In Puritan society, young couples were expected to get parental permission before marrying and could sometimes be fined if they did not. Once the banns had been posted for a certain amount of time, the couple could legally wed by a justice of the peace. For example, if someone knew one of the soon-to-be spouses was married in another town, or if someone knew they were too closely related. The assignment of the banns allowed the community to be able to bring forth any reasons why the couple shouldn't marry. Since marriage was not something that the government actively kept track of, listing or posting of the banns became a way to formalize union as a civil ceremony. In 1653, the Civil Marriage Act required that anyone who wanted to marry had to announce an intent to marry publicly. Throughout much of Colonial America, marriage was a contract. Depending on the colony in question-some being more religious than others-the marriage was an unbreakable union. Furthermore, since men outnumbered women in the Chesapeake, those men who were able to marry, usually were men of higher status who were more desirable marriage partners. While love was not a requirement for marriage, it was assumed that love would follow since marriage brought together men, women, and families in a way that was natural, patriarchal, and hierarchical. For some families, sensible relationships were a way to uplift families, or to move up the social hierarchy. In Virginia, which had a landed gentry and a wealthy aristocracy, love was less important to marriage, since marriage brought together two families and their properties. In the colonial period, marriage was understood more in a religious and practical sense. But how did marriage become an institution in the United States? Since marriage functions as an entryway into so many of these things, it's significance has changed over time, and it has been subject to regulation. However, marriage also has religious undertones, and in some religions is an important event. In the present day, our idea of marriage is that it's a partnership between two individuals-hopefully for love and companionship. 27 Ways to Find Ancestor Marriage Information
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