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Courtship and Marriage

Introduction

Until the eighteenth century, arranged marriages were commonplace. Strategic marriages reaffirmed a family’s social position, launched a young man’s political or economic career, and offered the woman economic security. However, as the eighteenth century progressed a gradual transition took place. Arranged marriages were given less emphasis, and greater importance was given to romantic love. This was especially true in the American colonies, where class status was less entrenched and opportunities for advancement more abundant. The woman still enjoyed the upper hand during courtship, able to meet or dash a young man’s hopes. Once married, however, the woman retained few rights. A husband had nearly complete control over his wife, any property she possessed before marriage, and their children. Divorce was rare.

Marriage was a rite of passage into adulthood for both men and women. Wedding announcements were made publicly and the ceremonies had legal and religious sanction. Marriage helped to strengthen the community by bonding its members together and maintaining social order.

In this jigsaw activity, students work in small groups to examine various aspects of eighteenth-century courtship and marriage, and then compare courting practices, parental influence, the wedding ceremony, and wedding celebrations with similar present-day customs.

Materials

Strategy

  1. Open the lesson by asking students if they have rules in their households about dating. Do their parents expect them to be chaperoned when they are on a date? At what age will they be or were they allowed to date? Do they or will they have a curfew on dates? What are some of their thoughts on dating today?
  2. Divide the class into four “expert groups.” Inform students that they will learn about courtship and marriage in the 1700s, with the members of each group becoming experts on one assigned aspect (Courting, Parents’ Participation, Wedding Ceremony, or Wedding Party) of eighteenth-century courtship and marriage.
  3. Have students become the experts.
    1. Within each group, give every student a copy of the two-page Courtship and Marriage Graphic Organizer and ONE of the topic area readings from Excerpts from “Courtship and Marriage in the Eighteenth Century.”
    2. Give students a specific amount of time (10–15 minutes or longer, depending on how much class time is available) to follow the directions on their graphic organizer and take their notes. Each group should review and discuss the information from the excerpts to complete the two columns (18th- and 21st-century customs) for their assigned reading. Then, have students prepare to present their information to other students. [NOTE: You may wish to have students pair up with another member of their expert group to practice teaching their information before moving to the jigsaw groups.]
    3. Encourage students to summarize and generalize information, but emphasize that in their presentations they must make a clear distinction between generalizations or personal opinions and the actual facts.
  4. After students in each group have completed their section of the graphic organizer, it’s time to jigsaw.
    1. Have students in each group number off 1 through 4, then form new groups with all 1’s in one group, 2’s in another group, and so on.
    2. Within each new group, have students take turns teaching their information about eighteenth-century courting and marriage customs, giving special attention to the details of each topic area. Students listening to the presentations should take notes in the appropriate sections of their graphic organizers.
  5. Have students discuss twenty-first-century courtship and marriage customs, adding any additional information in the appropriate section of their graphic organizers. Discussion questions may include:
    • What eighteenth-century courtship customs are similar to present-day customs? Where do you see differences? Why do you think some of these customs changed?
    • In the 1700s, do men or women have the advantage during courtship? Who seems to have the advantage in marriage? Do you think that is still true today? Explain.
    • If you lived in the 1700s, how much influence would you want your parents to have in your choice of a marriage partner? How much influence do you think your parents will eventually have on your choice?
    • In the 1700s, what was the importance of a woman’s dowry? Describe the importance of parents’ financial and material support for the newly married eighteenth-century couple. How important is it today?
    • Besides the celebration aspect of the wedding ceremony, what importance did a public wedding have on an eighteenth-century couple’s place in the community? What effect did it have on the community itself?
  6. Have students create two-panel illustrations in which they compare/contrast eighteenth-century and present-day courtship and marriage customs.


This lesson was written by Greg Timmons, freelance writer and education consultant, Missoula, Montana.



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