Ethan

Because Paradise wasn't a sanitized politically correct depiction of the times like Little House or Dr. Quinn. Ethan was a typical 19th century parent.

I don't think he was a jerk. I think he was struggling to figure out how to be a parent, and he was often frustrated by feeling he didn't measure up and couldn't provide for the children as he wanted to or live the kind of life he wanted to. I think his occasional anger at the children was realistic, but it was always clear that he loved them. I thought his relationship with the children was one of the most endearing parts of the show.