The Orphan Train Movement

Paper Summary:

This paper explores the strengths and weaknesses of the 19th century Orphan Train Movement. It gives a history of the movement, including the factors that contributed to its establishment. It looks at the reasons for the large number of orphans in New York and mentions the importance of the work of Reverend Charles Loring Brace. It also traces what happened to the children after their transportation and follows up on some of the orphan train riders still alive today.

From the Paper:

"The Orphan Train Movement beginning in the nineteenth century was an attempt to correct certain social problems by moving orphaned children from New York to states further West, notably to Missouri, Indiana, and Kansas. The intent was to give these children a better life than they would have roaming the streets of New York or living in an orphanage. For some, what they found was a better life, but for others, the result was often a form of indentured servitude for families who had taken them in and who expected them to work in return. Another consequence was that many of these children were cut off from all ties to whatever families they might have had and to their family history, for records were not well kept and have often been lost entirely. The program was set into motion by the Reverend Charles Loring Brace, and among the reasons were an increase in population due to immigration and a growth in crime, poverty, and disease in New York."

More papers on The Orphan Train Movement:

• Book Review # 132527 : "The Great Train Robbery" by Michael Crichton"
• Film Review # 70893 : "The Great Train Robbery"
• Descriptive Essay # 106569 : "Wangari Maathai and the Green Belt Movement"

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