Womens rights time line http://www.womensaccounts.com/women_time_line.html or http://www.wmol.com/whalive/nineteenth.htm
From John Sorenson
"Grace Abbott was the great American champion of children's rights," he said. "She was the highest ranking woman in the federal government when she headed the U.S. Children's Bureau."
Grace Abbott's work on children's rights often dealt with the issues of child labor. During her career, it was not unusual to have a 6-year-old working in a mine or a 10-year-old girl working in a factory.
Her work helped end the practice of child labor and usher in mass education for children. Grace Abbott also was very interested in children's health issues.
Besides children's rights, Grace Abbott also was very much concerned about women's rights and immigrants' rights.
Edith Abbott, through her work at the University of Chicago, was "one of the main people who helped establish social work as a serious profession," Sorensen said.
She helped demonstrate that people who wanted to do social work needed training just as those who wanted to enter the professions of law, medicine or teaching.
http://www.theindependent.com/stories/111800/new_abbotts18.html
also see http://www.gi.esu10.k12.ne.us/Technology/T.I.E./Mangers-Johnson/Abbott%20Sisters/Grace_Abbott.html