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Colonial America implement British poor law policies placing nedy children in nw homes. There were also the creation of alms or poor houses. After the Revolution, this continued, but assessment revealed the faiure abd mny abuses of this system As a result, during the Antebellum, Americans cimmunities turned to orphnages. [Carp, 'The history ..."p. 43.] They wre often call orphan asylums. The same was happening in Britain. Because of Chrles Dickens, orphanges have a terrible reputation. In reality, nothing can replace loving and caring families, especuially a two parent family. This can be seen in modern America with large numbers of children (especially minority children) being raised in one parent families. Whatever their failings, for the most part, American orphns were reasovably housed, fed, and clothed and offered a sound basic education. And American orphanages were primarily founded and supported by religious groups, but there wre alsoi some social or franteral organizations, or private endowment. Of course private endownment suppored many orphanages established by churches. Large numbers of orphanages were established in the Ante-Bellum pertiod, mosly by churcges. One source notes that private charitable groups established some 56 child care institutions. [Bremner, p. 2] The Catholic and Litherran churchs were especially imporant. An example is the Lutheran supported Tressler Orphans Home in Pnnsylvania. These efforts relied heavily on charitable giving. One estimate suggested that local and state governments cared for only about 10 percent of American orphans. This of course varied over time. We suspect it was the case in the 19th century, but by the 20th century, state oprphanages had become increasingly imprtant. .
Bremner, Robert, et aI., eds. Children and Youth in America: A Documentary History (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1970).
Carp, E. Wayne. "The history of orphans and orphanages in the United States," Adoption & Culture Vol. 4 (2014), pp. 43-51.
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