Down & Out, on the Road: The Homeless in American HistoryCovering the entire period from the colonial era to the late twentieth century, this book is the first scholarly history of the homeless in America. Drawing on sources that include records of charitable organizations, sociological studies, and numerous memoirs of formerly homeless persons, Kusmer demonstrates that the homeless have been a significant presence on the American scene for over two hundred years. He probes the history of homelessness from a variety of angles, showing why people become homeless; how charities and public authorities dealt with this social problem; and the diverse ways in which different class, ethnic, and racial groups perceived and responded to homelessness. Kusmer demonstrates that, despite the common perception of the homeless as a deviant group, they have always had much in common with the average American. Focusing on the millions who suffered downward mobility, Down and Out, On the Road provides a unique view of the evolution of American society and raises disturbing questions about the repeated failure to face and solve the problem of homelessness. |
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Down & out, on the road: the homeless in American history
User Review - Not Available - Book VerdictThis first comprehensive treatment of U.S. homelessness from the colonial era forward (earlier works have tended to focus only on the transient hobo/tramp figure) was written at the height of the ... Read full review
Contents
The Problem of the Homeless in American History | 3 |
The Origins of Homelessness in Early America | 13 |
The Emergence of the Tramp 18651880 | 35 |
Tramps Trains and Towns 18801915 | 57 |
Organized Charity Social Workers and the Homeless | 73 |
Who Were the Homeless? | 99 |
On the Road | 123 |
In the City | 147 |
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Common terms and phrases
African Americans American Anderson Annual Report areas Army assistance became become began beggars begging Board Boston Bowery camps cause centers century Charities Chicago City Civil Cleveland communities continued Deal decades decline Depression early economic emerged especially example existence experience facilities federal forced History hobo homeless population important increased individuals industrial institutions John labor late laws less lived lodging houses London longer McCook municipal North noted officials organized percent period persons Philadelphia police poor Poverty problem quotation railroad received Reformers relief remained Report residents riding road Robert rooms shelter skid row social Society South street tion towns train tramps Transient Tribune turn unemployed unemployment United University Press urban usually vagabonds vagrants Welfare women workers World York young
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Bibliographic information
| Title | Down & Out, on the Road: The Homeless in American History Down & Out, on the Road: The Homeless in American History, Kenneth L. Kusmer Homeless in American History |
| Author | Kenneth L. Kusmer |
| Edition | illustrated, reprint, revised |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press, 2002 |
| ISBN | 0195160967, 9780195160963 |
| Length | 332 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |