Explore the history of American social reform and social services 

The Social Welfare History Image Portal brings together photographs, pamphlets, artifacts and documents chronicling the history of the nation's response to human need. This history includes the work of volunteer organizations, reform movements, social workers, and government legislation and systems.

Featured Items

Anti-School Busing Protest, February 1972

Help save Freedom anti busing car P_74_11_18n_rsz.jpg

Black and white photograph of a man and a woman in a car during an anti-busing motorcade to Washington, D.C. The car is driving past the U.S. Supreme…

Better Babies [suffrage pamphlet]

M9 Box 49 Better Babies p1 rsz.jpg

National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) pamphlet on how woman suffrage improves children's health. Cover editorial cartoon by Rose O'Neill.…

Chores of Modern Health Crusaders

U Minnesota_SWHA_Chores of Modern Health Crusaders Nat Rec Assn B3 F PRAA BOD May 1924 rsz.jpg

Poster depicting the eleven Chores of Modern Health Crusaders. These eleven health chores set out the essentials of tuberculosis prevention and…