Legal Definitions - vagabondage

Vagabondage refers to the state or condition of living as a vagabond – an individual who travels from place to place without a permanent home, stable employment, or visible means of support. Historically, laws against vagabondage were common, aiming to regulate individuals perceived as idle or without a fixed place in society. The term can also refer to the collective group of such individuals.

• Example 1: During the 17th century in many European cities, local statutes often criminalized the act of being found without a fixed residence or a demonstrable trade. An individual apprehended repeatedly for wandering the streets without a clear purpose or means of income would be charged under laws designed to combat vagabondage. This illustrates the legal enforcement against the condition of being a vagabond.

• Example 2: In the aftermath of a major economic downturn in the early 20th century, newspapers and social commentators frequently discussed "the rise of vagabondage" across the country. They were referring to the increasing number of unemployed workers and families who were forced to travel from town to town, seeking work or charity, thus highlighting the term's use to describe a class or group of people in such a condition.

• Example 3: Consider a historical novel set in the American West, where a character is depicted as constantly moving between mining camps and frontier towns, never settling down, owning no property, and living solely by their wits and occasional odd jobs. The author might describe this character's transient existence as a life of vagabondage, emphasizing the individual's rootless and unattached condition.