How Welfare Worked in the Early United States

What was American welfare like in George Washington’s day? It was expensive, extensive, and run by local governments. Known as “poor relief,” it included much of what we would now call welfare and social work. Unlike other aspects of government, poor relief remained the same, in structure, between the establishment of British colonies in the 1600s and the New Deal of the 1930s. How Welfare Worked in the Early United States: Five Microhistories tells the story of poor relief through the lives of five people: a long-serving overseer of the poor, a Continental Army veteran who was repeatedly banished from town, a nurse who was paid by the government to care for the poor, an unwed mother who cared for the elderly and struggled to remain with her daughter, and a young paralyzed man trying to be a Christian missionary inside a poorhouse. Of Native, African, and English descent, these five Rhode Islanders’ life stories show how poor relief actually worked. For them and for millions, all over the United States, poor relief was both generous and controlling, local and yet largely uniform around the nation. Two centuries ago, Americans paid for—and relied on—an astonishing government system that provided food, housing, and medical care to those in need, while also shaping American families and where they could live. Students of history and of today’s social provision have much to learn about how welfare worked in the early United States.

A Possible Twin: The 1960s Twin Study Revisited/Twin Research: Twin-to-Twin Heart Transplantation; Distinguishing Monozygotic Twins; Twin Conceptions via Oocyte Donation; Factors Affecting Craniofacial Traits/In the Media: Triplet Delivery in the UK; Conjoined Twins and the Concept of Self; Colombian Twin Trainers; Skin Grafting to Save an Identical Co-Twin; Lack of Physical Flaws in Dolly the Cloned Sheep; Possible Conjoined Twins of Opposite-Sex; Passing of the Remaining Twin From the World's Longest Separated Pair

This article begins with the story of a 51-year-old Los Angeles, California man, Justin Goldberg, whose daughter caught a glimpse of his striking look-alike at a popular market. Many people have so-called doppelgängers, but this occurrence is especially intriguing — the individual in question, born in New York City in the mid-1960s to an unwed mother, was an adoptee placed by the Louise Wise Adoption Agency. This agency, under the guidance of a prominent psychiatrist, decided to place twins in separate homes. Some of these twin children were part of a controversial child development study that was hidden from them and their parents. Next, recent and current twin research on heart transplantation, distinguishing monozygotic co-twins, twin conceptions via oocyte donation and factors affecting craniofacial traits are summarized. The article concludes with highlights on twins in the media, specifically, a triplet delivery in the United Kingdom, self-concept and consciousness in conjoined twins, Colombian twin trainers, skin grafting to save an identical co-twin, lack of physical flaws in Dolly the cloned sheep, possible opposite-sex conjoined twins, and the passing of the remaining twin from the world's longest separated pair.

The Mental Health Status and Intellectual Ability of Unwed Mothers Dwelling in Korea Shelter Homes

Although the number of unwed mothers have mental health problems and intellectual disability, little research have focused on their mental and cognitive status. Since there has been public stigma of unwed mother in South Korea, they tend to conceal their status and less likely to seek psychiatric and psychological help. In this context, this study aims to assess current status of their mental health and intellectual characteristics. A total 48 unwed mothers from two shelter homes in South Korea were agreed to participate in the study. To compare mental health and intellectual abilities of unwed mothers with the general women population, reference data from national studies was used. Unwed mothers were more likely to have mood disorder, post traumatic stress disorder(PTSD), alcohol and nicotine use disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than the general women population. Among 48 participants, 20 (41.7%) were lower than 70 Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and the mean of IQ (78.31) was significantly lower than normalized IQ mean of general women population. In logistic regression analysis, psychiatric disorders were associated intellectual disability. This study confirmed that unwed mothers dwelling in Korean shelter homes have more experience of mental disorders and lower intellectual ability than general women population.

Twenty-One

As the chapter opens, Barbara’s career again takes central focus. Arthur Sawyer’s strategy for handling her career, his determination to capitalize upon her ability to embody vamps, and his procurement of several beneficial film contracts for her are detailed. Included among these contracts are roles in The Eternal Struggle (1923),Strangers of the Night (1923), The Brass Bottle (1923), and St. Elmo (1923); plot synopses and information pertaining to production and critical commentary are provided for each film. Additionally, a significant portion of the chapter centers on Barbara’s home life and Sonny. Featured in this section are Barbara’s formal introduction of her son to the public, further public reaction to Barbara as a mother, Barbara’s parenting practices, and her inner conflict with having to live a lie in order to avoid losing her career to scandal for raising Sonny as an unwed mother.

Nineteen

This chapter continues tracing the ascension of Barbara’s career as she proves the extent of her versatility as an actress. Director Louis J. Gasnier, disregarding Barbara’s vamp typecasting, casts her in “human” roles inThe Hero (1923) andPoor Men’s Wives (1923); her success in these films confirms his instincts. Sawyer arranges additional contracts for Barbara, beginning with a supporting role inSouls for Sale (1923) and a cameo appearance inMary of the Movies (1923). Plot synopses, production information, and details relating to critical reception are presented for all films discussed. This chapter also sets the stage for a developing scheme that will, if successful, enable Barbara to live openly with her son, Sonny, as an unwed mother without scandal decimating her career. The chapter closes with Barbara befriending actress ZaSu Pitts, a woman who will play a significant role in Sonny’s life.