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Domestic Revolutions: A Social History Of American Family Life
Based on a wide reading of letters, diaries and other contemporary documents, Mintz, an historian, and Kellogg, an anthropologist, examine the changing definition of “family” in the United States over the course of the last three centuries, beginning with the modified European model of the earliest settlers. From there they survey the changes in the families of whites (working class, immigrants, and middle class) and blacks (slave and free) since the Colonial years, and identify four deep changes in family structure and the democratic family, the companionate family, the family of the 1950s, and lastly, the family of the '80s, vulnerable to societal changes but still holding together.
352 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1988
27 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
About the author
Steven Mintz
42 books8 followersSteven Mintz is an American historian at the University of Texas at Austin.
In addition to a commitment to pedagogy, interests on which he has published widely include the history of the American family and children, film and history, immigration and ethnic history.
A cultural historian trained in the methods of the new social history, he is the author and editor of 14 history books, focusing on such topics as families and children, antebellum reform, slavery and antislavery, ethnicity, and film.
In addition to a commitment to pedagogy, interests on which he has published widely include the history of the American family and children, film and history, immigration and ethnic history.
A cultural historian trained in the methods of the new social history, he is the author and editor of 14 history books, focusing on such topics as families and children, antebellum reform, slavery and antislavery, ethnicity, and film.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 14, 2011
This is a useful book for those studying the history of the American family. However, at this point it is very dated. The numbers are slightly off, the analysis derives strongly from the period in which it was written, and it really should be updated. However, there is not another textbook of this caliber with this sort of information. Use it for your class, but don't assign it, and make sure to supplement it with lots of fresher materials.
My other objection to this work is that I read it in December, and by February I had forgotten I had read it. It's just that memorable. So, I reread it, and discovered that it lacks those necessary elements that make for an interesting read. There's an overarching narrative, but it's simplistic at best. The chapters are a little disjointed chronologically, and seemingly random in topic. It doesn't cover material well enough to be a textbook, but is too broad and simplistic to be a monograph.
My other objection to this work is that I read it in December, and by February I had forgotten I had read it. It's just that memorable. So, I reread it, and discovered that it lacks those necessary elements that make for an interesting read. There's an overarching narrative, but it's simplistic at best. The chapters are a little disjointed chronologically, and seemingly random in topic. It doesn't cover material well enough to be a textbook, but is too broad and simplistic to be a monograph.
May 15, 2013
I might have been impressed by this book had I read it in 1988, the year it was published. Since then it has become outdated, and I have read many better and more scholarly works on the subject. I was annoyed by multiple instances of repetitious facts and ideas, and by the author's inability to subvert his own biases when writing supposedly objective analysis. I did like the bits and pieces inserted on family law; that was really the only "new" thing I learned from Domestic Revolutions.
December 13, 2019
Really great book on learning about the family and its roles that has changed over the course of American history and how historical events shape the family.
January 24, 2012
Really interesting. I'm always surprised by how much of what we 'know' about the past is assumed and has nothing to do with reality. Especially liked the quote below:
'History reminds us that American families have been through periods of crisis before and that despite recurrent fears for the impending demise of the family, the institution as such has not disappeared. The history of American family life suggests that we need not be disturbed by change in and of itself, because change—and not stability—has been the norm. American families have repeatedly had to change in order to adapt to novel circumstances—from the challenges of New World colonization to the commercial and industrial revolutions, enslavement, immigration, depression, and war—and the changes that have taken place in family structure, roles, and conceptions have been so far reaching that they might be considered revolutions. Nor do we need to worry obsessively about the increasing diversity of family arrangements, since ethnic, religious, and economic diversity has always been a defining characteristic of American family life. Instead of focusing our attention on the futile question of whether the family will survive, we would do better as a society to confront the concrete problems that face families today, such as problems of employment, income, and child care and issues raised by changing legal norms and technologies.'
Mintz, Steven (1989-04-03). Domestic Revolutions . Simon & Schuster, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
'History reminds us that American families have been through periods of crisis before and that despite recurrent fears for the impending demise of the family, the institution as such has not disappeared. The history of American family life suggests that we need not be disturbed by change in and of itself, because change—and not stability—has been the norm. American families have repeatedly had to change in order to adapt to novel circumstances—from the challenges of New World colonization to the commercial and industrial revolutions, enslavement, immigration, depression, and war—and the changes that have taken place in family structure, roles, and conceptions have been so far reaching that they might be considered revolutions. Nor do we need to worry obsessively about the increasing diversity of family arrangements, since ethnic, religious, and economic diversity has always been a defining characteristic of American family life. Instead of focusing our attention on the futile question of whether the family will survive, we would do better as a society to confront the concrete problems that face families today, such as problems of employment, income, and child care and issues raised by changing legal norms and technologies.'
