With America on the verge of celebrating its 250th birthday, the Pew Research Center has published a comprehensive look at how life in the United States has transformed since the country marked its 200th anniversary back in 1976.
One of the most striking findings involves marriage. Around the time of the Bicentennial, roughly 70% of American adults were married. That number has fallen dramatically — today, only about half of adults are married.
The study also highlights a significant decline in birth rates, with a growing number of women choosing not to have children at all. Together, these trends paint a picture of a nation whose family structure looks very different than it did just five decades ago.
