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Marriage and CourtshipMarriage and Courtship Contributors: Anna Goldstein
Abstract:
RITUALS OF MARRIAGE IN COLONIAL AMERICA REFLECT THE DIFFERENT CULTURES THAT MAKE UP WHAT AMERICA IS TODAY.
European marriage, Native American marriage and slave marriage
Slave marriage was not recognized by Established Law But still slaves married. Slaves had several rituals for getting married: • Lying of the Blanket, an engagement ceremony o The man would lay a blanket on his intended’s door o If she accepted the blanket that meant she was agreeing to marriage • Jumping the Broom, a wedding ceremony o The couple would jump over the broom and then be considered married o Symbolized sweeping away bad spirits from the marriage o Touching the broom brought evil to the marriage o Jumping backwards over the broom – whoever jumped the furthest had the upper hand in the marriage • Night Walking o Occurred when slave’s owners broke up slave families because of bankruptcy, master’s death and relocation of master’s family o A network of trails was physical evidence of close family ties Close family ties bound the African Slave Community Together
Native American Marriage in Colonial America Indian culture was matrilineal • Family membership and descent were traced through the mother’s family Some Indian Tribes prohibited Indian women to marry a white man and leave tribal lands
• Native Americans tried to preserve their culture, traditions and way of life • One famous marriage shows this was not always the case. The Marriage of Pocahontas and John Rolfe • Created a climate of peace between the Jamestown colonists and the Powhaton tribes for several years • John Rolfe took Pocahontas back to England where she became an important marketing tool for the British Native American marriage customs show their cultures attempts to preserve their way of life
European Marriage in Colonial America Pre-Marriage Customs • Formal Courting • Banns – wedding announcements • Dowries – marriage gifts from the wife’s family to the husband Weddings • Differed by ethnic group, wealth and religion • Performed in native language of homeland • Northern Colonies had simple weddings (Puritan) • Southern Colonies had more festive weddings (Church of England) Women’s Role in Colonial Marriage • Boatloads of women were sent to America just to marry • Unmarried women were considered “thornbacks” and unnatural creatures • Married women were considered “covered” and had no rights under the law • Widows enjoyed more freedom and rights than married women European marriage customs show that they didn’t marry for love. They thought it would develop over time. They married to make families, set down roots in America and make their colony a success.
**Marriage traditions in Colonial America reveal the wide-ranging cultures and traditions that would become what America is today. *
Interviews: When I interviewed Bridgettte, a slave living on a plantation we visited, she said something that really amazed me. When I asked her if there was any science involved in what you do, she said "We were the science. The whites experimented on us (slaves)." To me, this reminds me of animal testing. It's horrible! Houston, Bridgette. Personal interview. 25 October 2007
Images and Resources:
Bibliography:
Donovan, Mary. The Thirteen Colonies Cook Book. Praeger: New York, 1975
Grant De Pauw, Linda. Founding Mothers. Houghton: Boston, 1975
Hakim, Joy. Making Thirteen Colonies. Oxford University Press: New York, 2005
Houston, Bridgette. Personal interview. 25 October 2007
Kalman, Bobbie. A Slave Family. Crabtree Pub: New York, 2003
Twist, Clint. Colonial America. Grolier Education: Connecticut, 1998
Walker, Niki. Colonial Women. Crabtree Pub: New York, 2003
www.wikipedia.org/salemwitchtrials
www.wikipedia.org/pocahontas
www.history.org
www.geneologymagazine.com
www.nwhm.org
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