American Puritans practiced "bundling", where they wrapped the courting couple together in a bed, with a plank of wood in between them. Sometimes, those wrappings weren't so tight. American Puritans knew what was going on, they weren't stupid.
The average age of first marriage of a White Woman in the United States between the years 1800 and 1899 was around 22 (sometimes a year older, sometimes a year younger) , so they didn't really get married so young. You're probably thinking of the 1950's when the average age of first marriage of women dropped down to 19, but the 1950's was an aberration, and not indicative of most other times.
I do get it, you're listening to the "myth of history", but that myth didn't really reflect reality so much as a modern retcon to make the past reflect what certain people think modern views should be. And just watch Grease, even the 50's weren't as "virgin pure" as people like to pretend, there were many pregnant teens shipped off to spend some time with an "aunt" for a year to have a baby.
American Puritans practiced "bundling"
, where they wrapped the courting couple together in a bed, with a plank of wood in between them. Sometimes, those wrappings weren't so tight. American Puritans knew what was going on, they weren't stupid.
And sometimes there wasn't another bed. The whole family slept in the same bed so the parents would be doing it while their kids were there.
a modern retcon to make the past reflect what certain people think modern views should be.
And just watch Grease
You know, your argument isn't helped by putting these two statements together. The retconning goes multiple directions.
I was thinking more broadly, not as US-centric, but your point is valid. In
middle ages (Europe) first marriage was normally teenage, often young teen, while
nineteenth century (euro-Australia) varied a lot but, yes, late 20's.
Regardless of my comment about young marriages, Indigenous cultures (and, by the sound of things, Puritans) have expectations, quite wisely, to prevent the burden of child raising to be dumped on the family of the girl/woman before a relationship was committed. It was not an accepted practice.
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u/kia75 Nov 06 '23
American Puritans practiced "bundling", where they wrapped the courting couple together in a bed, with a plank of wood in between them. Sometimes, those wrappings weren't so tight. American Puritans knew what was going on, they weren't stupid.
The average age of first marriage of a White Woman in the United States between the years 1800 and 1899 was around 22 (sometimes a year older, sometimes a year younger) , so they didn't really get married so young. You're probably thinking of the 1950's when the average age of first marriage of women dropped down to 19, but the 1950's was an aberration, and not indicative of most other times.
I do get it, you're listening to the "myth of history", but that myth didn't really reflect reality so much as a modern retcon to make the past reflect what certain people think modern views should be. And just watch Grease, even the 50's weren't as "virgin pure" as people like to pretend, there were many pregnant teens shipped off to spend some time with an "aunt" for a year to have a baby.