Not surprisingly, Divorce rates have only increased over time. There are a variety of factors that contribute to this, including general attitudes towards divorce and marriage in society. While statistics reveal a steady increase in divorce rates, it wasn't until the 70s that divorce became statistically prevalent.

Prior to 1867, divorce statistics were not recorded. While there certainly was a stigma attached to divorcing a spouse in the 1800s, divorce still happened on occasion. One factor that influenced divorce statistics at this time was the fact that women, outside of marriage, had very few economic opportunities.

While divorce rates still were not that high compared to later years, divorce began to slowly increase. It's important to note that many places didn't even keep track of divorce statistics until the turn of the century, which may have caused at least some of the increase in the overall divorce rates. Comparatively, divorce rates during the early 1900s were still low because you could not obtain a divorce without proving significant cause of abuse, adultery, or abandonment.