...or hypergamy I guess
Chapter One
Nothing was forced here:
Before the mid-seventeenth century, far more men than women had made the journey to America, in part because landowners preferred male to female laborers. Among the Africans there were at least three men for every two women, and among the Europeans there were as many as three to four men for every woman. The resulting imbalance had a number of curious social effects. For one, there was a fairly high rate of interrracaial marriage, espeically between White men and Black women. In the wilderness no one seemed to care much, and mulatto children were a common sight. Second, the scarcity of females meant that a woman of either race who started life in America as an indentured servant could greatly improve her social and economic standing in the community by marrying someone with land, perhaps even her former owner. And if she was then lucky enough to outlive her husband, or if she inherited land from her father, she might become a landowner herself. The shortage of women probably helped women of both races get along better. Instead of being fierce adversaries in a tight marriage market, they could relax and be friends; for once there were plenty of good men to go around.
Chapter One
Nothing was forced here:
Before the mid-seventeenth century, far more men than women had made the journey to America, in part because landowners preferred male to female laborers. Among the Africans there were at least three men for every two women, and among the Europeans there were as many as three to four men for every woman. The resulting imbalance had a number of curious social effects. For one, there was a fairly high rate of interrracaial marriage, espeically between White men and Black women. In the wilderness no one seemed to care much, and mulatto children were a common sight. Second, the scarcity of females meant that a woman of either race who started life in America as an indentured servant could greatly improve her social and economic standing in the community by marrying someone with land, perhaps even her former owner. And if she was then lucky enough to outlive her husband, or if she inherited land from her father, she might become a landowner herself. The shortage of women probably helped women of both races get along better. Instead of being fierce adversaries in a tight marriage market, they could relax and be friends; for once there were plenty of good men to go around.
a woman is only as loyal as their options.
