Public Vows

Michelle Soucier
Professor Johnson
HSPC 106
Public Vows: A history of marriage and the nation
Marriage itself is served as a type of Governance; it is the idea of a social union or legal contract between individuals that create kinship. The book PUBLIC VOWS is written by Nancy F. Cott, who is a Professor of History at Harvard University. Nancy Cott describes the book as a new angle on marriage. People who read this book view marriage as completely different as they previously had viewed marriage. As for me, when I read this book, I found it fascinating and the way it had changed my view of marriage as well. This book gives a whole new definition to marriage and the society. In the United States, it was said to believe that the husband, father, or head of household were the unit, in which they represented themselves and their dependents during that time. If a male’s arm was not strong enough to take care of a woman, then they were not really worthwhile. It was also believed by the bible for husbands to be the head of the wife, as Christ was the head of church. As the times continue to grow, the principle for everything will continue to keep changing itself, so that it may stay up to par. Just as our society changes, marriage changes as well.
Before the Civil War, slaves had no access to legal marriage. For they were only able to unit informally, which made them racially different. According to the States, they had the power to say who could get married, how it could be terminated, and the punishments for divorce. This law had really eliminated slaves from any type of marriage due to their race and their social standard. For any slave women who had a child, their child would then be a slave as well. Master’s (white men) would take the women slaves to sexually satisfy themselves, even women who had marriage ties. Although slaves were allowed to be divorced it was just stressful and full of friction. Since ancient Roman times, the idea of mixed marriages or even mixed social statues’ had never been crossed; as for it was never intended to be crossed. When the Master’s would abuse their slaves, the slaves could not protect themselves, which most likely resulted for a slave to remain forever. In 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation was written, in which entitled slaves to be free from the confederacy land. This law had given slaves the ability to become freemen, but it was through the Freedmen’s Bureau in which the federal government had legally pushed marriage on ex-slaves. In result, the Freedmen’s Bureau had caused a moral degradation on the slaves; but this was highly appreciated by long-denied slaves. Then the slaves were to be forced on the American standard way of life. Once this law had passed, it was surely only a matter of time before they were equal American citizens.
After the Civil War, monogamy began to strengthen. For it was, Brigham Young, who felt intrigue to write the Morrill Act, in which was the prohibition of pleural marriage. For the Mormon’s during the time, they had become vocal about the whole idea of monogamy. Mormonism was founded by Joseph Smith, the leader of the Church of the Latter-Day Saints. In 1843, was when he mandated pleural marriage. Later, Joseph Smith was murdered. Although in Utah, which is where the Mormons resided, was found to be that divorce was more common there than anywhere else. Due to a judge in Utah, who would grant anyone a divorce when asked. The Morrill Bill of 1862 is what made polygamy illegal, which was proved enforceable, due to that reason that Utah never registered their marriages. For people believed that just like slavery, the idea of polygamy was a threat that it could be manipulated. Congress had to then control Mormon polygamy, but first they had to deal with making Native American a more civilized life. Eventually, polygamist had finally come to an end.
During the 1890-1920’s, more than 17 million immigrants entered the United States; this had inflicted pressure upon the American marriage law and policy. With all of the confusions of determining whether an immigrant become a citizen or not, was more or less the most difficult part, until the 14th amendment. The 14th amendment announced that anyone born within the United States was a citizen. Although there were ways around the system, and it was through marriage. It was through the Congress of 1855, in which allowed women of any origin to become a citizen through a United States citizen. With all these immigrants coming from other countries, the two main countries that were not welcomed were the Chinese and the Japanese. For the Chinese immigrants, they were not brought here voluntarily, but rather for a contract made by the United States. The Page Act of 1875 was targeted for women, making prostitution a criminal law. So as for the Chinese women, they were all typed as prostitutes. This idea of being a prostitute regulated all the laws of being moral, in which was a key to Americans. As for the Chinese immigrants, they were classified as more slave-like, then citizens. When immigrants came to United States, they were expected to know the ideal American standard for living. Due to immigration growing, the United States decided to use a literacy test, in which both sexes could take. It was required for all immigrants from the age 16 and up. As for the Japanese immigrants, they came in small parties to America; yet when they arrived their families grew faster then the whites had ever. America is called the mixing bowl, due to the fact that no one in American is just one race anymore. Immigration is what has made the United States.
In conclusion, the summary of the book is very short, but as you can see how marriage is not what you’ve always thought it to be. Has your view of marriage stayed the same or different? As for me, my view has altered. I never would have thought that marriage was really this deep and conflicting. I’m glad to have read this book; it helps me understand the background better on the history of marriage. Marriage went from a time were it was arranged, to now we make a marriage out of finding someone you love.