The Scandinavian American Fraternity 1893-1918: Life, Health, and Community

Abstract

In post Civil War America fraternal beneficiary societies became important throughout the country. Several reasons account for their presence in cities and towns of all sizes in an industrialized nation. Without fraternal life insurance societies many families found themselves facing financial hardships due to funeral expenses and loss of income incurred by the death of the wage earner. This paper examines the Scandinavian American Fraternity between the years of 1893 when it was founded, through 1918. This study explores the benefits of fraternal life insurance, sick and accident insurance, and the impact such orders had on the communities in which they were formed and existed.