week 4 student version (1).pptdfsgfds

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Colonial Period

(1607-1776)Week 4



The Colonial Period

begins… English colonists bring with them English

customs, including English Poor Laws

Poor laws stressed:

Public responsibility

Local responsibility

Family responsibility

Residency requirements



Public responsibility

Public should be responsible for relief for the

poor who could not work and work for those who

can

So…

Needy widows and their children receive aid but

expected to pitch in by working

Poor laws designed to meet needs AND control

behavior



Rhode Island Assembly

“It is agreed and ordered by this present

Assembly, that each town shall provide carefully

for the relief of the poor, to maintain the impotent,

and to employ the able, and shall appoint anoverseer for the same purpose.”

• Axinn & Stern, p. 14



Local responsibility

Public aid became the domain of small

governmental units

It was felt that given the scope of the problem,

localities could handle



Family responsibility

Family legally obligated to help its own

Adults take care of themselves, their children,

and aged parents when necessary



Residency requirements

Over time, a designated period of residence

became a requirement in order to receive aid

(settlement)



How did colonies differ

from England?

No continued unemployment problem

No industry to pull workers into towns

No pool of workers wanting work

So, no initial need to constrict mobility

So, why adopt Poor Laws?



Why adopt Poor Laws?

Economic need result of:

Frequent wars

Epidemics

Hazards associated with colonial life/workChildren born out of wedlock

Economic depressions

Fires

Success depended on “contribution and well-being of all” (Axinn & Stern, p. 16)



Population increases…

Towns become to develop

Voluntary societies form to meet special welfare

needs

However, resources were limited

Poor Laws were seen as a deterrent

Family must maintain stability (hierarchy)



Poor Law (continued)

It is important to note the influences at that time:

Puritan Calvinism

Character and/or moral flaw



Puritan Work Ethic

The internalization of pleasure in one’s work

Puritan Calvinism

Puritan work ethic

This leads to notion that poverty could be result

of a moral flaw

Charity became more of a concern for saving therich, rather than helping the poor



Change in perception

Poor Laws begin to establish categories of

individuals in need of help:

Young, old, disabled, able-bodied, etc.

The family’s role was to avoid support bytaxpayers

The family who could not maintain financial

independence began to be perceived as“dangerous, economically and morally”



As a result:

Categories of recipients were established:

Worthy/deserving

Unworthy/not deserving

Values formed…



This led to…

Binding out: children sent out to learn a trade

Indenture and farming out for adults: able-bodied

individuals were given indenture contracts;

enforced labor

Apprenticeship: reflected concern with home and

work life and used as a means of control



Mid-18th century

Trend toward indoor relief

Almshouses built in cities for the disabled,

seriously ill, or old poor

Workhouses for able-bodied poor

Relief was stigmatizing

Example: Wearing “P” on one’s right sleeve in

Pennsylvania



Trend toward indoor relief

Reformers thought:

Poorhouses as a replacement for outdoor relief

would:

1. save money2. curb the demand for relief

3. improve the moral character of the poor



Policy options included:

Transportation back to the original community

Outdoor relief

Auctioning off/apprenticeships

Contracting out

Poorhouses or almshouses



Population growth

North:

By 1640, more than 27,000 in MA, CT, RI, NH,

ME

1760: 1.5 million people in 13 colonies

South

Grew as tobacco developed and plantationsestablished



Class differences emerge

Wealthy class, mainly Protestant

Middle class, Protestant farmers, artisans, tradesmen

Those without property, mainly non-English, frequentlynon-Protestant, non-White

*No recognition of any social welfare needs of Native

Americans, slaves, indentured servants; they developed

their own systems of self-help



Veterans

Welfare for veterans differed from the general

population

Disabled soldiers and sailors given relief as a

right

**This foreshadows the future social welfare

contributions made by state and federal

government

week 4 student version (1).pptdfsgfds

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