Old Age Relief Policy Prior to 1900: The trend Toward Restrictiveness

Abstract

Abstract. Between the 17th and the 19th centuries old age relief policy in America became increasingly restrictive. One indication of this was the trend toward greater emphasis on the almsbouse as opposed to “outdoor relief” and other noninstitutional alternatives. This trend can be accounted for, in part, by the emerging market economy and the ideological concomitants of this change. Another important factor was the influx of immigrants who did not share a common ethnic background with those who had come during the colonial era. Environmental factors such as the abundance of land and the physical dangers associated with frontier life also had a major impact on the way in which English ideas about poor relief were adapted and how these policies evolved over the years. These differences led to an even stronger commitment to an ideology of individualism than in England.