Colonial forefathers viewed sex as part of courtship in early America
Historian Jack Larkin argues that late 18th century Americans were more sexually permissive than commonly assumed, noting many premarital pregnancies preceded marriage. In rural New England nearly a third of brides were pregnant, with pregnancies often accelerating marriages, while 1820s shifts brought stricter social norms and a decline in premarital conceptions by 1840.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York
Jack Larkin
American Heritage Magazine
Larkin
New England
Salem
Sodom
Gloucester
Gomorrah
Old Sturbridge
Sturbridge
Mass
Harper
Row
United States
Asa Lincoln
Brimfield
Bobbing in the Air Highlights New Sexual Norms
The report notes a shift as Americans accept new limits on sexual behavior. It discusses public attitudes toward morality and the loosening of parental restrictions, signaling changing social norms and personal freedoms.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Nancy
Premarital Courtship and Delayed Marriages Discussed
The excerpt notes that authority figures warned against premarital courtship while individuals, including Larkin, observed couples marrying later. People often waited through long engagements as men sought to solidify their status, choosing not to risk pregnancy triggering early marriage.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Larkin
Library of Congress seeks way to halt acid decay in books
The Library of Congress seeks to stop acid damage threatening a quarter of its 14 million books. A deacidification method using diethyl zinc aims to slow disintegration from 50 years to 150 250 years, with pilot testing in Houston and a planned full scale plant.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Washington Post
Washington
Library of Congress
Peter Sparks
Sparks
Houston
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Goddard Space Flight Center
Beltsville
Dez
NASA
Texas Alkyls Inc
Houston Chemical Company
Also Mentioned on This Page
Eric Ramires
Camden
N.J
Katie Dalton
Philadelphia
Deborah Heart and Lung Center
Browns Mills
LABOR
Organized Labor
Gazette
Ken Sullivan
Hawkeye
Cyclone
Hawkeyes
Kansas State
Cyclones
Tulane
Amana
University
Mites
Toys A US
Sega of America
Sega Master System
Hasbro Cops
Burner
Games Gang Pictionary JR
Theresa Toys
Cedar Rapids
Wiley Blvd
S.W
Westdale Mall
Sun
Watchbox
Playskool Dolly Aprise
PWS Ti
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!