Private Orphanages of the 18th Century

1729: New Orleans - Established in response the Indian Massacre at Natchez. Operated by the French Catholic Order of the Ursaline Sister. The sisters converted their school into an orphanage.

1737: Salzburger Orphanage; Ebenezer GA - Established by August Hermann Franck, German Missionary.

1738: Bethesda Orphanage; Bethesda (Savannah), GA - Established by Reverend George Whitefield, Angelican Methodist.

Public Orphanages of the 18th Century

1794: Charleston Orphanage established in response to the British Capture of Charleston. Many children suffered the loss of their parents. Many of these children were placed in private families and the government paid room and board. Due to the overwhelming number of the children needing care, the government appealed to the public to build an orphanage. The orphanage opened with 115 orphans who were wards of the city.

1794 - 1800: St. Joseph's Female Orphanage opens in Philadelphia; NY Society for the Relief of Widow with Small Children opens in New York City; St. Paul's Asylum for Destitute Girls opens in Baltimore; Asylum for Girls opens in Boston.

TYPES OF ORPHAN CARE

BABY FARMING: Baby farming was a practice of an infant being placed in a broker's care with the notion of the infant would be sent away to be nursed and boarded. Baby farming came under scrutiny in the later half of the nineteenth century in the United States and Britain. In 1868, the British Medical Journal alleged baby farming was nothing more than "commercial infanticide". They claimed the infants were deliberately neglected leading to death. The truth of the matter is many infants indeed died, but proof was never established.

The general characteristic of a baby farmer?  The baby-farmer was usually a middle-aged woman who would solicit for infants by the use of "adoption" advertisements. Many of them were nurses, mid-wives and lying-in housekeepers. A lying-in housekeeper would take in an infant from a poor, unwed mother. The mother would be paid to have her baby placed with a housekeeper and then it was arranged for the infant to be transferred to baby farmers.

The intentions of women utilizing baby farmers varied. Some women wanted to be rid of her unwanted or illegitimate infant; others felt it was best for the baby due to their destitute lives. Oftentimes, the promise of death of the infant was discussed openly. Other women sent their own infants so they could become a wet-nurse to make fast and easy money.

In 1872, Britain enacted the Infant Life Protection Society and required all births and all households with more than one boarding infant be registered. The first state to follow this act was in 1882 in Massachusetts. The state required the registration of all homes that boarded illegitimate infants. Despite these efforts, large-scale infanticide occurred well into the first decade of the twentieth century. Baby farming was the precedent of the establishment of the Society for the Protection of Cruelty of Children.

ORPHAN TRAINS: The orphan trains were in operation from 1859 - 1930. The practice involved placing children from large cities into rural Mid-Western families. It was considered to be a romantic alternative to overcrowded orphanages. Many of the children sent out felt fortunate. Many areas still have reunions and societies to share their experiences. Two of the most notable are the Texas Train Annual Reunion and The Orphan Train Heritage Society of America based in Springdale, Arkansas(which houses information on 3000 riders and a research center).

FOSTER HOMES: While the funds for orphanages diminished, the number of dependent still grew. Their was also a popular view of children should be placed with families whenever possible.

CHURCH ORPHANAGES: Church orphanages were funded and operated by a church. The children resided in the basement, an attachment, or a separate building owned by the church. The variables of care, education, nurturing, and overall success varied between the overseeing religion of the Church. Catholic orphanages day to day operations were overseen by the priests, nuns and brothers of the parish. They were considered to be role models of provide the roles of parents, teachers, and caregivers. Protestant operated orphanages utilized secular members of the community and they believed "idle hands are the devil's workshop". These orphanages taught survival-labor skills, provided education, and taught such skills as cooking and farming. Unfortunately, church orphanages had been under attack since their inception.

FOUNDLING HOSPITALS: Foundling Hospitals was a version of the original "warehouse" orphanage. It was a place for infants with the primary goal of survival. Many of the infants found had conditions that compromised their survival. America's first foundling hospital, St. Vincent's Infant Asylum, was established in 1856 in Baltimore, Maryland. St. Vincent's was operated by Roman-Catholic Nuns. Almost all large cities had foundling homes. 

Advent of American Orphanages

The first orphanage type of institutions are traced back to the seventh century in Europe. Prior to the establishment of institutions, many infants were being abandoned in open places with the hopes of rescue. Oftentimes, foundlings were left with tokens to aid in reclaiming the infant to ensure proper treatment. Orphanages and foundling homes were established by religious orders, conformities, and municipalities due the Bubonic Plague and intense poverty.

By the twelfth century, establishments become more institutionalized and accommodations were rather primitive. The main goal was to keep the infant alive. As the number of abandoned infants rose, a system of foundling homes spread throughout Europe.

Most of these orphanages were located throughout Western and Southern Europe. In Northern and Eastern Europe, the local church took care of abandoned and illegitimate infants. The first orphanage, Hopital du Saint-Espirit-en Greve, was established in Paris in 1366. In 1444, Florentine-Innocenti, was established in Italy.

In England, children without kin were cared for by the Catholic Church until King Henry seized the church's property in 1535. The children then became the responsibility of the government and the common-law courts. In 1552, Britain re-established the foundling hospital and opened Christ's Hospital and welcomed any orphaned or abandoned child. By the mid-1660s, Britain began to feel pressure from religious organizations and they ceased to accept illegitimate infants.

In 1601, Queen Elizabeth enacted her 43rd Law (Poor Law of 1601). Under this law, the public was taxed to provide support to the poor, destitute, and abandoned. The English countries were divided into parishes and became responsible for tax collection. Justices of the Peace were appointed to oversee the distribution of assistance. The type and amount of relief was dependent on the age and/or overall well-being of an individual. Money was provided to the most needed and subsidized work projects were provided for the able-bodied. Older and healthier children were indentured; and the younger, unhealthier children were farmed out to the lowest bidders or they were placed into poorhouses.

By the nineteenth century, over 100,000 infants were placed in foundling hospitals. Parents were able to remain anonymous by utilizing a "wheel". The parent would place the infant on a horizontal turning wheel to rotate the infant into the institution. The ideal was to place the infant into a paid foster home. As the infants aged, continuation of payments was based solely on the institution's decision. Most often, females remained wards of the foundling home until marriage and males were cut off from all support when payment ended.Orphanages Come to America

In Colonial America, dependent child care resembled the English Common-Law System. Small, orphaned children were cared for by neighbors, families, local governments, or church wardens. The older children were indentured to a master. Orphan labor was cheap and in high demand; it was cost effective for both the masters and the taxpayers. Indentureship was a reasonable alternative sparing a child exposure to poorhouses where the indigent, drunks, and mentally ill were housed. Fortunately, indenturing was not stigmatized due to many families followed this practice when a child turned thirteen.

In an attempt to spare children from poorhouses, establishments for children were commencing. The first three orphanages in America were under private auspices with religious affiliations.