Balch Institute: Selections from the Museum Collections
Mutual Aid
Introductory Essay


Between 1880 and 1920, over twenty million immigrants entered the United States. While many came seeking better employment opportunities, paradoxically they also faced greater risk. In 1910 a prominent Jewish leader remarked: "In no other civilized land is the fight for survival so menaced by the unexpected and the terrible as in the United States, and in no country is there the feeling of so much insecurity, loneliness, and fear of tomorrow." (quoted in Judah Shapiro, The Friendly Society.) The separation of families and the lack of government aid forced immigrants to rely on each other. Consequently, almost every ethnic group organized mutual assistance or fraternal benefit organizations. These societies provided financial aid, health and life insurance, moral and religious education, and a network of social contacts.

Run according to democratic procedures, with elected officers, mutual benefit societies introduced members to the workings of the American system of government. They also played an important role in transmitting ethnic identity to generations of native-born Americans by preserving and teaching traditional songs, dances, crafts, and cooking. Many associations were closely linked to religion, especially among immigrants of the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Jewish faiths.

One of the earliest ethnic fraternal organizations in the United States is the Society of The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, founded in 1771 in Philadelphia. Although membership in many of the older fraternal societies has been declining in recent years and many organizations have disbanded, the remaining societies continue to contribute to the financial and social well-being of their members.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), an advocacy group formed to combat racial segregation and other forms of discrimination, continues to be a vital force for the advancement and full enfranchisement of all African Americans. Asians, Latinos, and other groups experiencing growth as a result of the immigration reform act of 1965 have formed an increasing number of new advocacy and mutual assistance organizations in recent years.

The museum maintains a large collection of artifacts from various mutual aid associations. The holdings include badges, pins, programs, banners, and certificates which illustrate the scope and importance of these societies in the United States. The Balch library maintains many corresponding collections of records, documents, and photographs.

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© 1996 The Balch Institute For Ethnic Studies

This Internet publication has been supported by grants from
The Equitable Foundation and the William Penn Foundation.


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