Gang History 1 of 6

Since biblical times criminal organizations that engage in secretive, antisocial and criminal behavior has continued to plague society. These criminal groups have been apart of history for thousands of years and their roots run deep into America's past and culture. Gangs are not a new phenomenon nor are the problems associated with them, however, they have never touched a greater segment of society as they do now.

The birth of America's gang problem can be traced to the dawn of the country, a time when many Europeans migrated to the East coast with the intent of making a better life. After arriving their savings was quickly depleted and many were forced to take out loans with local merchants and colonization companies, who charged steep interest rates. Life for many was more difficult than they imagined and death due to poverty and disease was common. There were many who died orphaning their children. With no money to send the children back to their homeland and with no relatives to care for them in America was a common problem in many cities.

During the mid-1700s in most towns had an orphanage managed by the local church. Even cities with populations as small as 1,000 people had an orphanage. Most families had their own trials and tribulations and to worry about someone else's children was too much to expect, as a result adoptions were rare. To see children wandering the streets was so common that the orphanages' philosophy was to keep the children separated from the rest of society, not to find a home for them. With little funding and no operational rules or guidelines, children housed in these institutions lived in despicable conditions.

To better prepare the children for entering society an apprentice program was created which could be described as the predecessor to the country's foster care programs. Starting as early as 10-years-old, a boy was taken out of the orphanage and placed with the local blacksmith, butcher or shopkeeper. The boy was taught a trade and received food and shelter. In exchange, the business owner had an employee at a fraction of the cost of hiring an adult. It was hoped that once the boy entered manhood, he would start his own business and become a productive member of society. In reality, community leaders found that the boys were receiving little care and guidance. They quickly discovered that after the boys completed their daily chores, they received no additional supervision or guidance.

Juvenile delinquency became a major concern as scores of homeless children strolled the streets in nearly every large city. Children and teenagers stealing food and clothing was a common problem. Night watchmen had difficulty keeping the youngsters from engaging in minor acts of mischief. Although the youth were banded together, they were more of a nuisance for the communities rather than feared violent organizations. Crime rates quickly rose and by 1790, slave labor was in such abundance that the apprentice program was abandon.