American poorhouses [View All]

[deminks]

I truly believe that you cannot know where you are going unless you know where you have been. One point of disagreement I have had with the Obama administration. I think he made a deal that he would not look back, no matter what. IMHO, that was a big mistake.

So, I try to bring up a little history now and then. Just so we know where we have all been. Here is a little history of poverty in America. Something that you won't find in the new Texas school textbooks, I'll wager.

http://www.poorhousestory.com/

This is an interesting site with genealogy as one of it's primary focuses. The history provided here is very interesting, with pages for poorhouses in the different states. Some interesting information on the history page:

http://www.poorhousestory.com/history.htm

(snip)

During the second quarter of the 19th century, as the industrial revolution had its effect on the United States, the importation of the factory system from England was followed almost immediately by the full scale adoption of what seemed to be an inherent component of that system -- the Poorhouse System. These poorhouses were built with great optimism. They promised to be a much more efficient and cheaper way to provide relief to paupers. And there was a fervent popular belief that housing such people in institutions would provide the opportunity to reform them and cure them of the bad habits and character defects that were assumed to be the cause of their poverty.

(snip)

By mid-century, people were beginning to question the success of the poorhouse movement. Investigations were launched to examine the conditions in poorhouses. They had proven to be much more expensive than had been anticipated. And they had not significantly reduced the numbers of the "unworthy poor" nor eliminated the need for "outdoor relief". ( This was public assistance given to those living outside the poorhouses. It was given somewhat grudgingly to those considered to be (perhaps!) more "worthy" poor --who might only briefly and temporarily require assistance to procure food or fuel or clothing when they fell on very short-term hard times.)

(snip)

By 1875, after the regulation of poorhouses in most states became the responsibility of the State Board of Charities, laws were passed prohibiting children from residing in poorhouses and removing mentally ill patients and others with special needs to more appropriate facilities.

The poorhouse population was even more narrowly defined during the twentieth century when social welfare legislation (Workman’s Compensation, Unemployment benefits and Social Security) began to provide a rudimentary “safety net” for people who would previously have been pauperized by such circumstances. Eventually the poorhouses evolved almost exclusively into nursing homes for dependent elderly people. But poorhouses left orphanages, general hospitals and mental hospitals -- for which they had provided the prototype -- as their heritage.

(end snip)

Two more sites of interest:

http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/200207/29_gundersond_poorfarm-m/evansreport.shtml

The American Poorfarm and Its Inmates, 1925



http://www.answers.com/topic/settlement-house-movement

Settlement House Movement (a progressive response to the poorhouses)

Points I want to make with all of this. 1. Conservatives have a very narrow definition of poverty - if you have some sort of roof over your head, you are not poor. That might include living under a bridge. 2. We have been there, done that, got the tee-shirt with the poor houses and privatization of the public welfare. It is time to move on to make the social programs stronger, not weaken them.

For what it is worth.