How Does Marriage Affect Early American Society?

In the nineteenth century, the marriages were arranged by the parents. The parents would arrange the marriages by wealth. The women and men do not have the chance to start the relationship as friendship or girlfriend and boyfriend, so they are able to see if they love each other. Instead they go straight into man and wife, they do not have the love for each other until later on in the relationship. Once the women get married their wealth also belongs to the husband. If the women worked later in the marriage, the earning she received will belong to her husband. The women do not have a say in their marriage. The women do as their husband tells them. The husbands had the control over the wives. The man had the power in everything the wife did

Colonial American citizens faced several challenges through the time span of the 16th century to the 18th century. It was a time of great change and growth as well as being full of obstacles. The Revolutionary War, hostile Native American tribes, harsh living conditions, and disease all played factors in the struggle for survival in early America. However, there is a topic that is also significant but not discussed as often. Marriage was a confusing and exhausting situation for many individuals. One may wonder, ”What were the challenges of finding a spouse during the Colonial Era in American history?” It was difficult for young men and women to find a suitable marriage partner who would meet all their needs or standards and stay by their side till death do they part. Oftentimes, there was no choice in the matter. During this timeframe in American history, there were several barriers that affected whom one was allowed to marry. These obstacles included race, culture, social and economic status.

Being married was just as important in the past as it is now ("Elizabethan Wedding Customs" 1).

Marriage has changed dramatically over time in the many years it has been around. What do think Marriage was like 100 years ago? The article, “American Marriage in Transition”, describes how many different types of marriage there are and how people have changed their view on it. Andrew Cherlin (the sociologist of the article) does a great job going in depth explaining American marriage. He arranges the different marriages in three different categories; Institutionalized which was the earliest type of marriage, then Companionship around World War II, and currently we are considered Individualized.

Marriage was put into rolls in the 1950s. Men would work and supply the money. Women would stay home, clean the house, and tend to the children. Now, in the twenty-first century, we no longer have rolls in marriage. Both parties work and supply money. Marriage has changed in many ways throughout the years.

Jane Austen provides her readers with insight into marriage and English society within the 1800’s. In Emma, the story establishes the idea that society could not function without marriage and how the institution of marriage defined one’s social status.

Marriage is a relationship is about coming together in which two people have promised themselves being with each other. However, marriage in the United States has changed in the 1950s from what it is today. Marriage in the 1950s was different because there was no such idea of a divorce because women had to fix their marriage. (Tartakovsky). Yet, marriage that occurs today people can get a divorce in America. Marriage is better today in America than in the 1950s because of more freedom and not being pressured into marriage in society. This time period 2015 for me is more preferable to live in for marriages instead of in the 1950s. Although marriage is a union between two people, there is a

In over half a century, marriage has transformed from being a social requirement to simply being an option in today’s society. What has caused this change? Many institutions in our society have changed drastically along with marriage. Although these institutions have not caused marriage to be optional, they do strongly correlate with the decreased value. The economy, education, religion, and government have all altered since the 1950s. When any institution encounters a change, all other institutions are affected. Family is a major institution in society, and I believe that marriage is an important aspect of this institution. Cohabitation, religion, women in the work world and divorce have all effected the way marriage is viewed today.

On the day of the wedding, female family members would bathe and dress the bride. Either the matchmakers or the oldest female in the family would carry the bride to the groom’s house for the wedding . The couple would receive gifts from their family members and their clothes would be tied together to represent their union. The bride and groom would be lectured on their duties to each other. Women were responsible for obeying, trusting, and taking care of her husband, while the men were told to take care of wife and family before himself. After the wedding ceremony, the matchmaker would guard the newlyweds as they prayed for four days prior to consummating their marriage. Unsurprisingly in this largely patriarchal society, men were permitted to take more than one wife, while women were to remain tied to one husband. Adultery was acceptable for men, while women were executed if they committed adultery

Women had great social pressure on them to marry. Young girls were often married by the age of 13 or 14 . It was socially unacceptable if women were not married by the age of 25 . Marriage was mostly for economic benefits, not romantic situations. A wedding, rather than a religious ceremony, was a civil contract that set the responsibilities and duties of husband and wife . Once married, they legally became one with their husbands. Married women had no control of their earnings, inheritance, property, and also could not appear in court as a witness nor vote . Their husbands, therefore, were responsible for all aspects of their wife including discipline .

“Just as today a woman’s wedding was one of the most important days of her life” (William Shakespeare info). During the Elizabethan Era, most marriages were arranged, and some couples would be introduced to each other on their wedding day itself! (William Shakespeare info) Many of times marriages were done so that both families could “benefit” in some way, such as status or wealth ( Linda Alchin). Even though there are some differences from then to now, weddings today have some of the same aspects as Elizabethan weddings did, because a wedding is still one of the biggest days of a person’s life. There were many customs, preparations, and important ceremonies done during these times, and some of them are

In the late 1800’s through early 1900’s women and men were did not “tie the knot” like the women and men do in today’s day. In today’s world, women and men get married because they have many things in common, they are in love with each other, and they choose to get married to one another. In many stories written back then, readers can expect to read about how marriages were arranged and how many people were not having the wedded bliss marriage proclaims today.

was delayed since they couldn’t afford it. Women married young to ensure their heirs around the age of 16 to 20. For women, marriage was the clearest mark for social hood. In many marriages, it involved the women, her parents, kin, and community (Wiesner 72.) According to Joan Kelly, a woman would have a gift, such as money or farm animals, that went to her future husband. On a woman’s wedding day, her father would parade her through her new home. If a woman were an orphan, she could choose her own husband. According to Merry Wiesner, there wasn’t much concern for romantic love. Instead, it was more about economic security, social prestige, and the hope

Marriage is the joining of two people as husband and wives according to laws and customs. In our society today, women get married of their own free will and gain respect from their spouse. "A dream of the 21st century" is a story written by " Winnifred Harper Cooly". It is about a young women's dream. She imagines that women in the 21st century will have a better place in the society. Ideal marriages in the 19th century were very hard to achieve and most of the time, they were without true love. This short story portrays that women of that time would marry someone to overcome financial difficulties. It also describes the lack of respect between the married couples.

From a young age, women in the early 1900s were raised into becoming wives and mothers. They were expected to marry a man while she was still young and pretty, be dependent on him, and perform the duties such as the cooking and cleaning around the home. In tradition, girls were raised to know that they were expected to marry as soon as she was old enough, from the example of their own mother. It was seen as disgraceful for them to miss their