History of Orphanages



History of Orphanages

Orphanages provide a residential area for underprivileged kids. These underprivileged kids are called orphans. The parents of these orphans have either died or have willingly abandoned the kids, which in turn landed them into an orphanage. Orphanages have been around for centuries. Orphanages first started to appear in the mid – 1700s.

In the 18th century, we first started to see orphanages pop up in England and Europe. Back then, people did not stay alive for very long. Women usually died during childbirth, which in turn left a number of children uncared for. Orphanages also started to spring up in the United States. Orphanages were existent in Georgia, Mississippi, and New York. There were very few orphans at this time. It was not until the 19th century that they flourished.

In the mid-1800s the industrial revolution started, which increased urbanization and city problems. Problems such as long working hours, crime, unhealthy living conditions, poverty, and relaxed morals, complicated the everyday lives of Americans. Also, the Civil War broke out in the mid-1800s. The Civil War also complicated the lives of Americans. The Civil War took the lives of the men in the family. This in turn led to many children living in the streets. By 1850, New York State had 27 functional orphanages run by both public and private funds. Despite the upbringing of orphanages, there was still an estimated 10,000 kids living on the streets without a home or a parent/guardian.

When cities could not scramble up enough money to build up orphanages, they would often use churches as a substitute. The churches already housed many adults who had problems with getting on their feet, now they just had to incorporate the youth into the church. Not all churches attempted to take in the youth along with the adults. Some churches thought it was too much of a burden to try and take in the whole community.

The orphanages provided the city with an immediate solution of children without parents. It did not completely solve the problem of the overpopulation of parentless children and the overpopulation in the new orphanages. To try and solve the problem, the cities tried adoption. At first, the idea was not popular at all, but over the years parents started to accept the idea.

Another war in our history that is vital to the history of orphans and orphanages is World War I. World War I marked the beginning of the modern day orphan. The orphans of this time were victims of unwed parents, immigration, abuse, neglect, and abandonment. Soon after World War I, the Great Depression took its toll. Parents who were not able to feed and care for their children, would drop their kids off at a church or an orphanage until they were able to provide for them. Some kids lived in these orphanages without their parents for months at a time until their parents came to pick them up. The Great Depression also gave rise to social welfare for the less fortunate.

In the 1950s and 60s society believed that children would grow better in a family environment. Thus, began the closures of orphanages and the rise of foster care and group homes in North America. Society believed that foster care and group homes would improve the kids self esteem and overall growth rather than having them live in a huge orphanage thus ended the era of orphanages.

Works Cited

"Orphanages ." Frequently Asked Questions . The Gale Group , 25 Jun 2008. Web. 12 Oct 2010. .

"Orphanages ." Legends & Legacies. Legends and Legacies , 12 Jun 1999. Web. 12 Oct 2010. ................
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