Why the Divorce Rate in 1900 Was Only 7%

Why the Divorce Rate in 1900 Was Only 7%

The divorce rate was:
  • 7% in 1900.
  • 26% in 1950.
  • 40-50% from 1975 to the present.

Since 2003, the “official” divorce rate has dipped below 40% at times. But this doesn’t reflect break-ups of cohabiting couples, and cohabitation has doubled since the mid-1990's. 

Andrew Cherlin, a sociology professor at Johns Hopkins University, explained, “In order to get divorced you have to get married first.” (source)

In addition, couples who've been married for several decades are divorcing at a higher rate than in the past. (See Shades of Gray Divorce.)

So what’s changed in the mentality of couples since 1900 to make divorces increase more than 700%? 

Why the Divorce Rate in 1900 Was Only 7%There have been tremendous social, educational and economic changes in our world in the last century. 

In 1900:
  • 98% of these couples had no electricity.
  • 80% had no indoor plumbing.
  • Most of them heated with wood or coal.
  • There were none of our modern conveniences like air conditioning, washing machines, microwaves, and automobiles.
  • Life expectancy was 49.2 years.
  • The leading causes of death were pneumonia and tuberculosis.
  • The average couple had less formal education.
Sometimes we think more money, material possessions, free time, and education make people wiser and happier. But that obviously isn't the case.

So why were there fewer divorces in the 1900s? 

Suggested Causes:

Wife Abuse: Some people claim that the only reason the divorce rate was lower is because women were not able to get free from abusive marriages. There is no excuse for abusive marriages, and women caught in these situations in the 1900s had fewer rights than women today. This could account for a slight increase, but not a major cause.

Difficult Divorce Laws: Some people claim that the divorce rates were lower simply because the laws made it harder to get divorces. There may be some truth in this, but laws reflect the attitudes and opinions of culture. In the early 1900s laws reflected more of a biblical view of commitment than our current laws. Now a person can simply grow tired of their spouse or "fall out of love." See Falling or Walking

The divorce rate was extremely low in 1900. This devotion offers some possible reasons with a biblical perspective.
Women's Rights
: It's true that there was a time when women couldn't own property, but those laws began changing in mid 1800's and the divorce rate remained low. Increased women's rights could have made divorce more attractive, but it didn't cause it.

Life Span: Some believe that more divorces occur now simply because people live longer. It's true that our life span has increased drastically in the last 100 years. However, most divorces in the U.S. occur between 25-39 years of age (source).  In addition, people in the early 1900's tended to marry at an earlier age than people today (source).

But note this: Even if these reasons contributed to the rise in divorces between 1900 and 1950, they can't be blamed for the dramatic increase since the 50's. And if we add the number of "divorces" involving unmarried couples who live together, the rise is even more dramatic. 

There are multiple reasons for the rise in divorces, but it's undeniable that our expectations and selfishness play a huge role. Most modern marriages end due to lack of commitment, extramarital affairs, money problems, or refusal to work through difficulties. If a person feels unhappy, they are more likely to divorce than commit to the hard work of restoring a marriage.

We’ve come to expect easy lives, immediate results, quick fixes, and personal freedoms. We take luxuries for granted and get depressed if things don’t go our way. And these attitudes affect all of our relationships. (See Don't Give Me What I Deserve and 2 Hindrances to Christian Growth).

The divorce rate was extremely low in 1900. This devotion offers some possible reasons with a biblical perspective.
We've come to think that marriage should always be romantic, fun, and easy. 


Perhaps the couples in 1900 knew everything worthwhile took hard work. Perhaps they were realistic enough to know their marriages would not be perfect and "fun" all the time.  

Sometimes marriages end no matter how hard one partner tries. But most marriages end because both partners give up too easily. They put more forethought, time, and effort into their wedding ceremony than their marriage.

I’ve been married 50 years, and I have a great relationship with my husband. But we’ve gone through periods that weren’t so great, when our love grew lukewarm and our attitudes needed adjustment... when we needed to be more patient and forgiving... when we needed to remove the logs in our eyes and quit picking at the speck in our spouse's eye (Matthew 7:3-5)... when we needed to quit waiting for the other to make the first move and make it ourselves. 

It's typical for marriages to go through various stages of growth and the transitions are not always smooth. (See: 7 Stages of Marriage.)

Like anything worthwhile, marriage requires prayer, dying to self, endurance and patience. But it’s worth it. And when we don't feel like persevering for our husband's sake, we can persevere for the Lord. (See Don't Freak Out and Is All Conflict Bad?)

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24
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Sources for this post: Facts in 1900Pew Research on CohabitationInfo Please

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The divorce rate was extremely low in 1900. This devotion offers some possible reasons with a biblical perspective.


 


46 comments:

  1. Thanks for these eye-opening statistics! And I agree, we do expect life to be easy and for our marriage partner to fulfill us--something that only God can do. And as far as being naive, I don't think anyone married 42 years could be accused of that! ;) Great post!

