The Origins of the U'S Social Welfare System

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The Origins of the U.S Social Welfare System

• Revised 9/4/09

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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.
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Important aspects of policy
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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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That model again.
Problem
Theory
Intervention
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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

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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.

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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

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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)