The Rise and Fall of The American Teenager by Thomas Hine (pg. 64-125)

Summary
    The first settlers who were Puritans ideas of youth was anyone from ten to twenty one, youth needed a family and an economic obligation. Puritans exchanged children throughout there families, this supported the physiological idea that it’s easier to see other children grow up then your own. Young men moved out of home to find the calling of there apprenticeship which was the most common form of education during the 16th century. During the 16th and 17th centuries, school fit around work and most people didn't go to college. Apprenticeship was idea to orphans and children who were younger because it gave them sort of like a home. The end of apprenticeship came when the industrialization age began. The American Revolution was a youth uprising were youth walked out of there elders shadow. During the 18th century, Americans became taller than even Europeans because of the stress free environment and less diseases. Religion during this time changed the youth and the youth changed the way religion functioned. Before this revival, only people from ages 20 to 35 were full members of the church, in families the father was the main religious teacher. The Great Awakening gave youth and independent experience with religion and it was a way that the idea of equality between genders began. During the 16th century, there were huge problems between practical and academic schooling, Benjamin Franklin organized schools that were dedicated to students vocations, which encouraged students to go to school. Young people became enthusiastic republicans when the American Revolution ended. In 1770, Boston Massacre was started by a young person who threw a rock at a solider for not paying back a wig at his apprenticeship. Schooling for young women wasn't necessary sense they didn’t get jobs. Upper class women went to school just to make friends and for recreation. In 1835, Adolescents didn't exist; they were young Americans who integrated as active members of communities. For slaves, coming of age meant the shocking reality of there whole life. Young women became active in religious revivals and had more freedom and interest in literature. Many youths were stuck between listening to there family and working in a farm and working in a factory. Factory girls emerged and started the first ever dormitory of young women and the earliest form of the youth market. Young women created literary pieces and began an intellectual revolution. The 1840's and 50's brought a time where middle and upper class started controlling there family size through contraception and abortion to save money, and therefore many families focused one education. Irish immigrants ended the factory girls because they took jobs for really low wages and ended republican ideals of social equality and industrial reform because these immigrants were now considered subhuman. The immigrant population massively increased and advocates like Clergy Theodore Parker made  statements that put immigrants into the category of "half-civilized" individuals, and the belief that only children could be saved. 1840's, gang violence was brought by immigrants and prostitution emerged by natives of the north east.  There were advocates for education reform but it was difficult because children were made to work by there parents. America had a huge temperance issues, ids were drinking very young and parents became alcoholics causing children’s as young as10 to leave there home. These children became street bandits. Soon, the Irish revolted against the civil war, protesting and killing many blacks. Children moved far out west and south to find jobs of farmers who took young children. All these problems created the idea of "a self-made man in the making." In the 19th century, many immigrant children saw there childhood shorten and there work time increase. Half way through the century there were two types of individuals, one was going to school, the other which was most adolescents which was working for there families. Teens were always a part of people’s consideration of finance. Most tens worked without pay, sense people were so young when hey started working by the time they were parents they would want to make there kids work.
Quotes 
 "Of course, every family, even today, is an economic unit, and it must make calculations about who must work and how to balance domestic life with the necessity of  employment. Teenagers are still part of each family's financial decisions" (Hine 123).
Reaction
    Hine demonstrates verisimilitude in the life of a family in the 19th century and a family currently in the 21st century. That's what makes his writing so interesting, he is able to talk about the history of families in other centuries and is able to make it relate to today. He explains why there were financial problems back then in families, and it is very similar to problems today. It gives the reader a idea of the main point of the book.  That's the type of style he uses, Hine is very literal and on point with the subject. This quotation connects to the rest of the book by showing how family and there financial stability contributes to the making of a teenager, in the qoute he comparing it two teenagers today, showing the history of teenagers.