Passed in England, these laws create the social welfare standards for early colonization. They normalize leveraging taxes to support people living in poverty, and also assert the difference between the "deserving" and the "undeserving" poor. The largest difference is between those perceived as "innocent victims," such as orphans and widows, and those who are defined as "drunkards" and "the lazy."

These laws also break regions up into "settlement areas" for the distribution of aid. "Outdoor relief" refers to care given in people's homes and in public spaces, while "indoor relief" refers to care given within institutions established for this purpose.

Other poverty strategies include auctioning off those living in poverty to rich families who then provide care in exchange for their service, and placing poor and sick individuals with married couples who "volunteer" their care and support for those considered deserving.