Ever since the English first settled in America, extreme poverty and the inability of individuals to support themselves and their families have been persistent problems. In the early nineteenth century, many communities established almshouses, or "poorhouses," in a valiant but ultimately failed attempt to create a critical social safety net to shelter the destitute, including the sick, elderly, unemployed, mentally ill, unwed mothers, and the orphaned. This volume details the rise and decline of poorhouses in Massachusetts, painting a vivid portrait of life inside these institutions and...
Ever since the English first settled in America, extreme poverty and the inability of individuals to support themselves and their families have been p...
