EXPLORATION, ENCOUNTER, EXCHANGE IN HISTORY
Questions
• Who were the women who settled in industrial centers? What
brought them to America?
Exploration:
• What conditions did they encounter upon arrival?
• How did their expectations match the reality?
Encounter:
• How did immigrant women’s lack of political power affect their
opportunities for advancement or their ability to be self-advocates?
Suggested Online Resources:
• Harvard University Library
ocp.hul.harvard.edu/immigration/
settlement.html
• Jane Addams Hull House Museum:
www.uic.edu/jaddams/hull/hull_
house.html
• National Women’s History Museum:
www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/
progressiveera/home.html
• What cultural misunderstandings arose between settlement house
reformers and their immigrant clients?
• What assumptions did reformers make about immigrants? How were
those assumptions challenged?
Exchange:
• How did immigrant women, working with settlement house staff,
change culture?
• How did they become better able to represent themselves and
their concerns?
For a complete bibliography and links to download
these resources, go to www.nhd.org/themebook.
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