Mintz, Steven (1989-04-03). Domestic Revolutions . Simon & Schuster, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
April 21, 2025
Dated, with lots of old data that is not relevant today but worth the fast read to better understand the changing role of families – and the political interaction of this popular subject. The author repeatedly points out that for over 400 years, our families have been our “primary unit of nurture and emotional sustenance” in our country. Knowing this, politicians on the right and left try to use this issue, from their perspective, to gain elections.
Unfortunately, according to the author and my own reflection, the confidence that the American family will grow stronger has eroded since the 1950’s. The book gives many reasons including two-parent working families, divorce, poverty, the pull back of government support for families and American’s lack of support compared to many developed nations, and teen pregnancies.
The author presented a few facts I did not know. At the earliest times when Europeans came to America, the Puritans were mostly related to one another, so family and neighbor blurred in most communities. Families suffered from high mortality rates, three-generational households, and sexism set by law and tradition. Families were formed differently, from necessity, not love that brought couples together. Women were expected to be submissive and subject to fines or corporal punishment if they did not meet society norms of obedience. Sexism carried to inheritance of land. It was not until the end of the 18th century when children were held up as ones with special needs. By the 1830’s, children started to become the focus of families. Children shifted from being an economic producer to a consumer as childhood became known as a time for development. In addition, families started to celebrate as a family with birthdays, Christmas, and Thanksgiving. The Christmas tree, birthday cake, and Thanksgiving dinners helped American families to come together with ongoing traditions.
It was also interesting to read about how families lived. The typical home in 1650 of just four rooms, a hall, parlor including a central fireplace and two rooms (“chambers”). Upper class did not enjoy luxury items like framed pictures and quilts for the first time around 1750. The author states that starting in 1770’s through 1830, a new middle-class family emerged.
The author also reported that divorce increased significantly after 1764, potentially because women expected more than their lot and society provided. In 17th century Maryland, for example, the author states that most marriages lasted less than seven years with only a third lasting for over a decade. Starting in 1889, America had the highest divorce rates in the world and, starting in 1906, states started to make it harder for people to divorce. States also increased the age to permit marriage, although these laws are still be contested in some states, including Ohio. Finally, the author reviews how WWII impacted marriage – and adultery – and the new ‘no fault’ divorce laws changed the rules once again.
Thankfully, the author addressed Native American families, mentioning that at the time of English settlements, between 850,00 and two million people were already living here in 240 or more distinct people. They had their own political systems, own languages, and economies. Surprisingly, most Indian families were small but with a high infant and child mortality rate. They raised their kids with praise, not punishment. And women had more rights than their European counterparts since they could divorce simply by placing their goods outside their home.
The author also spoke about African American families. Most were enslaved with little ability to establish an independent family life. Marriages between people in bondage was not legally recognized but people stayed together and cherished their bond. By the eve of the civil war, nearly four million people were enslaved in our country. Two-parent families were the norm, but the author caution one has to keep in mind that live expectancy under slavery was short for those to toil for free – just twenty-gith to thirty-six years, 12 years less than that of freed white Americans. It’s no wonder with poor diets and cramped slave quarters that were not weathered adequate plus substandard health care.
Industrialization and coalmining were also harsh to family life. Irish families were more likely to put children out to work than to have the women working. Long hours and horrible conditions were tough on families. The book reviews how harsh conditions were during the Great Depression where upwards to 50% of people were out of work in Cleveland but how the times gave rise to the New Deal, helping people and families for generations to come.
The author touched on women’s changing roles – their expansion of their own sexuality, support for birth control to have more control over their lives,
Amazingly, the author reports that before 1900, only the poor and unwed moms gave birth in hospitals but that moved to just over a third of births in hospitals by 1935 and 79% by 1945.
The author points to the 1950’s as the ‘golden age’ for families. Facts might say differently when considering the inability of many women to have the economic power to separate from poor marriages and the housing crisis making divorce tough. The author did point out that two million married couples lived separate from their spouses during this “golden” age decade.
There are probably better books on families, especially considering the date this book was published. The author could have used a stronger editor, cutting down 50-100 pages but the book reads quickly but with a textbook feeling.
Unfortunately, according to the author and my own reflection, the confidence that the American family will grow stronger has eroded since the 1950’s. The book gives many reasons including two-parent working families, divorce, poverty, the pull back of government support for families and American’s lack of support compared to many developed nations, and teen pregnancies.
The author presented a few facts I did not know. At the earliest times when Europeans came to America, the Puritans were mostly related to one another, so family and neighbor blurred in most communities. Families suffered from high mortality rates, three-generational households, and sexism set by law and tradition. Families were formed differently, from necessity, not love that brought couples together. Women were expected to be submissive and subject to fines or corporal punishment if they did not meet society norms of obedience. Sexism carried to inheritance of land. It was not until the end of the 18th century when children were held up as ones with special needs. By the 1830’s, children started to become the focus of families. Children shifted from being an economic producer to a consumer as childhood became known as a time for development. In addition, families started to celebrate as a family with birthdays, Christmas, and Thanksgiving. The Christmas tree, birthday cake, and Thanksgiving dinners helped American families to come together with ongoing traditions.
