When Feminists Liked Kids

In 1874, two Bostonian women named Bessie Greene and Lilian Freeman Clarke founded an institution for expectant mothers. Known as the Society for Helping Destitute Mothers and Infants (SHDMI), it embraced an approach to charity that was truly American, in a Tocquevillian sense. The SHDMI wanted to help desperate women. But it also placed a high value on both moral responsibility and associational life. Instead of setting up headquarters in a brick-and-mortar establishment, representatives worked with women one-on-one. Some financial help was given, but just as much stress was placed on friendship, general life advice, and help in finding jobs. The goal was to supply some of the social “roots” that were typically missing in the lives of unwed mothers.