The American Revolution

Question Response #6

Change was abundant in the time following the revolution. The older generation of citizens was used to the hierarchy life in England and Europe. Life was changing in the United States of America and the people had to make a choice; climb on-board and prosper from the wealth, or continue their own outdated ways and be left in the dust. Changes were taking place within family structures, whole communities, and work places during the 18th and 19th century because of the new thought of freedom and equality that everyone possessed.

One of the biggest changes that occurred was the relationship of master and apprentice. In earlier days boys would learn a certain trade from their "master" during the time it took them to grow up. The process of mastering their chosen trade was never an easy road since it could take almost a decade for some to earn respect from their elders and community for the job they performed. This was a tradition in European culture and the boys master would act as a father figure by pointing out mistakes made not only in the line of work but in his person life too. This was considered to be an important part of growing up and becoming a man but things would be different in the new world. Change was upon everyone and everything. Advances in technology allowed for increased and cheaper production of goods that were once a specialty and expensive to own. People making these items, such as black-smiths, were no longer in such high demand because there was machinery being built that could do the same job for less money and in a shorter period of time. Advances in technology were not the only reason for the drastic decline in skilled workers. Since the way of thinking changed from a hierarchy system to an equal one, it was hard to get an apprentice to stick around long enough to learn the trade fully and properly. Skilled workers stopped taking apprentices because the young kids would always complain of cruel treatment and long exhausting hours, resulting in them quitting shortly after they started. It was a waste of time for the older generation of workers to pass down their talent to the younger generation because every time they were criticized it led to the kid quitting and the master searching for someone to fill the void. In short, employees became expendable because they all had and performed the same tasks.

Changing family structure and responsibility were directly impacted by the revolution and new way of thinking. It was traditional for the father to be the ruler of the family and have the final say on everything, while the wife was just there to serve him and care for the children. After the revolution this type of family structure changed and everyone became more equal. The mother was looked upon to keep her husband in check with the community and make sure he was a good citizen. She was also given the task of raising the children and making