Question

What is the main idea of this paragraph?

2. (1) Today, people who find themselves with too much debt can get help from the government. (2) But before the mid 1800s, Americans who couldn't pay their debts were often given harsh punishments. (3) Some people were put in a jail called “debtor's prison.” (4) They were forced to sit in their cells until they had the money to pay back their debts. (5) However, since they couldn't go to work, there was no way for them to get the money unless someone gave it to them. (6) Many people died in debtor's prison because they could not afford to leave. (7) Some people were required to give away everything they had, except for their bedding, in order to pay back a debt. (8) Other people were compelled to become indentured servants—that is, forced to work without a salary until their debt was paid. (9) Sometimes even the children of people who owed money were required to work in order to pay off their parents' debt.

Answer 1

The main idea of this paragraph is to highlight the historical treatment of individuals with debt in the United States before the mid-1800s.

It contrasts the current situation where people in debt can receive government assistance with the past practices, such as imprisonment in debtor's prisons, forced labor, and the severe consequences that individuals faced for being unable to pay their debts.

Furthermore, the paragraph highlights other punitive measures of that era, including individuals being required to give up all their possessions except for bedding, or being forced into indentured servitude—meaning they had to work without receiving a salary until their debts were fully paid. In some cases, even the children of those who owed money were obligated to work to settle their parents' debts.