Nineteenth century families had to deal with enormous changes in almost all of life's categories. The first generation of nineteenth century Americans was generally anxious to remove the "Anglo" from their Anglo-Americanism. The generation that grew up in Jacksonian America matured during a period of nationalism, egalitarianism, and widespread reformism. Immigration and social change made nineteenth-century America society increasingly diverse in terms of their ethnic background, employment, social class, education, language, customs, and religion. Americans were acutely aware of the need to create a stable and cohesive society firmly founded on the family and traditional family values. Yet the people of America were among the most mobile and diverse on earth. This volume focuses on the day-to-day lives and roles of families in this period. The roles of all family members are defined and information on daily family life, the role of the family in society, and the ever-changing definition of family are discussed. Topics such as meal planning, homes, entertainment and celebrations, are discussed along with larger social issues that originate in the home like domestic violence, and child abuse and neglect. Ideal for students and general readers alike, this book brings the history of everyday people to life.