Building the Invisible Orphanage

“The virtue of Crenson’s book is that it is a close examination of the sea change that brought the welfare system into existence in the first place.”—David Warsh, The Boston Globe

“Building the Invisible Orphanage is an extraordinary piece of scholarship. It is based on prodigious research and will doubtless alter debates about the origins and development of the American welfare state. It offers a stiff challenge to prevailing perspectives on the history of welfare in the United States. It will be roundly debated and future scholars will have to reckon with its findings.”—Robert C. Lieberman, Columbia University

“A valuable book, sure to leave its mark as an important and scholarly examination of the roots of American social policy, not without implication for today.”—Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan