How Did Jacob Riis Abandoned

In the late nineteenth century, Jacob Riis, was considered a renowned social reformer. Riis was known for exposing corruption in America and unmasking the living conditions and faith of babies that came from slums. Riis documented that the majority of babies that were abandoned originated from poor households and that any type of maternal instincts was constrained by poverty. Riis words were impactful because unlike newspapers he was brutally honest. Newspapers tended to give mothers hope by writing stories where children would be adopted into happy homes that were financially stable. This was inaccurate because most babies rarely survived and the few that did ended up in orphanages. A majority of the abandoned New York babies would be left in the streets with …show more content…
However, the number of abandoned babies quickly skyrocketed and the sisters had to place the crib inside. There they would monitor the mother and request she nurture her child and another until they were strong enough. Some mothers would reject this offer, and others would agree in exchange for money. This money would then be sent to aid impoverished neighborhoods. However, New York City had other gruesome and grotesque modes of handling the uprising baby population. The establishment of baby farms was one of them. Baby farms would subject babies to mistreatment by feeding them expired milk and poison. Parents would pay these farms be rid of their children. After the infant’s death the baby farms would have a doctor sign a paper stating the child died of malnourishment. Another gruesome tactic parents would utilize are life insurances. Parents would take out a life insurance for their child and after their death collect the money. This practice was prominent in New York. Although avarice plagued many hearts of New York, Riis also saw it as generous. The Five Points House of Industry was one organization Riis