As the United States increasingly industrialized in the late nineteenth century, females entered the labor force in unprecedented numbers. As child labor remained widespread, both girls and adult women held larger numbers of wage-labor positions. By the turn of the twentieth century, an economic downturn had also pushed more American residents—including large numbers of non-citizen immigrants—into poverty.

Progressive reformers and radical critics had called for improved conditions for workers and the implementation of more social welfare programs. Preparing for the 1912 presidential election, for example, the Progressive Party’s national platform included both woman’s suffrage and industrial justice planks. In the early 1900s, moderate reformers added their voices to this chorus. The broad-based support for improved conditions for women fueled the women’s suffrage movement's demands.

Among the influential figures was Jane Addams, who was both an advocate for social reform and a suffragist. One major contribution was her pioneering role in founding Hull House, a settlement house in Chicago that provided housing and programs for the poor. She was also an outspoken advocate for social change through her writing and activism, such as her involvement in child labor reform efforts and promotion of industrial education. From 1911–1914, Adams served as president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association.