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The Origins of the U'S Social Welfare System

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Local authorities were authorized to certify needy aged and disabled by letter; ... Anti-pauperism: Poorhouses, prevention, control ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: The Origins of the U'S Social Welfare System


1
The Origins of the U.S Social Welfare System
  • Revised 9/4/09

2
1531, 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.
3
Important aspects of policy
4
Formalized 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

5
Principle 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

6
Emerging, 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

7
Social 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.

8
Social 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

9
That model again.
Problem
Theory
Intervention
10
Social 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

11
1600-1800 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.

12
Policies 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

13
Policies 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)
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