Difference between revisions of "Week 8 Questions/Comments-327 11"
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(→Mass, 1675-1680 – Women in county courts (Malefactors and Complainants)) |
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I too wondered about the women being charged with having sex before marriage and having a child. Unless you have a child, how would one find out and charge you with fornication before marriage? I wonder if they were ashamed and told on themselves, or if someone who knew about the act told someone else to get her in trouble. Also, does the man get in trouble for this? I was most shocked by the "Backway Sentence." A husband and wife confessed to having sex before marriage and they were both punished with being whipped or his wife could pay fifty shillings instead of receiving her whippings. I seriously blows my mind that they were punished even though they ended up getting married! This section also shows how little respect the court had for women. They often whipped the women as a punishment. This may sound sexist, but being whipped seems more like a punishment for a man, not a woman. --Ashley V. | I too wondered about the women being charged with having sex before marriage and having a child. Unless you have a child, how would one find out and charge you with fornication before marriage? I wonder if they were ashamed and told on themselves, or if someone who knew about the act told someone else to get her in trouble. Also, does the man get in trouble for this? I was most shocked by the "Backway Sentence." A husband and wife confessed to having sex before marriage and they were both punished with being whipped or his wife could pay fifty shillings instead of receiving her whippings. I seriously blows my mind that they were punished even though they ended up getting married! This section also shows how little respect the court had for women. They often whipped the women as a punishment. This may sound sexist, but being whipped seems more like a punishment for a man, not a woman. --Ashley V. | ||
| + | I was not surprised by the fact that women were more commonly in court as the defendant being charged with fornication, bastardy, theft, or selling a liquor without a license. I was interested by the fact that whipping was a common sentence, I associate whipping with slavery... --Emma C | ||
== Virginia, 1642, NY 1721-1759 – Widows, Wills and Dower Rights == | == Virginia, 1642, NY 1721-1759 – Widows, Wills and Dower Rights == | ||
