ABSTRACT
This chapter illustrates the relationship between the individual and the social, between biography and society. Urbanization, industrialization and immigration changed the landscape and image of American society, and individuals such as Crane found themselves faced with unprecedented opportunities and obstacles. A few found opportunities to pioneer within previously male-dominated fields. Many eventually created innovative careers for themselves within the public sphere, by both embracing and expanding traditional women’s roles. The personal and professional lives of Caroline Bartlett Crane, Jane Addams, and many other women of that era epitomize these social tensions. In 1898, Crane abruptly resigned from her clerical duties because of ill health. Various ideological and material strains from religion to evolution converged in the formation of the Progressive movement. Reform efforts in the Progressive Era covered a wide range of concerns in the interest of a more equitable and better society for all.
