A Research Study On Three Counties Essay

Analyzing the case of Abigail and Asa Bailey aids in understanding this drastic change in public opinion. In 1792, Abigail Bailey was quickly granted a divorce from Asa Bailey. However, Abigail waited twenty-two years to file this petition for divorce, as Asa first had an affair just three years after their marriage in 1770. It is interesting to compare Abigail’s case to Ellen’s because in both cases, each woman repeatedly cites her hesitation to take legal action because of what she believes to be her duty to her husband. However, what is considered cruel enough to justify breaking that duty and separating from their husbands drastically differs. Abigail waited through multiple affairs and the sexual assault of her own daughter before beginning the legal process. Meanwhile, Ellen sought legal action after what she cited to be mental cruelty.

The acknowledgement of the need for divorce reform stemmed from the substantial increase in the number of divorces and what was viewed as “the declining stature of the married state.”

Marriage unites two people for better or worse, in sickness and health, until death they do part. In earlier times, some people might say wedding vows were taken more seriously; other say divorce was different back in the day. Looking at Katie Chopin and Nathaniel Hawthorne, who both exemplify martial vows in their short stories, “The Story of an Hour” and “The Birthmark.” It is clear in one instance, it was because divorce was different but then on the other hand the stories demonstrate the seriousness of the wedding vows. However, these stories express a husband-dominated relationship, in which the men possess ideals such as possession, perfection, and being all knowing.

man to bring a divorce case to court he had to prove 1 out of 3

Once Societies rules on divorce changed divorce rates began to climb. A No-fault divorce rule came into effect in the 1950’s. This meant unlike before, they no longer needed to prove who was at fault in the marriage. By 1970, almost all states had laws allowing these no fault divorces. There is no doubt that this was a factor

“I’m leaving you!” or “I want a divorce!” Is what we hear now a days by women or men, but it wasn’t as easy back in the 1800s for women they had no rights, their “job was to be a meek, obedient, loving wife who was totally subservient to the men.”(Laura Donnaway). Women couldn’t leave their husbands just because they didn’t love them no more or they caught in affairs because they wouldn’t get anything because “all of her inheritance (if any existed) would belong to her husband.” (Kelley Smith). Which is why many women had to live with being treated like objects instead of human beings.

Throughout time, practices that were once never used, become more common. In the 1600s divorce was a forbidden practice or a last resort. Since then, laws have changed, and so hasn’t the stigma related with divorce. The guilt and fault that divorce once carried has vanished. According to the book Should I Keep Trying to Work it out, “In the United States, researchers estimate that 40%–50% of all first marriages will end in divorce or permanent separation. The risk of divorce is even higher for second marriages, about 60%.” (Hawkins 42). As it became more common for couples in America to separate, divorce gradually became a normal part of so many lives. Why are so many couples separating now? Through research on EBSCO, and other findings, I will attempt to explain this question that so many people ask in today’s world. The divorce rate in America is drastically increasing over time due to new laws, certain generations, and relationship issues.

As long as there has been marriage, there has been divorce. Divorce cases have dated as far back as the 1600’s. Originally, they were simple matters. Men, generally, received custody of the estate, assets, and children. Women would receive nothing. However, divorce reform came around in the 1970’s to fix this inequality. They introduced alimony payments and custody favoring women. With the changes to divorce law, came more complexity in deciding cases. Cases, such as Dan v. Karen, have to take into consideration lost opportunities, appropriate payment, and any future issues that might arise. In Dan v Karen, Karen gave up her job to take care of their children, moved away from her family so Dan could get a job, and provided for Dan when he did

Divorce is such a personal and common thing in America. There are so many couples who go through the act of divorce every day. According to Kanewicher and Harris (2014), forty to fifty percent of couples will end in divorce within the first few years of marriage. Divorce is the legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body. There are many factors that may lead couples into divorce. Some of those factors are, marrying too young, low education levels and overall just lack of preparation (Kanewischer, 2015). Although divorce is common now, it was not like this back in the late 1900’s. Divorce was not allowed and most of the time people did not want to get divorce because of all the time and effort they put into their marriage.

Divorce is a rising social issue in the United States of America, but it is not a new concept. Divorce has been a social issue since at least 1867 when for every 35.9 marriages, one couple were to get a divorce (Huth, 1947). Although divorce is not a new concept, it has become more social acceptance which is raising the divorce rate over the years. Another controversial topic in divorce is when the two people divorcing have a child or children together. Approximately 150,000-200,000 children in the United States of America are affected by divorce yearly (Huth, 1947).

In Garido vs. Garido, the court disbarred the lawyer spouses for being involved in a bigamous relationship. The case shows that the male-lawyer entered into a 3rd marriage when his wife in his 1st marriage died while his second marriage was subsisting. Court found him guilty of Gross Immorality for cohabiting with two women at one point in his life and leading a double life for ten years without taking into consideration the moral and emotional implications of his actions on the two women he took as wives and on his six (6) children by his second marriage.

Marriage is a commitment of spending the rest of one’s life with someone he or she cherishes deeply. It is the joining of two people in a bond that lasts until death, but in practice is increasingly cut short by divorce/ separation. Most people claim that they want their marriage to last a lifetime, and who wouldn’t? However, over half of all marriages in the United States end in divorce. In 2010, Paul Amato published a statement on divorce in the prestigious Journal of Marriage and Family. He states, “At the end of the 20th century, 43% - 46% of marriages were predicted to end in dissolution.” In the short poem written by Washington Irving “Rip Van Winkle”, Rips relationship with his wife was horrible because of the point of view, characters, and symbolism.

This drastic change in public opinion can be best understood by analyzing the case of Abigail and Asa Bailey. In 1792, Abigail Bailey was quickly granted a divorce from Asa Bailey. However, Abigail waited twenty-two years to file this petition for divorce, as Asa, first had an affair just three years after their marriage in 1770. It is interesting to compare Abigail’s case to Ellen’s because in both cases, each woman repeatedly cites her hesitation to take legal action because of what she believes to be her duty to her husband. However, what is considered cruel enough to justify breaking

Monogamy was out, ‘free love’ thrived, and divorce represented freedom. Enough people wanted divorce by the late 1960’s that the pressure was on to change the law.

In the world today, many men and women believe divorce is always a dreadful thing that occurs, but there is actually a beneficial side to it. Divorce has been around for many years and mainly just men were the only ones capable to make the decisions. Until, The Guardian states,” The 1857 Matrimonial Causes Act allowed ordinary people to divorce.” Under this new law, it was capable for women to make the decision, they just had to prove the facts to withhold a divorce. Following 1857, in 1923 there was a private member’s bill that allowed women to petition for a divorce for adultery. However, it only made it a little bit easier, they still needed to prove the reason. A few years later, they were able to pass another law, this law allowed divorce