| Description |
xii, 430 p. : ill. ; 25 cm. |
| Series |
Gender relations in the American experience
|
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Contents |
Introduction : sex, marriage, and moral order in early America -- "Chambering and wantonising" : popular sexual mores in seventeenth-century New England -- "A complete body of divinity" : the Puritans and sex -- "Pregnant with the seeds of all sin" : regulating illicit sex in Puritan New England -- "Living in a state of nature" : sex, marriage, and southern degenerates -- The dangerous allure of "copper-coloured beauties" : Anglo-Indian sexual relations -- "The cameleon lover" : sex, race, and cultural identity in the colonial south -- "Under the watch" : the metamorphosis of sexual regulation in eighteenth-century New England -- "A hint to young ladies" : courtship, sexual danger, and moral agency in revolutionary America -- "Martyrdom to Venus" : sexual freedom in post-independence Philadelpha. |
| Summary |
Godbeer overturns conventional wisdom about the sexual values and customs of colonial Americans. His historical account spans two centuries and most of British North America, from New England to the Caribbean, exploring the social, political, and legal dynamics that shaped a diverse sexual culture. Drawing on research into diaries, letters, and other private papers, as well as legal records and official documents, the narrative uncovers a persistent struggle between the moral authorities and the widespread expression of popular customs and individual urges. |
| Subject |
Sex customs -- United States -- History.
|
|
Sex role -- United States -- History.
|
|
Sex customs -- North America -- History.
|
|
United States -- Social life and customs -- To 1775.
|
| ISBN |
0801868009 (hardcover : alk. paper) |
|
