Poverty 1600's
Slavery started when European traders brought African people to the new colonies in the 1600's. Slaves were bought so that white men did not have to do the tough work. The male slaves mostly worked in the fields picking cotton and tobacco while the female slaves worked in the house where they would cook and clean. Slaves often took care of the children of the house while the masters were at work. The slaves did not get paid and the living conditions were the worst. The masters would beat a slave if he or she did something they were not supposed to do.
In the 1600's the impoverished were considered unworthy, so the people came up with the Elizabethan Poor Laws. These laws established a residency requirement of three years for the poor to receive aid from the state welfare and private aid. An impoverished person had to stay in the community three whole years until they received any special care. These laws came from England where children from British almshouses were sold to American businessmen as cheap labor. The laws then became a part of American history. The Elizabethan Poor Laws made the children of America poor with no help from adults. The children became orphans with nowhere to go. Children from poor backgrounds were taken to America and left there to do labor and not get paid enough to live on. Children became the start of indentured servitude.
Indentured servitude was one of three types of child protection in America. Indentured servitude is labor in exchange for a place to sleep, and food to eat. This was a way that early colonists dealt with orphans and got labor out of it. Parents that could not take care of a child properly could indenture it at any age up until adulthood. Each parent would have to sign a contract that included the length of indentured service, the date child was free, an education or training clause and a list of what was due to the child once the term of indentured servitude was over, and sometimes sobriety, chastity and confidentiality clauses. Boys were typically indentured until age 21 and girls until age 18 or until married. Indentured servitude is also for impoverished adults. It allowed adults with a low income or no income from England come over to America for free and a place to stay until his or her term is over and then they are given a piece of land to live on.
The almshouse was the first place for care of children and women. The first one in America was built by the Dutch in New York City in 1652. These houses were not the safest for the people because all sorts of people were intermingled in them. There was no separation of people by age, gender or illness. Every person had their right to live there if they were impoverished. The beds were typically made of straw and put on the floor and the building was typically in dire conditions. Sanitary conditions were terrible and the facilities lacked sanitary codes. Most children had infections that spread throughout the Almshouse.
This time era was extremely difficult for the poor people of America. People had to live through harsh weather conditions for three years before receiving aid from either the state welfare program or any private aid. The poor had to go through rough labor in order to get any kinds of help and to receive food and shelter. Lastly, the poor had a place to go with awful, gruesome conditions. The impoverished were treated harshly and they were not wanted in America.
In the 1600's the impoverished were considered unworthy, so the people came up with the Elizabethan Poor Laws. These laws established a residency requirement of three years for the poor to receive aid from the state welfare and private aid. An impoverished person had to stay in the community three whole years until they received any special care. These laws came from England where children from British almshouses were sold to American businessmen as cheap labor. The laws then became a part of American history. The Elizabethan Poor Laws made the children of America poor with no help from adults. The children became orphans with nowhere to go. Children from poor backgrounds were taken to America and left there to do labor and not get paid enough to live on. Children became the start of indentured servitude.
Indentured servitude was one of three types of child protection in America. Indentured servitude is labor in exchange for a place to sleep, and food to eat. This was a way that early colonists dealt with orphans and got labor out of it. Parents that could not take care of a child properly could indenture it at any age up until adulthood. Each parent would have to sign a contract that included the length of indentured service, the date child was free, an education or training clause and a list of what was due to the child once the term of indentured servitude was over, and sometimes sobriety, chastity and confidentiality clauses. Boys were typically indentured until age 21 and girls until age 18 or until married. Indentured servitude is also for impoverished adults. It allowed adults with a low income or no income from England come over to America for free and a place to stay until his or her term is over and then they are given a piece of land to live on.
The almshouse was the first place for care of children and women. The first one in America was built by the Dutch in New York City in 1652. These houses were not the safest for the people because all sorts of people were intermingled in them. There was no separation of people by age, gender or illness. Every person had their right to live there if they were impoverished. The beds were typically made of straw and put on the floor and the building was typically in dire conditions. Sanitary conditions were terrible and the facilities lacked sanitary codes. Most children had infections that spread throughout the Almshouse.
This time era was extremely difficult for the poor people of America. People had to live through harsh weather conditions for three years before receiving aid from either the state welfare program or any private aid. The poor had to go through rough labor in order to get any kinds of help and to receive food and shelter. Lastly, the poor had a place to go with awful, gruesome conditions. The impoverished were treated harshly and they were not wanted in America.