For all reasons the rate of marital breakup has remained the same since 1860. In the 1900's 20 percent of American children lived in poverty. That's about the same of children who lived in orphanages during the previous century. Many children were there because their parents couldn't afford to raise them. Experts estimated that the use of alcohol, drug abuse, dropping out of school early, and domestic violence were all higher during the previous century than today (Newman 1995; Coontz 1992). Remarriage among divorced persons is high, suggesting that disillusionment is focused on being married to person rather than on marriage itself (Weeks 1989, 271).