WGS 328 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Coverture, Childbirth

• School: CMU
• Department: Women and Gender Studies
• Course: WGS 328
• Professor: Tara Mcarthy

Document Summary

Family life: marriage: feme covert, in the economic relationship between husband and wife three assumptions were to be made, wo(cid:373)e(cid:374)"s role: deputy husband, widows: feme sole. Feme sole = single women; could be widow or single (not married: if she is not married she does have legal status, if single, she could: Fe(cid:373)e co(cid:448)ert = (cid:862)co(cid:448)erture(cid:863) (they are covered: once she marries she does not have legal rights because her husband has her covered, married women cannot: Earn wages for herself (though this would not happen during this time) If a wife wanted to leave her husband, she would need proof that he neglects her and she would leave the marriage with nothing! If widowed she could own land if the late husband left it to her-if she got married again, she would have to give it up to her new husband.