Poverty in America: An Encyclopedia

How has the U.S. dealt, throughout its long history, with one of the worlds oldest problems? Although poverty has always been part of the human experience, societal reactions and responses to it have been as varied as the condition has been static. Poverty in America has its own turbulent history of causes, effects, and remedies, from debtor's prison to the War on Poverty, from Social Darwinism to food stamps. This in-depth encyclopedia covers the entire history of American poverty from every angle--historical, social, cultural, political, spiritual, and literary. How has poverty been defined in America? What has been done to prevent it? How have minority groups been affected? How has the church reacted? And what, if anything, can be done to eliminate it? Poverty in America covers these issues in vivid detail, from the colonial period to the Industrial Revolution to the global economy of the 21st century. Impactful primary document excerpts from key periods throughout American history are also included, providing firsthand accounts from all sides of the issue. A chronology of events and an extensive bibliography round out this fascinating work.

Russell M. Lawson is Associate Professor of History at Bacone College in Muskogee, Oklahoma. He has written numerous works in American and European history. He is editor ofResearch and Discovery: Landmarks and Pioneers in American Science, 3 vols. (2008). Other recent works includeThe Isles of Shoals in the Age of Sail: A Brief History and The Piscataqua Valley in the Age of Sail: A Brief History, both published in 2007. He was an editor and contributor toDictionary of United States History, New England States (2005), Encyclopedia of New England Culture (2005), andThe American Years: Chronologies of American History and Experience (2003).

Benjamin A. Lawson is a Graduate Instructor in American urban and social history at the University of Iowa. He has previously published entries inResearch and Discovery: Landmarks and Pioneers in American Science, 3 vols. (2008) and has had original maps, drawings, and photographs published in several books. Benjamin also has a BFA in studio art and a BA in art history from Oklahoma State University.