Background of the Orphan Train Movement
The problem of homeless children living on the streets of many large eastern U.S. cities was significant. This issue was actively addressed in the 1850s, when the Children’s Aid Society was founded (PrairiePublic, 2015). Charles Loring Brace was the creator of this society and a social activist, and he was the first to suggest the Orphan Train Program to amend the situation. Instead of placing children in juvenile or adult prisons, or gloomy and overcrowded asylums, he proposed sending children by train to the West for adoption. This solution was a remedy, adopted by the Children’s Aid Society and a New York hospital for foundlings.
The common goal of the Orphan Train movement was to save poor and homeless children from perishing. About 250,000 children were transported between 1854 and 1929 (Brown, n.d.). Large cities such as Boston and New York City were specifically unfit for survival on the streets, so several dozen children were sent west on each train (PrairiePublic, 2015). The program helped many children, improved the quality of life in large cities, provided shelter, and attracted more attention to disadvantaged populations.
The Process of the Movement
There were two methods of selecting participants in the movement, neither of which included asking children’s opinions. Since there was active publicity for the success of the social project in the Western states, many people waited to select a child and were not opposed to adoption (HISTORY, 2019). The families participating in the program were primarily chosen among wealthy farmers and approved by the local government. In the first case, some of them described the criteria of a child they would like to adopt, and based on that description, one was chosen at a shelter and sent on the nearest train (PrairiePublic, 2015). For the most part, however, children were sent in batches, making a random selection.
After arriving at the first town in the West, the children were taken to the town hall or city council, where those wishing to adopt them gathered. Prospective adoptive parents examined the child, checking his health and physical abilities. Since it was impossible to adopt more than one child into a family, siblings among street children were often permanently separated. After the adoption process in each locality, the remaining children would be loaded onto a train and followed further down the route for the same procedure in the next town.
The Stories Shared in the Videos About the Movement
An example could be the story of Ann Harrison, who entered the orphanage at ten days old. She assumes that her mother left her in the hospital after giving birth because she could not support her (SmokyHillsPBS, 2019). However, Ann did not learn about this until she was 27, as she was very young on the train. Despite the fear and loneliness that she managed to experience in her early childhood, her new parents were able to provide her with a new life. The situation itself emphasized the general number of possibilities that orphans had.
The Attitude of the Participants Toward the Movement
Many children were afraid to participate in the program because they did not understand the perspectives, and no one would tell them additional details. Some were not complete orphans and did not want to leave their poor and sick parents. Adult adopters, on the other hand, are not always good people (SmokyHillsPBS, 2019). Some wanted to help the children, others needed help around the house, and sometimes the children were not treated well. However, it is worth noting that life was not easy in those days, and everyone, not just adopted orphans, worked in farming or other settler families without exception.
The Pros and Cons of the Movement
The main pluses of the program include helping the homeless, unloading shelters and prisons, and reducing crime and child mortality rates. The main disadvantages include ignoring children’s emotions and wishes, which could lead to further psychological problems, and the similarity of the process to being sold into slavery. Today, the legacy of this program is the Social Welfare Workforce, which aims to help orphans worldwide (AIHA, n.d.). Due to the Orphan Train Movement, caring for children is one of the top priorities of any civilized society.
References
Brown, A. (n.d.). Orphan trains (1854-1929). Social Welfare History Project.
HISTORY. (2019). Orphan trains rescued new York’s homeless children. YouTube.
PrairiePublic. (2015). The Orphan Trains. YouTube.
SmokyHillsPBS. (2019). Placing out: The orphan trains. YouTube.
Social welfare workforce and orphans + vulnerable children (OVC). (n.d.). AIHA.