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Abused,
Homeless, and Unsupervised Children
During the late 19th and early 20th century, reformers became
increasing conscious of the problems many American children faced:
high infant and child death rates; large numbers of children playing
unsupervised in city streets; and troubling rates of juvenile
delinquency. A new concern was child abuse, a subject that came
to public attention in 1874 as a result of a case involving a
girl known as Mary Ellen.
Out of School Activities of 14,683 Children
Cleveland, June 23, 1913
Where
they were seen:
On streets 7,799
In yards 3,581
In vacant lots 883
In playgrounds 1,869
In alleys 551
What
they were doing:
Doing nothing 5,961
Playing 7,358
Working 1,354
What
games they were playing:
Baseball 1,638
Kites 531
Sand piles 471
Tag 153
Jackstones 325
Dolls 282
Sewing 144
Housekeeping 244
Horse and wagon 113
Bicycle riding 92
Minding baby 60
Reading 52
Roller-skating 47
Gardening 27
Caddy 6
Marbles 2
Playing in other ways, Mostly just fooling 3,171
1. What changes had taken place in the lives of youth, according
to the Boy Scout Handbook?
2.
What, according to the handbook, were the solutions to the problems
of youth?
3.
How did children in Cleveland spend their leisure time?
Education
Resources Invested in Education
Spending on Education Percentage of GNP
Per Child 15-19
1860 $ 5.33 1.4
1900 $20.53 2.9
Improvements
in Education
% Illiteracy 10 or older High School Graduates College Enrollment
Total White Black
1870 20 % 11 80 2.0 1.7
1900 11 % 6 45 6.4 4.0
Proportion of Young Average Days Attended Proportion of 17 Year
Olds
Attending School By Pupils Olds Graduating High School
1870
57 78 2
1890 69 86 3.5
1910 74 113 8.8
1930 81 143 29
1950 82 158 59
Percent of 18-21 Year Olds Percent of Adult Population
Attending College Illiterate
1870
1.7 % 20 %
1890 3.0 % 13 %
1910 5.1 % 8 %
1930 12.4 % 4 %
1950 29.9 % 3 %
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