Companionate Marriage In Early America
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Another example where the revolution positively affected women was the new attitude of companionate marriage. Companionate marriage is a marriage that depends on mutual agreement. In early America, women and men according to the law were very much unequal. Based on The Law of Domestic Relations: Marriage, Divorce, Dower, men owned most of the property, and had the authority over their wives. Men received the right to manage and collect the rents and profits of any estate the wife “feme covert” owned. A ‘feme covert’ describes the status of a married woman to be under her husband’s protection and control. Only men had the legal rights over their children. After the revolution, women reshaped family life by advocating significant changes such