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  • VA and MA Laws Regulating Sexuality in Relation To Marital vs. Non-Marital Sex

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    Lara Hodak
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    This document discusses and compares laws regulating sexuality and marriage in colonial Virginia and Massachusetts Bay. It notes that in Virginia, social norms had a greater influence than legal codes, resulting in more freedom and higher rates of children born outside of marriage. Meanwhile, the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay placed greater emphasis on legal codes informed by their religious beliefs, actively policing sexuality and viewing any sex outside of marriage as deviant behavior. Over time, Virginia saw an increase in aristocratic sexual license and a decrease in community policing of sexuality, while Massachusetts experienced a rise in non-marital sex and fewer punishments. Both colonies regulated behaviors like sodomy, bestiality, adultery and interracial relations through legal codes.

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    This document discusses and compares laws regulating sexuality and marriage in colonial Virginia and Massachusetts Bay. It notes that in Virginia, social norms had a greater influence than legal codes, resulting in more freedom and higher rates of children born outside of marriage. Meanwhile, the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay placed greater emphasis on legal codes informed by their religious beliefs, actively policing sexuality and viewing any sex outside of marriage as deviant behavior. Over time, Virginia saw an increase in aristocratic sexual license and a decrease in community policing of sexuality, while Massachusetts experienced a rise in non-marital sex and fewer punishments. Both colonies regulated behaviors like sodomy, bestiality, adultery and interracial relations through legal codes.

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    5 views9 pages

    VA and MA Laws Regulating Sexuality in Relation To Marital vs. Non-Marital Sex

    Uploaded by

    Lara Hodak
    This document discusses and compares laws regulating sexuality and marriage in colonial Virginia and Massachusetts Bay. It notes that in Virginia, social norms had a greater influence than legal codes, resulting in more freedom and higher rates of children born outside of marriage. Meanwhile, the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay placed greater emphasis on legal codes informed by their religious beliefs, actively policing sexuality and viewing any sex outside of marriage as deviant behavior. Over time, Virginia saw an increase in aristocratic sexual license and a decrease in community policing of sexuality, while Massachusetts experienced a rise in non-marital sex and fewer punishments. Both colonies regulated behaviors like sodomy, bestiality, adultery and interracial relations through legal codes.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
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    VA and MA Laws Regulating Sexuality in Relation to Marital vs. Non-marital Sex


    Lara Hodak & Laura Perrot HIST213

    Marital vs. Non-Marital Sex

    Marital vs. Non-marital Sex

    Marital Sex: sexual relations within a marriage


    Accepted by society Male & female

    Non-Marital Sex: sexual relations outside of a marriage

    Frowned upon by society

    + Marital vs. Non-marital Sex (17th Century)

    Virginia

    Social > Legal Less policing of sexuality= more freedom 1650- 30% of children were bastards

    Puritans (Massachusetts Bay)

    Legal> Social Bundling Believed that sex was acceptable ONLY inside a marriage Sex was believed to be used for reproduction/creating a family Children= gifts of god Non-marital sex= deviant behavior Sodomy, whoredom, bestiality, incest, adultery, & masturbation Active policing of sexuality Older women used to police sexuality Goodwives

    + Marital vs. Non-marital Sex (18th century)


    -How it changed over time

    Virginia

    Aristocratic Sexual License Men turned down non-virgin women Adultery

    Puritans

    Libertines Increase in non-martial sex

    Decrease in community policing of sexuality


    Punishments decreased

    +
    Regulating Sexuality in Virginia & Massachusetts

    Regulating Sexuality
    Virginia

    Interracial Marriage was illegal 1792: Sodomy Bestiality 1642-1749 Servant to Servant holder if resulted with bastard child Servant to Interracial relations resulting in bastard child White Christian woman to interracial resulting in bastard child

    Massachusetts 1641-1660: Bestiality Sodomy Adultery Rape Non-Martial sex 1696: No cross-dressing Penal Reform (1780): Rape Sodomy Prostitution Adultery Bigamy

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    So how do they relate?

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