Nobel Peace Prize in 1931, the first American woman to receive this honor.  

Born on September 6, 1860 in the small farming town of Cedarville, Illinois, Addams was the eighth of John Huy and Sarah Weber Addams’ nine children. Only five of the Addams children survived infancy. Her mother died in childbirth when Addams was only two years old. Nonetheless, she grew up with privilege; her father was among the town’s wealthiest citizens. He owned a successful mill, fought in the Civil War, was a local politician, and counted Abraham Lincoln among his friends. Addams also grew up with liberal Christian values and a deep sense of social mission.