It was also interesting to read about how families lived. The typical home in 1650 of just four rooms, a hall, parlor including a central fireplace and two rooms (“chambers”). Upper class did not enjoy luxury items like framed pictures and quilts for the first time around 1750. The author states that starting in 1770’s through 1830, a new middle-class family emerged.
The author also reported that divorce increased significantly after 1764, potentially because women expected more than their lot and society provided. In 17th century Maryland, for example, the author states that most marriages lasted less than seven years with only a third lasting for over a decade. Starting in 1889, America had the highest divorce rates in the world and, starting in 1906, states started to make it harder for people to divorce. States also increased the age to permit marriage, although these laws are still be contested in some states, including Ohio. Finally, the author reviews how WWII impacted marriage – and adultery – and the new ‘no fault’ divorce laws changed the rules once again.
Thankfully, the author addressed Native American families, mentioning that at the time of English settlements, between 850,00 and two million people were already living here in 240 or more distinct people. They had their own political systems, own languages, and economies. Surprisingly, most Indian families were small but with a high infant and child mortality rate. They raised their kids with praise, not punishment. And women had more rights than their European counterparts since they could divorce simply by placing their goods outside their home.
The author also spoke about African American families. Most were enslaved with little ability to establish an independent family life. Marriages between people in bondage was not legally recognized but people stayed together and cherished their bond. By the eve of the civil war, nearly four million people were enslaved in our country. Two-parent families were the norm, but the author caution one has to keep in mind that live expectancy under slavery was short for those to toil for free – just twenty-gith to thirty-six years, 12 years less than that of freed white Americans. It’s no wonder with poor diets and cramped slave quarters that were not weathered adequate plus substandard health care.
Industrialization and coalmining were also harsh to family life. Irish families were more likely to put children out to work than to have the women working. Long hours and horrible conditions were tough on families. The book reviews how harsh conditions were during the Great Depression where upwards to 50% of people were out of work in Cleveland but how the times gave rise to the New Deal, helping people and families for generations to come.
The author touched on women’s changing roles – their expansion of their own sexuality, support for birth control to have more control over their lives,
Amazingly, the author reports that before 1900, only the poor and unwed moms gave birth in hospitals but that moved to just over a third of births in hospitals by 1935 and 79% by 1945.
The author points to the 1950’s as the ‘golden age’ for families. Facts might say differently when considering the inability of many women to have the economic power to separate from poor marriages and the housing crisis making divorce tough. The author did point out that two million married couples lived separate from their spouses during this “golden” age decade.
There are probably better books on families, especially considering the date this book was published. The author could have used a stronger editor, cutting down 50-100 pages but the book reads quickly but with a textbook feeling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2009
spends most of the time in the 19th century. fairly good though. it's divided by subj like sociology books, but it's still really helpful. what's really nice is that there are pictures of families throughout american history. that part was really cool (and obviously my favorite). actually one of the few to tie medical advances, war, and expenses into how families mobilize, seek help and interact with each other.
March 30, 2013
Mostly dry facts, separated by time period in American history. There's also some thesis confusion. Were the fifties a historical oddity that shouldn't be held up as the ideal, or has the family been disintegrating since then? This could've been any number of other books more focused on specific topics, like the evolution of gender roles, or focused on particular time periods, and that might have made it more readable, but I do think it's valuable to have all this information in one place.
October 1, 2010
Not an easy read, and it is meant to be studied. But it reveals some very important facts and ideas about where the family was before the industrial revolution. I think it could prove to be a great place for where the family might need to go again. Back to apprenticships... for teens and closer communities.
October 29, 2010
I read this for my American Family History class and really enjoyed it. It was interesting to see how family dynamics have changed through the years. It was even more fascinating as I understood how my own family, especially my parents, fit into history.
December 13, 2016
Required reading for my class. Interesting to read about the changes in family structure as economic and political influences changed. But not something I would pick up on my own. It was printed in 1988. Could use an update since there have been many more changes since then.
April 21, 2018
This was the textbook for a course I just took entitled “The Family and Society.” I learned a lot about how the family related to society in each decade. Really interesting stuff. I would love an update since 1988 when this was published.
August 15, 2009
Essentially a textbook, but without the pictures. Remarkably informative.
June 2, 2009
Great comprehensive history of families in America.
October 29, 2009
Very wordy, and a little lengthy. Easy to read than Mary Ryan's book, but still too drawn out for my taste. Very factual and covers the span of different classes, but not particularly helpful.
