ABSTRACT

Care for veterans has spanned centuries in America, with the notion of the first benefits system tracing backto1636,whenthePilgrimsofthePlymouthColonywereatwarwiththePequotIndiansandcolonistssubsequentlypassedalawthatassuredthatsoldiersdisabledinthewarweretobesupportedbythe colonytherea·er(Kizeretal.,1997).By1776,theContinentalCongressextendedthesebeginningsby promisingpensionsfordisabledsoldiers,thoughsomehistorianssuggestthiswaschieflyamechanism toencourageenlistmentsduringtheRevolutionaryWar,asdirectmedicalandhospitalcarewereactuallyprovidedbythestatesandlocalcommunities.Itwasnotuntil1811thatthefirstformaldomiciliary

and medical facility for veterans was authorized by the federal government. A·er the Civil War, states also established veterans’ homes (Kizer et al., 2000).