Welfare Reform in the Early Republic

Yes, Rockman just presents a brief history text. But the original source documents are the main attraction. They let the modern reader grasp some of the issues of welfare, as they were then perceived, for better or worse, by various contemporary reformers. A common theme is the idea that able-bodied people be expected to perform some labour, in return for welfare charity. Conversely, it was also acknowledged that those physically unable to work should be cared for, albeit in typically a very minimal fashion. By the standards of those times and ours.