The ideals of an American household from the late 18th century to the late 19th century shifts from a colonial to a domestic family. This is partially due to the change in economic and social conditions. European immigrants and middle-class white families conform to the new ideal, while other groups, such as the Native Americans, Mexicans, and African Americans, choose to live in alternative family systems. The dominant class also outwardly expresses their opinions towards these nonconforming groups. The ability of a group to assimilate to the domestic ideal is largely based on the economic and social status of the group.

The dominant family system of the late 18th century consists of colonial family ideology. In the late 1700's the primary concept of a family is that of an organic and productive unit in which the father is the head with everyone having a significant and respected role. The perception of colonial family does not include intimate and emotional relationships amongst family members; rather the family is treated as more of a task-oriented functional system responsible for itself as a whole. Sometimes the family is even called its own "little commonw

Members of "non-standard" family groups most likely felt frustrated. Mr. Bernstein from "Hester Street" who feels old culture is being lost through Americanization proclaimed "A Pox on Columbus," emphasizing his frustration with his surrounding environment. In more severe situations, African Americans may have feared their surrounding social order. Native Americans may feel tricked and angered. Overall, these groups probably wished that whatever economic or social situation that restricted their abilities and options were removed. Maybe if these restrictions were removed these groups would conform to the social norms.

Industrialization results in a direct effect on the roles and material conditions of individual family members. This economic change has a drastic impact on women. Though women still stay at home, their previous manufacturing household tasks decline as result of the market economy; families do not need to produce cloth, butter, timber and other items that could be supplied for by the new economy. As the other responsibilities diminish, the role of the wife gradually becomes synonymous with child raising and child care. The man, who now entered the industrialized workplace, becomes associated with time-disciplined work in the public sphere versus the woman who is task-oriented in the "private sphere". A new definition of work arises as "that which is waged"; unfortunately, this implies that a woman's tasks do not qualify as work.

While the already present white middle-class families assimilate to the domestic ideology, many European immigrant family groups attempted to conform; often the attempt to assimilate involves controversy and struggle within groups. For instance, much of the Jewish community, particularly that in New York City, experienced a disintegration of old-world culture during the process of Americanization. The movie "Hester Street" takes place in 1896 and emphasizes the sharp distinction between an Americanized husband, Jake, and his "old-world" Jewish wife, Gitl. Gitl's struggle to conform to please her husband symbolizes an attempt to live by domestic ideology that is experienced by a number of people associated with this group of immigrants. Selma Berrol's article about Julia Richman, who attemptes to teach and "help" newly immigrated Jews and "turn them in to Americans," serves as further evidence of attempted assimilation. This article also emphasizes that learning to live by the American domestic ideal does not come easy and that immigrants feel the pressure of forced Americanization.

There are a number of material conditions of family life that reflect the ideal American family of the 1790's. The colonial home is not only the emotional center of a family but also serves

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Approximate Word count = 1855
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)