during the 19th century.