In 1851, Rhode Island’s towns auctioned their poor to the lowest bidder. This episode exposes the grim reality of the poor farm system—where children, the elderly, and disabled people were chained, locked in sheds, or left to starve for the sake of municipal budgets. Drawing from the original Hazard report, we follow the stories of Willard Wade, Mary Slocum, and Rebecca Gibbs—lives marked by suffering, survival, and a system built on cruelty.

Music: “Endless Nightmare” by Oliver Garcia, licensed via Motion Array.