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  2. Gail,
    I asked Dr. Chapman what he thought the reason(s) might be for such a significantly higher divorce rate. He cited the fact that there's less social stigma attached to divorce, high rates of pre-marital sex with multiple partners, and the busyness of our society that doesn't leave much time left over for working at a relationship. Wow. Thanks for a thought-provoking post :)

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    1. I'm looking forward to seeing your interview with Gary Chapman in print in Outreach Columbia, Lori.

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  3. Wow, that's pretty amazing. I knew that the divorce rate had significantly increased but that's just crazy how fast it increased from almost nothing to half of all marriages.

    Elizabeth@Warrior Wives
    www.thewarriorwives.com

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    1. It is, isn't it? I was surprised when I did this research. thanks for stopping by, Elizabeth.

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  4. Stopping by from the Marital Oneness Monday link up! I couldn't agree with you more. I always feel closer to my husband when we are working together at something. Our cultures fast paced lifestyle doesn't even leave time for that! Now the big question is, how do we get back that "hard life" mentality?

    http://the-life-of-faith.blogspot.com/

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    1. Good question...I think we need to find some ways to recreate the values if not the lifestyle. Thanks for stopping by.

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  5. Happy Anniversary! I think another reason why divorce stats have skyrocketed is because laws have changed making it much easier to get a divorce without a "cause" other than we "fell out of love" Before the 70's you had to have a very good reason to be granted a divorce.

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    1. and it no longer takes years even for one when the spouse was caught . Social stigma is gone, and so many do not care to get married. btw we are going 41, it was for better or worse, there were worse times that dr said most woould have parted ie spuse major heart aqttack at 38, son traumatic brain injury, my ill health. For us these times are when we clung together for support,faith in God.

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  6. Thank you for such a great post. I think people who lived in the early 1900s were willing to work with their differences or even put up with their differences without thinking that there was a way out.

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  7. What great insights about marriage. After 42 years you obviously know what you are talking about. Those of us who haven't been married that long need to hear from people like you. You give us hope. Thank you and have a blessed day today!

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  8. Good post, thank you. I think it is the lack of hard work, and the instant graitfication attitude of today that is partly to blame for the high divorce rates. As well as the general lack of morals.

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  9. Yes, like another poster said, "no fault" divorce happened in the 70s. That is certainly a contributing factor.

    I think non-believers would say that, sure, people stayed together, but they were unhappy and should have gotten divorced instead. I wish there was a way to go back and found out what percentage of those married couples considered themselves to be 'happily' married. I bet they chose to be content and make it work because that's the way things worked back then! I wish we had a little bit more of that going on now. There are seasons of marriage where you just have to choose to be content. But then there are other times that are so wonderful! And those times make the hard times worth it.

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    1. Yes, there are a number of factors some related and some not. Thanks for taking time to comment.

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  10. Amen!!! We are at 40 years and yes, it's been work, and there've been good times and bad. But we determined early on in our dating that divorce was not an option. So we soldiered on and we keep working on our marriage even when we don't feel like it.

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  11. I think if you only lived 49 years, there wouldn't be as many opportunities(years) to get a divorce. My mother has talked about two uncles in her family that divorced and that was almost scandalous in the early part of the 1900's.

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    1. That's true, Carol, they didn't have time for late divorces. But stats show the median age for a first divorce now-a-days is 32 for men and 30 for women, and the average duration of those first marriages is 8 years. And since they married younger in the 1900s, I imagine it's more about values. And you're right about the stigma attached. It was definitely looked down on much more in the past than in our current culture.

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  12. Hi, young wife here, can you describe the periods of lukewarm in your marriage? It kinda freaks me out! Thanks , great post.

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    1. No reason to be freaked out, Anonymous.

      While most marriages go through periods that are lukewarm, it need not happen to yours if you are consistent and deliberate in two areas: dealing with your sins in relationship with the Lord and not assuming that your marriage will stay healthy without time and effort.

      I think I'll do a devotion on this subject...so be looking for it. Since you are freaked out, maybe others are as well. : )
      Bless you, Gail

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  13. I agree with your post completely!! I've wrote similar blogs as well. :)

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  14. You've handled a sensitive subject with grace and a sense of groundedness.

    Congratulations on your 42 years of marriage! That takes a lot of work...a lot of love...and a lot of grace...

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  15. I agree that there is less education on people today about the fact that marriages aren't a barrel of fun all of the time and you have to work at it. I certainly was not prepared and I do wish that this was something taught and exemplified. However, I would also like to point out that there were women in horrible, violent and unmanageable situations back pre 1950's who did not get divorced because to leave their husbands meant losing their children and they had no means of supporting themselves. In this regard, I think times have changed for the better.

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    1. Yes, I know this must have been true in some cases, and I certainly don't think women should be victims of abuse.

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  16. I was blessed with the excellent example of my parents who were married for 50 years when my senior dad went home to be with the Lord. By the grace of God, my husband and I determined to give our children the same gift and we were married for 27 years before he, too, went to be with the Lord. It is truly a gift to God to be able to do this and His grace that enables it coupled with a ton of prayer! LIfe is easier now in some ways and harder in others but God is our everlasting constant!

