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Impacts of the Industrial Revolution on the American Family
The industrial revolution has had a significant impact on an American family socially, politically, and economically. It transformed a family from a unit of production to a group of consumption, causing a reduction in birth rates and change in the relationship between husband and wife and between parents and children. In this paper, I will discuss the impacts of the industrial revolution that transformed the traditional American family during colonial times into the modern American family.
During the colonial period, an American family was a comprehensive unit that earned its living from farming. Men, women, and children worked together on the farms to produce food for subsistence consumption. During this time, few individuals worked for wages or worked outside the homestead, in this case, farms. Colonial family was also a patriarchal institution where fathers and husbands acted as the head of the families. As the industrial revolution took place, there were drastic changes in the way of the American family. As Susan and Mintz refer illustrate, a new American family was formed. Families were forced to move near or to the cities for employment. The role of the Father also changed, instead of acting as the head of the family, the new economy except him to work in the industries, mills, and the factories in order to provide for his family. The women managed their households and catered for the children. They now have more power in the household than before.
Before the industrial revolution, the family was a small representation of a broader community. It was both economic, social, and religious unity. The family was also responsible for taking care of the ill and elderly in the community. By the beginning of the 19th century, radical changes happened that changed the definition of a family. Families became aggressive and commerce-driven due to the rapid economic change and geographical expansion. Furthermore, the new economy requires less emotionality in the workplace. Impersonal relations were maintained at the job, and homes became the arena for feelings and affections. Moreover, unlike before, when spouses were chosen basing on economic grounds, young people in the new family were told to choose their marriage partners on the basis of love and compatibility. Their happiness became the new way to please parents, and men and women were viewed as interdependent partners whose success was measured by their ability to provide love.
In colonial family, a husband, his wife, and their children worked on a standard economic unit to provide for their families. However, this was replaced by new domestic division labor. In middle-class families, a man was expected to provide for the family solely. On the other hand, middle-class wives were expected to devote themselves to raise children and keeping their houses. Their duties become more separated and specialized. The man roles changed from farming to working in the mills and factories, and it was defined by wages; this led to the reduction in birth rates. Before, marriage was followed two-year intervals of childbirth. Towards the mid-eighteenth century, the number of childbirths drastically reduced. Families started practicing basic childbirth controls. Besides, older children spend more time at their homes, thus lengthening child-rearing time, reducing childbearing time. The reduced birth rates could also be due to improvement in contraceptive devices. The population reduced as parents realized the rapid development in industrial sectors and economic needs. Parents no longer viewed their children as economic assets to work at the households.
The social structure of a family also changed. Woman in charge of the home while the man was away and children help in the house, or some supplemented in the family income by taking odd jobs. Before industrialization, the man was the most respected in the family. He demanded respect and obedience from both his wife and children. However, by the 1980s, women started gaining power over men; they could now sue men and gain legal control of their properties. Moreover, laws also allowed women to take custody of their children. The new economic changes expect Father to provide for his family and fulfill his fatherly duties. By the early 19th century, women’s roles took a drastic change. Unmarried women were given opportunities to work in mills and schools. They also started working in religious organizations by engaging in missionary works; this mainly leads to an increase in living standards.
In conclusion, the industrial revolution brought about different struggles that American families had to go through to cope with the changing times. They had to cope up with evolving social class and occupation roles. The growth provided women with the opportunity to join the workforce, thereby contributing to the well-being of the families and giving more respect from their husbands.
Work Cited
Mintz, Steven, and Susan Kellogg. Domestic revolutions: A social history of American family life. Simon and Schuster, 1989.