July 23, 2015
Profoundly enlightening and interesting read for anyone interested in the history of the American family.
March 4, 2024
This book is dated a little 1988 - but most of history is still the same - I thoroughly enjoyed it. This was the text for my family History class and well worth studying it.
April 12, 2025
Life changing really but I can’t guarantee the same for you. I really like the work of Steven Mintz but have not encountered anything else from Susan Kellogg, though I will search for her work as well
It was the right book at the right time for me. First as someone who was setting out to write history, to read a nicely engaging social history on an interesting topic that I had no idea existed in the realm of historical research.
On a personal note, and this is where I can say that the review is how it impacted me not how much I think you will like it, I found myself anxious as a father and a husband feeling a certain way about not living up to expectations that I had developed for myself from social pressures, but looking at the history of family it becomes very clear that these pressures were rather superficial and quite new in the overall span of history. The book was originally published in ‘88 when I was 6 years old so I would love a new edition or more on how the authors feel now or what the would add to it.
It was the right book at the right time for me. First as someone who was setting out to write history, to read a nicely engaging social history on an interesting topic that I had no idea existed in the realm of historical research.
On a personal note, and this is where I can say that the review is how it impacted me not how much I think you will like it, I found myself anxious as a father and a husband feeling a certain way about not living up to expectations that I had developed for myself from social pressures, but looking at the history of family it becomes very clear that these pressures were rather superficial and quite new in the overall span of history. The book was originally published in ‘88 when I was 6 years old so I would love a new edition or more on how the authors feel now or what the would add to it.
June 26, 2020
Although dated (copyright 1988), this book is the best source I have found to give a well-researched description of the cultural shifts in family life through American history. The introduction lays out the premise of the book, and the rest of the book backs it up: America family models changed from the "Little Commonwealth" in the Colonial Era, to the "Democratic Family" in the 1800s, to the "Companionate Family" in the early to mid 1900s, to the "Diverse, Permissive Family" of the late 1900s that is riddled with irresponsible individualism and more desire for self-fulfillment than for care of children. Yet despite how pessimistic this sounds, the book also emphasizes that history teaches the resilience of family in the midst of change.
December 7, 2019
This book was required reading for one of my college courses. It did offer some very interesting insights and perspectives but it was very dry reading. I felt like it blew things out of proportion, making issues seem like the effected every individual when, in fact, the issue only impacted a small minority. Additionally, this book is nearly thirty years old so it doesn't address any issues that have impacted the shaping of the American family since the early 1980s. I did learn a lot from reading this book but I don't see myself as ever picking it up again.
July 14, 2020
Read this book for a family history class The Family and Society. It was interesting to see how history affected the family. It felt like the disntegration correlated with the gain of woman's rights. It would be interesting to see what the author would say about the events that have taken place since the book was released.
Although it was an interesting read, I would not have finished reading it by choice. It was a bit dry. More photos of people in their respective time periods would add interest too.
Although it was an interesting read, I would not have finished reading it by choice. It was a bit dry. More photos of people in their respective time periods would add interest too.
November 14, 2022
The book is mainly about white families though mention is made of Native American family structure and a bit more information is given on Black American families. When Puritans arrived they came with a strict patriarchal structure which slowly became less strict though women were considered property of either fathers or husbands. Many marriages were essentially business transactions. Later there was a turn toward companionate families. The authors also note that there is a misconception of black families under slavery.
January 3, 2024
I lost this book in the move so it took me forever to finish it! I felt very mid about this one. I LOVED the subject matter and thought it was incredibly interesting, but it was written in a way that made it difficult to remain engaged- there was a reason I lost it for months and wasn't too bothered with it. Overall, worth the read for the information, and good to have to reference in the future. It covered a wide range very well.
June 14, 2019
This book was our text for a family history class I was taking and there is some interesting information about family in America through the ages. I never would have chosen to read it just out of interest, but I'm glad I did read it.
December 11, 2019
It was very neat to learn about the evolution of family over the years. Really strengthened my testimony of The Family: A Proclamation to the World.
December 20, 2019
This is a good history of family life and how it has changed throughout the history of America. I did feel that it had bias in some respects.
February 19, 2024
Learned a lot.
October 31, 2025
Thorough review of family trends from changing childhoods, changing marriage customs, work, and homes.
October 18, 2020
This is an enjoyable text about marital and familial changes over time, but there's a quite a bit of repetition. Family used to be an institution that met all of our basic needs, but over time individuals became specialized and the family shifted to a safe haven for companionship. The public sphere is now where we spend most of our time. Women's rights, industrialization, and a focus on the individual vs. the collective has turned humanity into materialists at the detriment of relationships.
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January 5, 2013Pretty interesting book that covers the history of the family in America.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews