In many modern cultures it is widely accepted, if not expected, for teenagers to begin dating relatively freely. This was not always the case; in the 17th and 18th centuries, teenage courtship was unheard of. Dating was strictly controlled by parents, with rules based on religion and culture.
"Frontier" or "back-country" people were of Scottish-Irish decent, and carried many of their beliefs in regards to courtship with them. Men would "abduct" a woman of their choice, typically with her consent. Men and his court of friends would band together and steal the bride, the ceremony being a boisterous dancing-drinking celebration.
Much stricter Puritans, considered marriage not a union of religious significance or of love, but of a mutually beneficial "civil contract". They utilized such tools as "courting sticks," used for private conversations between couples, and "bundling boards" to separate suitors when they sleep. Ceremonies consisted of civil, quiet, dinners, in contrast to the wild parties of the back-country community.
The Quakers, not unlike the Puritans, were also very strict in terms of marriage and courtship. Before a Quaker couple could marry, they would need the approval of both their parents and the entire community as well as undergo a sixteen step courtship phase. Despite this long and arduous process, Quaker women would sometimes reject men at the last minute.
Courtship among South societies also included ceremonies. African American slaves practiced the marriage rite of "jumping the broomstick", a ritual in which the bride and groom jump over a broomstick to seal their union.
In Virginia, marriage was not based on love, but were still considered sacred unions. Since marriage also involved the union of properties, the parents of the couple were involved in many negotiations.
By Grace M. and Casey F.
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6 comments:
Very nice. It was interesting reading about all the different cultures.
You guys did a great job. It was a easy blog to read and understand.
Your blog was really informative and easy to understand. I would have liked to see a picture or something visual that would have given your blog more appeal. Excellent job overall!
I learned a lot from this posting. I thought you presented the information well. Maybe you could have described more what courting was, instead of just talking about different groups reacted to it. Other than that, very well written.
i like the comparison between the different cultures and people and how they "dated".
very informative. nice.
This was a very fascinating post. It was easy to read and it contained nice, factual information.
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