Before 1802, almost everything needed by a family was produced at home on the farm. Then the Embargo Act of 1807 stopped the export of American goods and ended the import of goods from other nations. America now needed to free itself from dependence on foreign goods and domestic manufacturing became imperative. With the widespread use of electrical power and the growth of the railroads, rural families flocked to the cities to satisfy the ever increasing need for workers.
Unfortunately for the poor families who left the farm in search of better conditions, urban life proved to be very different from what they had been led to believe. Often every family member, sometimes including children as young as three, had to work to maintain the family just above the level of poverty.
