History 392 SPR 11

Goodbeer really went into great details about how the youth were being raised in New England Colonies of the 18th Century and how there sexual life was dealt with in this era.  It was fascinating to find out that the church and state were becoming more open to the youths sexual behavior.  Parents were allowing there daughters to go more and socialize with their peers and stay late at night, they even allowed young men into their homes to spend the night and sleep in the same bed with their daughters as long as they practiced bundling.  Well of course, were there is a will there is a way and the bundling did not deter most not to have sexual intercourse. 

The church was always promoting marriage before sex but also wanted to claim this new generation into membership of the church so they were more excepting of their sex behaviors outside of marriage because they believed they were bethroed, and as long as they committed themselves to the church first, would repent their sin to the congregation they would escape any harsh penalties.  However, some of the youths did not end up getting married, some of the young men denied encounters with the women and if the girl got pregnant he would live her with the bastard child (I really don't like this term, but is how it is described in these times).  There were some advantages and disadvantages to the sexual freedom of the youth.  The advantages of having they young men over and letting them have their affairs in the parents home was that the parents knew exactly who the potential husband might be but most importantly if there daughter became pregnant there was no question as to whom the father would be and of course who would be financially responsible for the child. 

As a parent myself, and wanted the best for my children, I can see how this would to the best interest of my daughter.  But unfortunately, if the daughter had sex outside of the home it would harder to prove paternity and she often be abandoned by the young man who would deny any relationship with the girl. She would become vulnerable to parents, church and state punishments for her sin of sex outside of marriage.  I thought it was quite interesting how some of the young men of affluent rich families would try to deny any relationship with the girl and try to abandon her with the the child.  Thank goodness the courts would seek child support and even today its a problem with men trying to escape the consequences of fatherhood. 

Later in Goodbeer, the sexual revolution would detail the many brothels and debauchery that would take place with all social classes and the higher incidence of pregnancy out of wedlock, infidelities of men and women from well to do families and also the spread of venereal diseases.  Again, if you were rich and could afford to lay with prostitutes and have mistresses it was more acceptable socially then if you were of a lower class.  I really felt a sense of sorrow to think that so many married women had to accept their husbands extramarital affairs, could lay with prostitutes, have 4 mistresses, and how the double-standard existed. 

Women were frowned on for having an affair even though her husband would not love her anymore and be absent for the home for so long, but mostly how the courts viewed male extramarital affairs as something as acceptable for a man.  Also, the one that was so demeaning was that fact that women are at fault for the way they look, there bodies enticing men and they are evil temptresses.  Because of women men fall prey to their sexual desires and it there fault for their shortcomings.