Historical Sex Studies Since 1776 Essays Example

How do the ministers and authorities view sex between men in colonial New England?

We have to remember that ministers, to a large degree, set the law of the land. As such, the view that ministers and authorities in Colonial New England took towards sex between men was that such an action was deviant. Many laws during this time were actually sexual in nature, and sex between men was no exception. Ministers viewed such actions as being a direct threat to the social order of the day, and certain a violation of Puritan ideals. Sodomy was often viewed as one of the most, if not the most, severe of sexual crimes and could be punished by execution. In those cases where execution was not called for, the men were usually subjected to some form of public humiliation (Goodbeer, 1995).

How do the members of the general public view sex between men?

The perception that the general public had towards sexual relations between men largely differed from that of the clergy and government authorities during Colonial New England. While sex between men was no openly condoned, it was not uncommon for members of the public to simply look the other way when such actions were known to be taking place, as long as it was not overt in nature and out in full view of society. The exception to this would have been when one man was openly making passes at other men in the community, but this related more to homosexual tendencies than it did to the actual act of consensual sex between two adult men. It was not uncommon to find it difficult to find the necessary two witness required to prosecute the crime of sodomy during this era because of the simple fact that many members of the public simply did not give the action nearly as much thought as did their clergy (Goodbeer, 1995).

What types of historical sources are used?

Biblical text and longstanding cultural history were used in interpreting the reaction that various segments of society had towards sexual relations between men. This involved marital status, sex, and species, and largely revolved around the notion that sex between the same gender was an action reserved for animals, not humans (Goodbeer, 1995).

How does this article relate to the lecture content on molly culture?

The molly culture, as reflected both the article and the lecture, reflects the notion that society gradually began to shift in its thinking that sexual actions between men was not necessarily to be viewed as sodomy. Society has long viewed sodomy as a harsh term that is reserved for the legal system. Men might be attracted to men, which contributed to the molly culture, but this did not necessarily mean that society needed to view the action as sodomy. This gradually gave way to the broader term and concept of homosexuality (Goodbeer, 1995).

How were men and women treated differently in reference to adultery? How were they punished?

In relation to sex, colonial New England society largely employed a double standard between men and women. This was particularly evident in relation to issues of adultery. Women were generally punished in equal measure based on Puritan law, but society tended to emphasize the woman’s fall into temptation more than that of the man. While the man was considered to have violated the covenant of marriage, the act of a woman committing adultery was also deemed to be an affront to the community itself. Women tended to be blamed for the act of adultery, while men were largely viewed to be victims of circumstance and giving into reason (Ulrich, 1991).

How is life depicted in early New England?

The article depicts and reveals the fact that life in early New England was largely communal in nature. It is written how many individuals shared nearly everything, from houses to eating utensil and chairs, and everything in between. As such, there was not much of a concept of personal space, and everyone was expected to largely act in harmony with the wishes of the community itself. There was little to no time for a private life of any sort during this time period (Ulrich, 1991).

How is women’s sexuality depicted?

Because life during the early days of New England was so public in nature, sex was viewed more as an obligation. It was often done right next to other members of the family, in as private a way as possible, but everyone knew what was going on. Because of this, it was even difficult to hide affairs or sexual impropriety of any sort. Women, however, were seen to be temptresses. As such, they were expected to remain separate from other men in the area, only interacting with others when their own husband was present. They were not to be seen at community gatherings that had activities taking place that were traditionally seen as for men only, such as drinking at a tavern (Ulrich, 1991).

Explain one of the scenarios on pages 99-101

One of the scenarios involve Mary Jenkins asking a male friend to stay the night in the absence of her own husband, supposedly because she was afraid of the Indians. The next morning, he pushed himself on her and had sex. Her mother, who then encouraged her to lie to her husband about the episode, discovered this. As is often the case, the lie got found out and she found herself in a physically violent confrontation with her husband. This demonstrates the importance during the day of females not associating themselves with any other male outside the presence of their husband (Ulrich, 1991).

Reference

Goodbeer, R. (1995). The cry of Sodom: Discourse, intercourse, and desire in Colonial New
England. William and Mary Quarterly, 52(3), 259-286.
Ulrich, L. (1991). Good wives: Image and reality in the lives of women in Northern New
England, 1650-1750. Vintage: New York.