The History of Welfare in America

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Welfare has been a safety net for many Americans, when the alternative for them is going without food and shelter. Over the years, the government has provided income for the unemployed, food assistance for the hungry, and health care for the poor. The federal government in the nineteenth century started to provide minimal benefits for the poor. During the twentieth century the United States federal government established a more substantial welfare system to help Americans when they most needed it. In 1996, welfare reform occurred under President Bill Clinton and it significantly changed the structure of welfare. Social Security has gone through significant change from FDR’s signing of the program into law to President George W. Bush’s proposal of privatized accounts. The increase in industrialization in the U.S. during the 1820’s caused a rise in homelessness. Women made up the majority of the homeless population. During the beginning of the nineteenth century, private charities helped provide food and shelter for the homeless. Towards the end of the nineteenth century men became the majority of the homeless population. The federal government created “mother’s pension laws” which were protective labor laws that assisted poor women and children. Shelters required a work test for men to enter and only allowed them to stay for a limited amount of time. Charities did not help men in the nineteenth century (Homelessness in the United States). On October 29, 1929, the roaring twenties ended. The U.S. stock market crashed and the Great Depression began. Those who had invested in the stock market for retirement saw their investments disappear. President Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal” focused first on providing employment for the... ... middle of paper ... ...for Children and Families. 6 Mar 2009. . “Medicaid Home Page.” 16 Sept 2004. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 6 Mar 2009. . Shields, Mark. “Messing with Social Security.” Cnn.com. 7 Mar 2009. . “Bill of Rights in Action.” June 1998. Constitutional Rights Foundation. 6 Mar 2009. . “Food Stamp Program.” 4 Feb 2005. Food and Nutrition Service. 6 Mar 2009. . “Women, Infants, and Children.” 1 Jan 2004. Food and Nutrition Service. 6 Mar 2009. . “The Future of Social Security.” Mar 2005. Social Security Administration. 6 Mar 2009. .

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