A History Of Helping

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A History Of Helping

This assignment asks you to examine an organization/program/movement in the history of helping in the United States.

  [img width=”283″ height=”220″ alt=”Three policemen and two other men on the street giving out boxes of supplies to a woman” src=”https://moodle.esc.edu/pluginfile.php/1094189/mod_assign/intro/1930%20Dole%20Photo_cropped.jpg”>
   

Write a four to five page essay examining a specific approach to helping the needy in the past history of the United States.

Choose a specific organization/program/movement and address the following questions in your essay:

  1. Who organized and led the organization/program/movement (professionals, consumers, government).
  2. What/who did the organizers see as responsible for the problem they intended to address?
  3. What attitudes/philosophy/ideology regarding the needy did the organizers bring to the task?
  4. What were the objectives/goals of the program? What did they hope to accomplish?

Below are some Suggested Topics but there are many more that you can explore:

  • 19th Century Poorhouse/Workhouses (also called indoor relief)
  • 19th Century Charity Organization
  • Lowell Mill Girls
  • Orphan Trains
  • Mutual Aid Society
  • Charity Organization Society (COS)
  • Settlement House Movement
  • Company Town
  • Welfare Capitalism
  • Mother’s Pensions (early 20th Century)
  • Milk Stations/Nutrition Programs
  • Old Age Pensions (not more than 30 years; for example 1905 to 1935)
  • Anti-Child Labor Movement (not more than 30 years; for example 1890 to 1920)
  • Veteran Benefits in a specific time period (not more than 30 years; for example 1790 to 1820)
  • Mental Health Institutions in a specific time period (not more than 30 years; for   example 1920 to 1950)
  • Out-of-Wedlock Motherhood Programs (not more than 30 years; for example 1930 to 1960)
  • Civilian Conservation Corps
  • 1930’s Farm Security Administration Rural Health Program
  • Social Security Act of 1935
  • 1960’s Welfare Rights Movement
  • 1960’s War on Poverty
  • Americans Disability Act of 1990
  • Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996

Your research should use strong historical sources. Wikipedia and About.com are not strong sources because their entries can be posted by anyone. Therefore, please do not use these for your research in this course. Below are some suggestions for finding strong sources:

1. The Empire State College Library has a web page for history sources which provides links to encyclopedias, journal articles, books & e-books, websites , images, and both audio and video sources. ESC’s subject guide on history.

2. The Social Welfare History Project has short articles on programs and organizations during all periods of American History. 

3. Women and Social Movements in the U. S. (WASM) contains documents organized by topic covering the time period 1660 to 2000. 

You will be expected to provide citations for your sources in the body of your paper plus a reference page using APA style.