Title: The Origins of the U'S Social Welfare System
1The Origins of the U.S Social Welfare System
21531, England. Local authorities were authorized
to certify needy aged and disabled by letter
these certified individuals were allowed to beg.
Anyone giving money or lodging to an able-bodied
begger could be fined. Idle men were whipped.
3Important aspects of policy
4Formalized in the Poor Laws of 1601
- Local parish responsible for taxing residents
- Could choose to provide indoor relief or
outdoor relief - Officers appointed to collect taxes allocate
funds, assign work - Those who refused to pay taxes or to work were
jailed - Later amendments added residency requirements
5Principle of Less Eligibility
- The idea that the lowest paid working person
should be better off than any person receiving
aid. - Aid benefits cannot provide more than employment
6Emerging, important, and sometimes still relevant
principles
- Secularization of social welfare away from
church to government - Categorization of poor into worthy and
unworthy - Indoor and Outdoor relief
- Residency laws
- Principle of Less Eligibility
- Emphasis on individual as cause of problem,
rather than structural factors
7Social Welfare Policy in the Colonies
- Essentially adopted the Poor Laws
- Churches also provided aid to needy
- Mutual Aid societies
- Aid locally based no federal programs existed.
8Social Welfare Policy in the early U.S.
- Greater concerns with negative effects of
welfare. - Move toward indoor relief.
- Services harsh and controlling
- Anti-pauperism
- Poorhouses, prevention, control
- Social problems seen as related to moral defects
- Temperance movement
9That model again.
Problem
Theory
Intervention
10Social Welfare Policy in the early U.S.
- Rise of institutions
- Workhouse, almshouse, orphanages, etc.
- Aid locally based
- No federal programs existed.
- Structural factors ignored.
- Uncertain economy
- Poor conditions in cities
- Discrimination
111600-1800 Whos here?
- Who was already here?
- Who came? From where to where?
- In 18th century, most white immigrants were
indentured free travel in exchange for 4-7
years of service. - Tenant farmers, most land held by trading
companies grand land by British crown. - 1750-1800, companies sold land to settlers.
- Westward expansion of U.S.
12Policies toward Native American groups
- By 1675 many coastal tribes decimated by disease
and violence from settlers. Those remaining moved
West. - Some tribes negotiated a line with the British
crown before U.S. revolution along Appalachian
mountains. Not honored by new U.S. state. - Policy structure used to negotiate with Native
American Treaties. - As identified Indian lands were revealed to
have valuable resources, land would be occupied,
treaties broken, Native Americans forcibly
displaced or worse. - http//www.learner.org/interactives/historymap/ind
ians.html
13Policies toward Native American groups
- 1830 Indian Removal Act. Native American groups
to voluntarily give up land east of Mississippi
in exchange for land West. But removal was
forced. - Strategies of resistance
- Join forces with crown against colonists
- Fight (Seminole)
- Legal means (Cherokee)