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This lesson is the third of five lessons to help students understand local government and how they can have a voice in the democratic process. In this program, students will explore how society provides for the poor. During this lesson, students will utilize videos and primary sources to collect information about the pros and cons of the vendue and poor farm systems of poor relief. They will begin to construct arguments for lesson four’s debate on how the town of Old Sturbridge should best care for the community’s poor.
Time: 60-90 minutes
Lesson Plan 3: Gathering Opinions on the Poor Farm Issue
Unit 1 lesson 3 draft 2.pdfLesson 3: Videos
Introduction to Collecting Opinions from the Residents of Old Sturbridge
Blacksmith's Opinion
Prosperous Farmer's Opinion
Minister's Opinion
Farmer's Wife Opinion
Journeymen Cabinetmaker's Opinion
Female Head of Household Opinion
Middling Farmer-Cooper's Opinion
Lesson 3: Primary Sources
Windsor, CT Poor Farm (Connecticut Historical Society collection, date 1800-1890)
Litchfield, CT Poor Farm (Litchfield Historical Society)
over the hill.pdfPoem, "Over the Hill to the Poor House"
poor house accounts.pdfAccounts for the Poor House, Boston (OSV Research Library)
Indenture for Harriet Robbins.pdfIndenture for Harriet Robbins, 1828 (OSV Research Library)
list of paupers.pdfList of Paupers in Sturbridge (OSV Research Library)
molly street complaint.pdfMolly Street Complaint (OSV Research Library)
overseers of the poor minutes.pdfOverseers of the Poor Committee Minutes (OSV Research Library)
This is an image of a Poor Farm from 1841 Temperance Almanac. Temperance was a social movement against the consumption of "pure" alcohol. This accompanies lesson plan 3.
The Temperance Almanac of the Massachusetts Temperance Union; 1841 (175.05 T24aB)
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