Poverty in the United States: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics and Policy

The idea of the American Dream has been in existence since the 1800s. Events in Europe, such as the Irish potato famine, the Napoleonic wars and the Scottish Highland clearances sent thousands of immigrants to the New World to find fortunes which, it was rumoured, were in plentiful supply. By the beginning of the twentieth century, immigrants from all over Europe were flooding into the sprawling industrial cities looking for employment and opportunity. The harsh reality: disease, overcrowding and rising unemployment. This was somewhat different from the “milk and honey” ideal many expected from a new life in America and...