Reply To: The 18th century judicial process
Thank you for sharing what Ulrich wrote, Jane. That expands on what Lawhon wrote. I too thought the blend of tolerance in regard to children conceived before wedlock unusual but not unbelievable. I had preconceived notions of puritans and religion in early US history and brought them to the book, so I thought it was educational to get a different perspective. I wonder if their pragmatic view at the time could be tied in part to the fact that settlers wanted to increase their town’s population. They needed children to grow prosperous and to do the work and carry on the settlements so maybe were more permissive towards unmarried couples up to a point.
