The Vermont Poor Law went into effect on this day in 1787. The state made caring for the poor the financial responsibility of each town.

The law was designed to create a safety net of care for those unable to provide essential needs for themselves, and was amended ten years later to supply medical care as “necessary” and to teach men to read and write and women to read.

In reality, the law placed such a financial burden on towns that most could not afford it. The poor were often neglected due to lack of money. By 1810, Thetford, as well as many other towns, had allocated half of its town budget to the care of its poor.