Jane Addams: Pioneer for Social Justice begins with the arrival of Jane's parents in Rockford, Illinois, and describes Jane's childhood at Cedarville, Illinois, and education at Rockford Female Seminary. Most of the action takes place in Chicago, between the time Addams opened the settlement community called Hull House on September 14, 1889, and her death on May 21, 1935. The narrative emphasizes Addams's work with the poor of the Halsted Street neighborhood.