From Publishers Weekly
Marriage, both as a private contract and a public institution, has profoundly affected national policy since the earliest days of the republic. In this exhaustively researched study (reference notes occupy 80 of its 288 pages), Cott, the Stanley Woodward professor of history and American studies at Yale, posits a monolithic Christian monogamous marriage, formed by the mutual consent of a man and a woman, as American colonists' model. This model, she argues, was congruent with the political ideal of representative government: the Constitution's "more perfect union" was likened to the domestic ideal of marital union. Entry to marriage, Cott observes, has been regulated by the states, which have also used their power to limit this civil right. Before the Civil War, in slaveholding states, slaves had no access to legal marriage, while long after the war, mixed marriages between whites and African-Americans, or whites and Asians, were prohibited in many states. The U.S. government's (losing) legal battle against the Mormon practice of polygamy has been another continuing saga in U.S. social history. Cott cites the current prevalence of divorce, same sex couples seeking legally recognized unions, and new interpretations of the roles of husband and wife as factors that portend further changes in the social landscape. Though her subject is a fascinating one, and Cott has a sterling reputation that will draw women's studies devot es, her densely packed prose and lengthy paragraphs make this book most appropriate for serious students of U.S. social history. (Jan.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Library Journal
In this fascinating study, Cott (history and American studies, Yale) examines the evolution and impact of marriage law on the American social structure. Applying Christian tradition and English common law, Colonial marriage statutes regarded the union as a contract of mutual consent and obligations, with the dominant husband having protector/provider responsibilities and the dependent wife, nurturer/child bearer duties. The author contends that over time this concept shaped public views of gender roles and limited women's civic identity and independence. In addition, marriage law has been used to define and restrict political participation by minorities, immigrants, and non-Christian groups; it has also influenced legislation concerning property rights, the income tax, social security, and naturalization. Today, despite cultural changes, the legal constraints of marriage remain a cornerstone of the status quo, withstanding pressure for acceptance of same-sex unions and improved status for single parents. Presented in a clear, chronological fashion, this work provides a wealth of thought-provoking information. Highly recommended.DRose Cichy, Osterhout Free Lib., Wilkes-Barre, PA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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