Child of guilt, child of misfortune : growing up as a ward of the State in the Basses-Alpes during the Third Republic (1874-1940)

Dans un contexte général caractérisé à la fois par la dépopulation et une forte mortalité infantile, la IIIe République manifeste dès ses débuts une volonté politique sans précédent envers la protection de l’enfance. Entre 1874 et 1923, environ 800 enfants sont admis à l’Assistance publique dans les Basses-Alpes, un effectif restreint lié principalement à la faiblesse démographique de ce département rural et montagneux du sud-est de la France. Il s’agit le plus souvent de nouveau-nés abandonnés par leur mère célibataire, victime de l’opprobre social, mais on admet également des orphelins pauvres et des enfants légitimes négligés ou maltraités. Dès leur admission, les enfants sont placés dans des familles nourricières. Vers treize ans, garçons et filles sont en général placés à gages en domesticité. Si la situation globale des pupilles s’améliore indéniablement au cours de la IIIe République, la stigmatisation dont ils sont l’objet apparait flagrante, et un certain nombre d’entre eux demeurent taraudés par le désir de percer le secret de leur histoire.ABSTRACT: In a context characterized by depopulation and high infant mortality, the Third Republic shows its early political desire to protect children which makes this period particularly relevant to observe from the point of view of the vulnerable population of assisted children: as wards of the State, they are likely to benefit more than other children from the new legislation in favour of health, education and work.. Between 1874 and 1923, about 800 children are admitted to Public Care in the Basses-Alpes, the small number reflecting the sparse population of this rural and mountainous department of the south east of France. It is most often new born babies who are admitted, abandoned by their single mother, victims of social stigma, but also orphans and legitimate children who are neglected or abused. Upon admission, children are placed in foster families who raise and educate them with varying degrees of commitment, but always under the control of the Inspector of Public Assistance. Until the age of thirteen, these young wards live pretty much like most children living in the countryside, that is, working on the family farm as well as going to school (which becomes compulsory in 1882.) Subsequently, both boys and girls are generally placed in domestic service on the farms or less often as servants in the city. During these challenging times, as with all young people, they experience friendship, love, and adventure. However, if the overall situation of the wards is undeniably improving during the Third Republic, nevertheless they continue to suffer from a pervasive social stigma, which drives some of them to search for the truth behind their story