Overseeing the Poor: Industrialization and Public Relief in New Bedford, 1865-1900

Abstract

The late nineteenth century witnessed a national attack on public outdoor poor relief. Yet we know very little about the dynamics of this change at the local level, where almost all relief was administered. An examination of public relief policy in New Bedford, Massachusetts, suggests that rapid industrialization with its accompanying cyclical economy and dramatic increase in immigration were major causes of a shift toward a more conservative and parsimonious welfare policy. The changes in poor relief in New Bedford were most pronounced during the 1880s, a decade of intense industrial development in the city.