Change in Lifestyle
The work ethic and the definition of the American lifestyle drastically changed and redefined itself during this shift from agricultural America to a more industrialized country. Before the 20th century, many Americans lived their daily lives working in tough labor jobs trying to make the minimum living. However as more immigrants started to fill up those hard labor jobs, Americans were able to pursue careers and jobs that didn't have them work endless hours just to get minimum pay. Overtime throughout the late 1890's and early 1900's, Americans were able to have a lot more leisure time for themselves throughout days of the week and on the weekend. As more free time became present, they started to indulge themselves into hobbies and activities that they were never able to make time for such as arts and crafts or shopping to other hobbies that would also be popular during this time such as going to sport events and movies. Furthermore, not only did they have their own time for themselves, but were also given days off from work and people started to become more interested in vacations and going to places on days off and so beaches and family activities would also be very significant in modern leisure activities and would increase in popularity. Americans especially adults had drastic changes in their daily lives and that the developing modern lifestyle was a lot more relaxing and carefree compared to the older hard labor lifestyle but it wasn't just adults that had their way of living be heavily affected by more leisure time.
The life of children started to drastically change as well as they would also have some more time for themselves which would lead to the modernization for relaxation in the child's childhood. The standards for middle and lower class children shifted to have them be more educated and more focused on knowledge and going to school then having them be put into sweatshops and hard labor environments at such a young age. So as kids started to go to school more, they had a lot more time for themselves compared to when the majority of the kids were in sweatshops and harsh working conditions but now children were able to have a more relaxing and entertaining childhood. With their free time, kids would spend their time outside playing games with other kids whether it's on the street for the children living in the city or on playgrounds and in fields for children that lived in the more rural areas. "Most urban children in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century played on the streets and sidewalks"1 Children were also very into sports during this time which would become one of the factors on why sports would become a significant hobby during leisure time as well. Not only would these children be one of the factors for the popularity of sports, but they reshaped the ideal image of the American childhood where instead of having these kids work endlessly and changed the idea of childhood to be more fun and full of activities and happiness and this all happened to ability to create and pursue activities during their free time as well.
1 Library, DPLA. “Children in Progressive-Era America.” Play | DPLA, 2021. https://dp.la/exhibitions/children-progressive-era/play/urban-children.