In 1695; John Miller; a clergyman traveling through New York; found it appalling that so many couples lived together without ever being married and that no one viewed "ante-nuptial fornication" as anything scandalous or sinful. Charles Woodmason; an Anglican minister in South Carolina in 1766; described the region as a "stage of debauchery" in which polygamy was "very common;" "concubinage general;" and "bastardy no disrepute." These depictions of colonial North America's sexual culture sharply contradict the stereotype of Puritanical abstinence that persists in the popular imagination.In Sexual Revolution in Early America; Richard Godbeer boldly overturns conventional wisdom about the sexual values and customs of colonial Americans. His eye-opening historical account spans two centuries and most of British North America; from New England to the Caribbean; exploring the social; political; and legal dynamics that shaped a diverse sexual culture. Drawing on exhaustive research into diaries; letters; and other private papers; as well as legal records and official documents; Godbeer's absorbing narrative uncovers a persistent struggle between the moral authorities and the widespread expression of popular customs and individual urges.Godbeer begins with a discussion of the complex attitude that the Puritans had toward sexuality. For example; although believing that sex could be morally corrupting; they also considered it to be such an essential element of a healthy marriage that they excommunicated those who denied "conjugal fellowship" to their spouses. He next examines the ways in which race and class affected the debate about sexual mores; from anxieties about Anglo-Indian sexual relations to the sense of sexual entitlement that planters held over their African slaves. He concludes by detailing the fundamental shift in sexual culture during the eighteenth century towards the acceptance of a more individualistic concept of sexual desire and fulfillment. Today's moral critics; in their attempts to convince Americans of the social and spiritual consequences of unregulated sexual behavior; often harken back to a more innocent age; as this groundbreaking work makes clear; America's sexual culture has always been rich; vibrant; and contentious.
#1882976 in Books Johns Hopkins University Press 1996-03-26Original language:FrenchPDF # 1 9.00 x .84 x 6.00l; 1.07 #File Name: 0801851548320 pages
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A Fascinating Read; Because There's Nothing Like ItBy T. R. SmithThis is a most unusual diary; with much for students and scholars to ponder. To be sure; being a slave on a sugar plantation in Martinique was about as difficult as life could ever get for any human being. As this diary of Dessalles shows; it wasn't too easy being a Martinique planter; either.With a wife and ungrateful children who chose to live well in the cultured salons of Paris off his efforts instead of helping out on a rural farm on a wretched; steamy island in the Caribbean; with uncertain sugar prices; not knowing if they could even manage to eat and keep the plantation going some years; let alone keep his wife and freeloading Parisian kids in the style to which they were accustomed; with irritating neighbors and endless long trips into town over a period of many years; it is little wonder that he often finds himself drawn closer to his farm and the slaves who work it. Though the "theoretical" social order of the day would have clearly challenged any such kind of moral outrage; Dessalles was an eminently practical man. He had to be; as his diary shows again and again.Despicable as slavery was; one finds it difficult to dislike Dessalles. Slavery was an inherently evil institution; but his diary does not paint a picture of an inherently evil man. Paradoxically; it also does not allow him any excuses for his participation in this drama. It shows that people and situations are far more complex than that. It also leaves one wondering how the institution of slavery in the New World could have survived for more than a generation or two; at best; let alone for centuries.Dessales story would translate elegantly into film. Someone might want to try this some day. Meanwhile; it is highly recommended reading for those interested in New World slavery or the history of Martinique.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Best Autobiographical diary I've Ever Read!By RmcelvrI bought this for research purposes for a novel I'm writing; and I couldn't put it down! This Frenchman's diary is a treasure from the beginning of his life on his family's Martinique plantation to his end days after he lost the plantation to his children. His ideas of slavery in the beginning were so different from those at the end of his life. The political upheaval of the West Indies was prevalent as well. And; I've never read such an in-depth experience of a sugar plantation in my life! This man led an interesting life full of political strife; family drama; creole debutantes; slaves; and even mulattoes; and it would make a wonderful epic movie.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Purchased as a gift.By cspt2Purchased as a gift.
