The Poor Were Forced to Sell Their Children for $2
One of the most horrific consequences of poverty is when parents are forced to sell their children. This still happens around the world today. But tragedies like this were still possible, even in the United States. There is a famous photo from 1948 of a poor couple Mr. and Mrs. Ray Chalifoux from Chicago were forced to sell her children. They were being evicted from their apartment. With no place to live and no income to take care of their children, they made the tragic decision to sell their kids. A sign reads, “4 children for sale. Inquire within.” The children were sold for just $2 each. With modern inflation, that’s still less than $25 each. Each of the children were sent to different families across the country, being spread hundreds of miles away from one another.