Welfare Reform in the Early Republic: A Brief History with Documents (Bedford Series in History & Culture)
"Welfare Reform in the Early Republicis a superb teaching tool for undergraduates studying the operation of capitalism and the problem of poverty in American history. Rockman's collection covers welfare reform from multiple angles: elite perceptions of poverty; private and public institutions providing poor relief; and structural explanations and cures for poverty. That Rockman is so attentive to variables of gender and race while highlighting the factor of class only adds to the utility of this impressive document collection." --Konstantin Dierks, Indiana University"As yet another generation of elected officials and moral reformers debate the issues of poverty, public welfare programs, and social inequality, Seth Rockman demonstrates how these very same issues bedeviled Americans in the early years of the republic. The book is expertly designed to combine primary sources (including political speeches, almshouse records, and religious tracts) with insightful historical context for any course on American social and economic history. I have had great success with this book in my own classroom, and recommend it highly." --Jonathan Earle, University of Kansas--This text refers to an alternatePaperbackedition.