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    1. A good marriage example is a wonderful heritage. Thanks, Gail

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  17. Thank you for this fabulous eye-opening post!!!! So true! Yes, a lasting marriage is not like a trip through the drive through of a fast food restaurant! :) Most folks today are not willing to put the resources into a good marriage. Too much emphasis is on self-fulfillment and getting what we want when we want it -- applies to children and adults in this age of instant gratification! Thanks for posting and for linking up with Marriage Monday over at Yes they are all Ours! :)

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    1. Love your analogy about marriage not being a trip through the fast food drive through! So true. Thanks for sharing these insights.

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  18. This in my humble opinion is the key to improving marriage. Get post again, Gail. I haven't read a post of yours that wasn't excellent yet!!

    ...when we needed to quit waiting for the other to make the first move and make it ourselves.

    Like anything worthwhile, marriage requires prayer, dying to self, endurance and patience. But it’s worth it. And when we don't feel like persevering for our husband's sake, we can persevere for the Lord.

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    1. Thanks for the confirmation and encouragement, Judith. I know you also know lots about having a good marriage.

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  19. Very interesting findings! I agree that the working hard thing back then likely applied to their marriages, helping make them stronger. It's sad how belittled marriage has become in today's society. Congrats on 42 years!

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  20. I'm in a younger generation and your point is very true that people aren't working as hard as they should on their marriages. But what I've also seen with friends is how easily the trap of infidelity is ruining marriages. Our generation thinks that opposite sex friendships are fine, connecting with old flames online is fine, and pornography is natural. Morals are changing and its hurting people and their marriages.

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  21. this is wonderful and so insightful as me and my husband ae going through tough times right now with his illness so theres a lot of stress. I need to be reminded that I need to make the effort to serve him as the Lord requires before thinking about myself.

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  22. I was amazed to read that in the 50's the divorce rate was so high. I was born in the 50's and you just never heard of any other children whose parents were divorced, and no adults my parents knew got divorced.

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  23. Economics (sustaining life) was also a factor impacted the "staying power" of marriages at the turn of the century. Men worked, women cared for the household. It took both to survive. Divorce would produce a fate for either party which would place much greater stress in day to day living.

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  24. I believe that there were a combination of factors. But I began to notice that as far as divorce/remarriage being "allowed" in the church, it happened to come soon after the NIV first came out in the 1970's and changed the verbage in Matt. 5:32 and Matt. 19:9 from "saving for the cause of fornication/except it be for fornication"(KJV) ... to ... "except for MARITAL UNFAITHFULNESS"(NIV). To the average Bible reader at that time, most, like myself, could have told you that the meaning of fornication was pre-marital sex (unfaithfulness before marriage). But now when we started reading this new translation with "marital unfaithfulness", it "sounded like" now, it really pertained to unfaithfulness only "in" marriage! Unfortunately, this was further from the truth as we are now finding out. For one, fornication wasn't a good English word for the meaning of the greek word porneia, as porneia really means "unlawful, by God's law, sexual misconduct or promiscuity that was subject to capital punishment by means of stoning or if you were the daughter of a Levite, burning to death." This included incest (marriage to a close relative), fornication of a betrothed woman, etc. Divorce wasn't necessary since the law of God demanded the above capital punishment as we can see from the story of Jesus and the adulterous woman and Old Testament laws. It was unlawful to divorce for unlawful sexual sins. One couldn't even get forgiveness for this sin, like giving a sacrifice for the sin. There was no sacrifice for this sin. It was that much of an abomination to God, as we can see how he feels towards the children of Israel when they were unfaithful, expressed so fully in the books of the prophets. The Romans permitted the Jews to stone etc for religious infractions (like Paul killing the Christians), but the Jews gave Jesus over to the Romans for a so called "evil doer" civil infraction. Thanks be to God, for Jesus amazing atonement for our sins, as we repent and turn from our sin. This is truly Good News. We CAN find forgiveness ... on the other side of our repentance. That's God's only requirement, repentance: "Go! And sin no more!"

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    1. Hi Teresa,
      I'm not sure I fully understand your comments, but the two verses you site are verses pertaining to marriage/divorce. The word "marital unfaithfulness" would be an accurate and appropriate translation, easily understood as adultery. And since fornication covers all forms of sexual immorality, it would have meant adultery when used to describe sexual sin in marriage. You can't have premarital sex while married.

      In addition, there are many other verses that speak against sex outside of marriage and all translations of Scripture accurately translate those verses, so thinking premarital sex was okay would mean only reading passages about marriage and ignoring all of the other information contained in Scripture, so I don't think any Bible translation contributed to the acceptance of premarital sex.

      Cultural influences and selfishness are responsible for the increase in both premarital sex, adultery, and divorce, not Bible translations.

      And in both Old and New Testaments, God forgave sexual sins based on the future redemption of Christ. The story of King David is an excellent example. Forgiveness and punishment are two separate concepts. God forgives those He punishes. Again, King David is an excellent example. Christians suffer consequences, discipline, and punishment for our sins even though we are forgiven (Hebrews 12:5-7).

      I may have missed some of what you were trying to say, but I thought those things needed to be addressed. Like you, I am also grateful for the Good News of Christ's atoning death.

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