Poverty in the 19th century
...erstand as a society the meaning of poverty, we must first begin by examining how our views on this subject have evolved. Society thought that the problem was not in the economy but was because of how the workers performed their jobs. Poverty was very widespread in America and sometimes unavoidable. By the early 1800’s many craftsman and farmers struggled to earn a living as did many unskilled workers. In the 19th century, America saw the rapid growth of poor houses and used it as a method of helping fix the problem with the poor. Starting in the 1830’s, state government began to write laws saying that each state should have communities of poor houses. Poor house rules were harsh and their purpose was to help only those who needed it desperately. If there was a need to punish a resident of a poor house, the punishment would come in the form of work, moral training, education, or reform. The end of the poor houses came around the 1900’s when public officials and social professionals realized that they did very little to reduce poverty. Half the population of typical 19th century cities was poor. Roughly 10%-20% of the late 19th century American families had at least one family member moving from place to place in search of work. The 19th century saw the industrial revolution and major economic growth that was fueled by agricultural expansion. Poverty persisted in rural areas, especially those in southern states. It was not until 1870 tha...