Lynne Tagawa: Love and Marriage in Colonial America
Love and Marriage in Colonial America
By Lynne Tagawa
What was romance like in colonial America?
Well, it depended where you lived. Among the first families of Tidewater Virginia, marriages were frequently arranged, and love was not required. Divorce was almost impossible. If you’ve ever read a “Regency romance,” these elements are familiar.
But if you lived in New England, things were different. These hardy Puritans were practical, but they treasured love in marriage. They couldn’t conceive of a good marriage without it, and some strange customs arose to allow young people to have privacy without moral danger. “Bundling” was one example. A courting couple was sewn into a blanket with a board between them for moral safety. They spent the night this way.
Marriage required the consent of parents, but otherwise, a son or daughter was free to choose his or her partner. And the kicker—it was illegal for a man to beat his wife.
Interestingly, the average age at marriage was higher in New England than Virginia. I guess girls didn’t feel pressured to marry—the average age was about twenty-three. True, they were considered “thornbacks” after thirty—and almost everyone did marry eventually—but I think I’d rather live in New England, wouldn’t you?
In The Shenandoah Road, John Russell, a Scot from Northern Ireland, courts a young lady born in Boston. The customs of the Presbyterian Scots were mostly compatible with the Congregational New Englanders. But there were interesting differences, so it was great fun to throw these folks together.
Lynne Tagawa
When John Russell shows up at Abigail’s house dressed in buckskin with a tomahawk tied to his belt, she is startled. But he doesn’t mock her interest in botany. Will she follow him to the frontier, knowing that his first wife was killed by an Indian?
Overshadowing this romance is the event that affected all people groups in Colonial America in the mid-1700s: the First Great Awakening. Folks were getting saved everywhere, and stone-cold Christians were waking up. It affected my characters too—but no spoilers!
Lynne Tagawa is an author, editor, educator, and best of all, grandma to four. She loves to write quality fiction with solid gospel content. Her debut novel, A Twisted Strand, is contemporary romantic suspense, but she thinks she’s found a true home in historical fiction. Currently she’s writing the sequel to The Shenandoah Road: A Novel of the Great Awakening.
To purchase from Amazon, print or kindle:
To purchase (print) from Grace & Truth Books:
To sign up for her newsletter and keep abreast of special deals, go to her website:
Facebook page:
