Abstract

Abstract: Early Republic communities were represented by officers of the poor law operated almshouses, distributed relief, and collaborated with other local authorities to implement the state poor laws. The scale of poverty experienced in the early American republic, when the rates of destitution and level of need for high welfare budgets were a constant preoccupation of lawmakers and philanthropists, points to the importance of this singular figure of the overseer. Working within a highly mobile population adjusting to the nascent system of wage labor in this period, overseers tracked people experiencing poverty across community lines. Overseers of the Poor acted as agents of the state writ large, operating at local and municipal levels to implement the logics of state laws relating to citizenship and poverty.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.