Final answer:
Settlement Houses aimed to assist the less fortunate by providing a range of services and knowledge. Hull House, founded by Jane Addams in 1889, was particularly influential, leading to broader social reforms and helping shape progressive movement policies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main goal of Settlement Houses like Hull House was to provide resources and knowledge to the less fortunate/needy in society. Established by Jane Addams in 1889, Hull House served needy immigrants with social and educational programs, medical care, recreation programs, English classes, and hot lunches for factory workers. The work done by settlement houses extended into larger social reforms, influencing policies including housing laws, child labor laws, and worker's compensation laws.
Settlement Houses became a model for future social work, offering relief to working-class women and employing college graduates in the field. Figures like Florence Kelley and Julia Lathrop eventually moved from Hull House activities to national efforts, advocating for children's labor rights and other humanitarian causes. The movement provided a compassionate and practical response to urban poverty and became a crucial component of the wider progressive reform movement.