| Marriage, children, economic circumstances and social | | | | producing items such as farm equipment, clothing and |
| status were closely linked during the 1700s. The | | | | toys were of the lower class. Not surprisingly, lower |
| majority of families were what the famed English | | | | class children also worked inside of these factories |
| author Daniel Defoe termed "the middling class" or | | | | earning far less than their parents' meager wage. |
| the middle class, a status of family that was | | | | Children labored as hard as their parents, often |
| non-existent before the 18th century. During the | | | | carrying heavy loads of materials or sitting at |
| 1600s people were either wealthy and privileged or | | | | industrial machines for countless hours inside of |
| utterly poor and there was no in-between | | | | deplorable factory conditions. Had the term |
| whatsoever. The rise of the middle class began | | | | "sweatshop" been coined at that time, then it would |
| during the 18th century and its impact upon family | | | | indeed have described the factories where these |
| was enormous. | | | | lower class families labored. |
| Women and men of the upper classes did not marry | | | | The middle and upper classes however did not set |
| for love. Instead, they married strictly for financial | | | | foot inside of a factory. Children of the middle class |
| and social reasons. Women who wished to continue | | | | began to attend school for the first time in history. |
| living within a wealthy household simply did not marry | | | | Only famers' children took time away from school for |
| a man of the middle or lower class. A self-respecting | | | | significant periods in order to assist with the sowing |
| gentleman didn't even consider marrying a woman | | | | and harvesting of crops during the summer and |
| from a poor family. It was unlikely she would possess | | | | autumn months. |
| the social graces and dowry required to marry into | | | | The dominant household figure was the father. It |
| such a society. Moreover, rumors would abound as to | | | | was he who determined whether or not his wife |
| why a wealthy young man would wed a girl of such | | | | could work outside the home or whether or not his |
| poor means. Perhaps he had gotten her "in the family | | | | children were to attend school. He owned all of the |
| way" and was inclined to do right by her? Such | | | | family's property and money. Divorce was |
| humiliation could never be visited upon his family. | | | | exceedingly rare since women who left their |
| The middle class on the other hand could marry | | | | husbands had no viable means of survival. Mothers |
| whomever they liked. It wasn't sensible for a | | | | usually remained at home, keeping a hearth and |
| middle-class women to marry a poor man since her | | | | producing several children. Their job was not an easy |
| children would be raised in poverty, yet if her | | | | one. Mothers cleaned the house, made clothing for |
| happiness depended upon it, her family was unlikely | | | | their families by hand, cooked, minded the children, |
| to intervene. There was no need to marry for social | | | | tended a garden and generally tried to please their |
| status or wealth since the middle class did not | | | | husbands. Womens' social status was well below that |
| possess either. | | | | of mens' and they seldom questioned any of their |
| Yet the concept of the middle class was still one of | | | | husbands' decisions. |
| privilege. Up until the 18th century childhood, like the | | | | Yet many upper and middle class families were quite |
| middle class, did not exist. The lower class worked | | | | content during the 18th century. The Industrial |
| hard to eke out a living and their children were | | | | Revolution generated excitement about new |
| expected to work alongside them. School was a | | | | technologies meant to make life easier. Marriages |
| privilege that only the upper class could afford. And | | | | were usually harmonious, children were treated kindly |
| well into the 18th century childhood still did not exist | | | | and a belief in God was extremely important. The |
| for the lower class. | | | | inherent goodness in people provided a solid |
| The Industrial Revolution set into motion incredible | | | | backbone for families and produced a law-abiding and |
| changes in 1700s society. The vast majority of | | | | civilized society in which families flourished. |
| people who worked inside of the new factories | | | | |