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Introduction
Women in the USA have more than a 90 per cent probability of being married at some point during their lifetime ([31] Kreider and Field, 2001). Yet according to the National Center for Health Statistics, one-third of all first marriages in the USA are disrupted by divorce or separation within ten years and 43 per cent are disrupted within 15 years. After 20 years, one out of two marriages result in divorce or separation ([8] Bramlett and Mosher, 2001).
As [40] Phillips (1991, ix) notes "... divorce has become the common partner of marriage at the center of the Western marriage system, for divorce, too has never been so widespread in the Western world as it has become in recent times". As Phillips points out, in order to understand why divorce is so common today in the USA, scholars must look at the historical roots of divorce and ask why divorce was so uncommon in the past. In this vein, this paper outlines major historical trends in US divorce rates and the origin of divorce law in the USA, as well as several of the leading explanations for the increased rates of divorce and the impact of these trends on remarriage rates. Once such trends are better understood, scholars can better recognize and address the implications for marriage in the present day.
This paper shall first consider the differences among the colonies in their legislation of divorce and will examine dominating movements behind legislative changes occurring in the 18th and 19th centuries. Next, the paper notes how the advent of industrialization transformed the family and contributed to rising divorce rates. Finally, it examines trends of the 20th century and common explanations for the dramatic increase in divorce. In particular, this review demonstrates how the feminist movement along with numerous legislative and demographic changes brought about the increased labor force participation of women and female economic independence, which allowed both men and women greater freedom to divorce. Once the reasons behind the increase in divorce are examined, attention is focused on prevailing developments in remarriage. As divorce has become a more common event, the number of people eligible for remarriage has increased and the majority of those entering second marriages have shifted from widows...