Life and Sex in Colonial America compared to Now

By: Aleisha Murrell

In the Colonial period life was different. Their sex, reproductive lives, and contraception all differed from life today in America. Sex in Colonial America was only supposed to be done for reproduction. Women were seen as immoral seductresses who took after Eve, because Eve was the temptress that took the apple from the forbidden tree and offered it to Adam. To go along with those thoughts about women, doctors thought that when women had periods it made them “unreliable” and dangerous in positions of power (Moore, 2014). Women in the colonial period had no control, they weren’t allowed to own their own wages, sign a contract, or even own their own business (Moore, 2014).  Women were only relevant because of their man, who controlled every part of their lives. In today’s time sex is far more than reproduction, I feel that reproduction is actually the last thing on people’s mind. Sex has gotten so out of control with the younger generation (my age) there is passion, love, commitment and emotional ties that come along with sex now. Another difference from Colonial America to today’s life is the respect of women. Today in America women are as easily competitive and demand just as much respect that men get. Women are allowed to speak their minds, be what they want and do what they please. They do not have to answer to a man or be in his shadow. I cannot even fathom how women could just go along with the discrimination they had to deal with. They had less rights and basically lived through their husbands. I am all about being independent and secure by myself! In Colonial America courting was normal and something that young adults did to express their sexual desires, usually done in more public places (Moore, 2014). I feel that today men and women don’t court as much.  It’s kind of like a text or an “Instagram like” that expresses a sexual desire, mostly done in private by being a bit rude and too blunt. I like how courtship was in the Colonial period, it seems much more classy and respectful. Today is more of a “booty call” when guys (and even girls) are expressing sexual desires, rather than anything genuine. Another difference between these two time periods was the punishments of adultery. Capital punishment was usually not enforced, but fines, public whipping, wearing the letters AD on a garment for everyone to see, and branding on the forehead was the punishment for sexual relations between a man and a married women in the Colonial period (Moore, 2014). It may sound cruel but I definitely think that punishment should be the same in America today. That would stop so much cheating and divorces. I feel that if there were harsh punishments like that today, couples would be less anxious to marry anyone that seems “special.” Society would be more open for communication to fix their issues, than just going out and cheating. The last thing that I will point out is the differences in contraception. I am so thankful for the contraception we have in America today!! I used to take the shot once every six months, it was so easy and quick and now I take the pill. Although there is more responsibility with the pill it’s still simple and very effective. In the Colonial period only a small amount of couples used contraception, and towards the end of the era only wealthy men could afford condoms. Our contraception is much more effective and less stressful to deal with than the colonial era. For example they used the pull out method and thought that prolonging breastfeeding and refraining from sex while nursing was contraception.

 

 

Citation:

Crystal Moore, “Sex in Colonial America, 1400-1800,” LBST 2101 UNC Charlotte Moodle 2, Accessed January 30, 2014, https://moodle2.uncc.edu/course/view.php?id=58852.