In the 1500’s, Unemployment Was Punishable by Death
In English society, it was totally acceptable for people with disabilities and mental illnesses to be unemployed, because they had no other options. If they were seen begging on the streets, it was fine. A Justice of the Peace could actually give a disabled person a license to unemployed. However, there were people who would beg simply because they were unemployed. These people were labeled as a “sturdy beggar” or a “sturdy vagabond”. But in 1536, the Act for Punishment of Sturdy Vagabonds and Beggars was enacted into law. The first offense was two years in prison, as well as the letter “V” branded on their body, labeling them a Vagabonde. If they were caught wandering the streets without a job a second time, they were sentenced to death. During the reign of King Henry VIII, 72,000 people were executed for being unemployed.